Alkalinity help

[Foxchase]

Ok so I just tested all my parameters and my alk is at 7.2. I don't really have any sps. Just some zoas, mushrooms and lps. My mag was at 1600 and calc at 550. I use IO reef crystals so I expected my alk to be much higher. All my corals look great.
Is there anything I should do to bring it up? How? I've never had low alk. It's always been at the 10s or 11. (unless I was doing the Red Sea test wrong. This was with the Hanna checker)

 

[Romanhawk]

The one thing I learned from watching all those BRS videos is not to chase numbers. If your corals are happy, I'd say that speaks volumes.

 

[Mark_C]

7.2 is fine, I think that’s actually pretty close to actual seawater. 10-11 is a challenge to keep in order to foster enhanced spa growth. I’m at 8 and my sps and lps grow fine.
Consistency and stability are key. If you’re tank hovers at 7.2 with ease, just keep it at or around 7.2, softies will do fine. Mg and Ca Are high Enough to support sps if you wanted to as softies won’t use it.
Keep going as you are, add an sos or two if you like.

 

[Sponge]

I second the above advice. Your alk is fine. Steady is better than elevated. That’s not to say elevated is bad. There are advantages to it. But it’s not necessary at all. If your tank naturally settles at 7.2 then kudos

 

[amado]

I try to keep my alk at 8- 8.5.
If you keep your alk at 7.2 and something goes wrong you don’t have any margins of error. I keep my mag at 1350 I Don’t really do anything to keep it around that number just water changes. Mag at 1500 is very high
You need a balance. I was told calcium should be 3x your magnesium. 550 for calcium is also very high I try to keep it at 420. 420 x 3 = 1260 so it’s close enough for me to my mag at 1350.


Calcium and magnesium are really hard to test with a home kit so I would confirm your numbers with ICP test. Before making any changes.

 

[MadReefer]

7.2 is fine, I think that’s actually pretty close to actual seawater. 10-11 is a challenge to keep in order to foster enhanced spa growth. I’m at 8 and my sps and lps grow fine.
Consistency and stability are key. If you’re tank hovers at 7.2 with ease, just keep it at or around 7.2, softies will do fine. Mg and Ca Are high Enough to support sps if you wanted to as softies won’t use it.
Keep going as you are, add an sos or two if you like.

I agree stability.
My alk is around 8 but calcium is 400/450. I tried to raise it but doesn't last long and drops back down. So now I just maintain what its at.
Encrusting an plate coral are alive but growing slowly.

 

[Raptor777]

Please dont chase ALK!!! A more stable ALK is much more beneficial to corals than chasing a specific ALK. I would do a water change once a week to very slowly bring up your ALK to 8-8.5. IO reef crystals numbers are very inconsistent, I would recommend switching to a better salt to get more consistent parameters

 

[Foxchase]

I try to keep my alk at 8- 8.5.
If you keep your alk at 7.2 and something goes wrong you don’t have any margins of error. I keep my mag at 1350 I Don’t really do anything to keep it around that number just water changes. Mag at 1500 is very high
You need a balance. I was told calcium should be 3x your magnesium. 550 for calcium is also very high I try to keep it at 420. 420 x 3 = 1260 so it’s close enough for me to my mag at 1350.


Calcium and magnesium are really hard to test with a home kit so I would confirm your numbers with ICP test. Before making any changes.

I figured they were high as well but it's just what the salt mixes at. I don't add anything to the tank. It's just always been the same.

 

[amado]

I figured they were high as well but it's just what the salt mixes at. I don't add anything to the tank. It's just always been the same.

What salt are you using ?

 

[Sponge]

I try to keep my alk at 8- 8.5.
If you keep your alk at 7.2 and something goes wrong you don’t have any margins of error. I keep my mag at 1350 I Don’t really do anything to keep it around that number just water changes. Mag at 1500 is very high
You need a balance. I was told calcium should be 3x your magnesium. 550 for calcium is also very high I try to keep it at 420. 420 x 3 = 1260 so it’s close enough for me to my mag at 1350.


Calcium and magnesium are really hard to test with a home kit so I would confirm your numbers with ICP test. Before making any changes.

When you say hard to test. Do you mean hard to get consistent results? Or the results you get can’t be trusted. Even if they are consistent

 

[amado]

When you say hard to test. Do you mean hard to get consistent results? Or the results you get can’t be trusted. Even if they are consistent

So in my case I am currently running a trident . So I feel like I am cheating lol
But I have Hanna to test alk/ calcium
Hanna alk test is easy and accurate.
Calcium in the hanna checker is not user friendly and I can see how someone makes a mistake.

All hobby grade magnesium test are horrible.

 

[Foxchase]

I

So in my case I am currently running a trident . So I feel like I am cheating lol
But I have Hanna to test alk/ calcium
Hanna alk test is easy and accurate.
Calcium in the hanna checker is not user friendly and I can see how someone makes a mistake.

All hobby grade magnesium test are horrible.

I only have the Hanna alk and phosphate. Mag and calc I use Red Sea. (Also, I use the IO Reef Crystals)

 

[Foxchase]

Please dont chase ALK!!! A more stable ALK is much more beneficial to corals than chasing a specific ALK. I would do a water change once a week to very slowly bring up your ALK to 8-8.5. IO reef crystals numbers are very inconsistent, I would recommend switching to a better salt to get more consistent parameters

I haven't done anything to change anything. I just wanted to know if I SHOULD be doing something. Because I always read you should have alk at 8. So when I tested with the red Sea, I would get 10. Now that I switched to hanna, I get 7.2. (last time I checked with red Sea was before I upgraded tanks though)

 

[Mark_C]

OK, now you made me go do work

My dKH is at 7.5, it hovers around that...



And my SPS is going strong...



I just try to keep the tank stable and, honestly, I hardly ever check Ca and never Mg. If I keep up with regular water changes and on the occasional check that my dKH is 7.5 +/- 0.3, I have no concerns. Tank is stable and Ca and Mg will balance out to the dKH.

I’ve tried to raise the alk but the it gets into dosers, chemicals, etc and i like to keep things simple, so, for me, mid 7’s it is. And, in pevious tank I lost corals on my way up in Alk (oddly as I was trying to grow them faster), and then lost more while trying to dial things in.

 

[Foxchase]

OK, now you made me go do work

My dKH is at 7.5, it hovers around that...

View attachment 31283

And my SPS is going strong...

View attachment 31284

I just try to keep the tank stable and, honestly, I hardly ever check Ca and never Mg. If I keep up with regular water changes and on the occasional check that my dKH is 7.5 +/- 0.3, I have no concerns. Tank is stable and Ca and Mg will balance out to the dKH.

I’ve tried to raise the alk but the it gets into dosers, chemicals, etc and i like to keep things simple, so, for me, mid 7’s it is. And, in pevious tank I lost corals on my way up in Alk (oddly as I was trying to grow them faster), and then lost more while trying to dial things in.

Yea I agree. I guess more than anything, I was confused as to the big change in alk. Specially since I have no spa

 

[Mrx7899x]

I keep my alk anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5 if it's in that range I'm ok with it and my tank is sps dominated.

 

[Paulie 069]

I keep my alk anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5 if it's in that range I'm ok with it and my tank is sps dominated.

Fox thanks for asking this question I’ve learned from it. Kudos