Chasing Alk

After my last disaster with Alk ( burned everything ) I purchased a new red sea test kit.

I've been monitoring this week and this is what I have yesterday after about a gallon water change with reef crystals.

Calcium - 470
Alk - 7.0
Magnesium - 1450

I'm trying to get the alk up to 9 DKH so I have only been dosing Kent's part B. I dosed 1 tsp.

I've been out of town for the last few days so I missed some testing and dosing.

This is in my 13.5 gallon Fluval EVO. It has a total water volume of about 10 gallons.

I've also noticed that my top layer of sand seems to be clumping together since I've began dosing Alk.

The tank is heavily stocked with sps crags and a few large wall hammer colonies.

I just want to do right by everything need some guidance in this area.

Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Edited by chuckfu5 - April 09 2017 at 10:37am

I usually change about 5 gallons every two weeks.

I think my tank is using more alk than I can replace with water changes, that's why I've started dosing.

These are brand new red sea test kits.

1.026

How many and what kind of corals do you have?

Interesting.. Can you post a pic of the tank?

Stop dosing all together, you don't need it.

"Unfortunately, calcium and alkalinity are linked in many ways in reef tanks, and these links can lead to serious problems if they are not fully understood. If, for example, you add too much of a calcium supplement, you will drive down alkalinity as you get precipitation of calcium carbonate in the tank. Likewise, adding too much of an alkalinity supplement can result in reduction of calcium. Consequently, trying to correct one problem can cause another. Moreover, if you try to correct a calcium or alkalinity “problem” with the wrong type of additive, you might accomplish nothing more than creating limestone in your tank." THIS IS WHY YOUR SAND BED IS CLUMPING, PRECIPITATION OF CALICUM CARBONATE.

Natural seawater is 7-8 dkh alk    So you really don't have to worry.

Also, you may consider changing 2.5 gallons per week.  It's basically 2x the work, but the fluctuations of your tank will be much smaller and the need for dosing should be eliminated.

Just don't adjust it. The water changes are perfectly fine.

Adam

Stability is key, the problem is the chemistry going on in our saltwater boxes. It is not as simple as adding an alkalinity adative. The smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep stable, and the less room for error.