mitten_reef Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 There may be an entirely different way of looking at this....let me get my biochem nerd hat on. What if instead of looking at alk consumption from corals' perspective, we look at the Zooxanthellae bioactivity level? we know they photosynthesize. photosynthesis takes CO2, which underwater is only available in the form of H2CO3 (carbonic acid) or HCO3, aka bicarbonate (alk) forms. Thus, during lights-on hours, there appear to be accelerated uptake of alk while in fact the zoox are pulling in HCO3 to produce sugar and other caloric consumables to share with corals. Afterall, they have symbiosis relationship coral hosts zoox, zoox makes dinner (or do they become dinner?). During lights-out then, zoox went from photosynthesis to respiration mode - thus the pH drops at night because increased dissolved CO2 > increased carbonic acid > more free carbonate again. Side note: bicarbonate is a really good buffer, it maintains pH balance in human body. Seachem Aquavitro's "eight.four" name sounds like a pH-chasing product, but it is actually their alk dosing component. Does this random thought of mine have anything to do with how the corals themselves utilize HCO3? Perhaps not. I just had the thought that zoox may have an important role the light cycle alk fluctuation. I'm sure corals do absorb Ca and HCO3 directly for skeletal growth. But growth also is more likely when they're happily fed, either by us or by zoox. I'm very much interested in following your findings about day/night alk consumption - as I've been wondering that myself. Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 8 KH 6:30AM bingo 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 7 hours ago, micoastreefing said: There may be an entirely different way of looking at this....let me get my biochem nerd hat on. Much of that went over my head, but I think the important point to remember is that regardless of the process the ocean is big enough to buffer the change. I ASSUME, i think teeny's question about shallow tidepools is a good one. Review 9.3 at 4pm 8.8 at 6:30pm 8.6 at 8:30pm 8.5 at 6AM 8.1 at 4PM 7.9 at 6:30PM 7.7 at 8:30PM 8.0 at 6:30AM I expected Alk to rise due to Kalk dosing and it did. I expected up to .3 and testing twice I got 8.0 twice so I think this is a decent reading. There should have been some usage after the 8:30 reading due to the blue LEDs being on full blast until 9:30. Most likely I am dosing more Kalk that I thought, which is likely since it's a guess based on how long topoff lasts. 5 gallons last a little over 5 days. So, if all goes as expected this evenings Alk should be 7.2 KH, tomorrow morning 7.5, tomorrow evening 6.7 if I don't turn on the doser. Running the calculator and getting the amount to raise Alk from 6.7 to 7.5 I get aprox 80ml (I'm using 140 gallons as tank volume + sump - equipment and rocks). Doser is set to 120ml over 24 hours so what I think I will do is put it on a timer so it goes on Saturday at 10am and off at 10pm. This should dose 60ml which is not enough to fully maintain Alk. A good start. 3 Quote Link to comment
Asureef Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 ... now you got me interested. I know it swings from night/day but now I’m more curious on how my tank is doing. 1 Quote Link to comment
DaveFason Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 I had a little birdie talk about the Mindstream a bit within the last month. I think it will be the perfect piece of equipment for you Mark. Do you think you could skip the dosing and tweak the ATO KALK? Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 3 hours ago, DaveFason said: I had a little birdie talk about the Mindstream a bit within the last month. I think it will be the perfect piece of equipment for you Mark. Do you think you could skip the dosing and tweak the ATO KALK? Mindstream is still vaporware isn't it. For 'under $900' it better be good. :) Kalk is saturated, no way to increase how much I dose unless I increase evaporation, which I don't want to do. I also like to use it at night to help keep the PH up. Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 Here is an R2R post someone linked to in my rarely updated R2R thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/rentons-custom-200.101447/page-28#post-4621975 $799 for an Alkatronic 9000 (I made up the 9000 part). 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 Naturally power is out. Why I even try. lol prob be 2 hours before restored. UPS WORKING fine. No 40 backup not. I was forced to switch to iPhone. This thug is a piece of shit 1 Quote Link to comment
Asureef Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 1 hour ago, markalot said: Naturally power is out. Why I even try. lol prob be 2 hours before restored. UPS WORKING fine. No 40 backup not. I was forced to switch to iPhone. This thug is a piece of shit How long does the UPS last for your tank? Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 60 more minutes. Generator is next step. 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 Generator running. Outage now expected to end at 11 pm 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 Generator getting about 6 hours per tank of gas. Right now just pulling 125 watts with critical equipment on both tanks running. Flow pumps, HOB sump on 40, flow pumps in this sump, and the nitrate reactor so I don't end up with dead bacteria and fouled water. I think it's set, charging the UPS back up in case generator fails to give me a little extra time. Current prediction is 4PM TOMORROW! I LOL at the way everything runs smooth for a year, then one fun event after another. Go go Champion 1500 watt generator. 2 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Asureef said: Why is your power out? We had storms knocked out a lot of power around the area. Power back on at 11:45. 75.8 in the big tank, 75.4 in the 40 gallon. Used 4 gallons of gas in the generator. 2 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 11 hours ago, markalot said: We had storms knocked out a lot of power around the area. Power back on at 11:45. 75.8 in the big tank, 75.4 in the 40 gallon. Used 4 gallons of gas in the generator. Whew! As usual, your tank threads are inspiring me to get new equipment. Last time it was the T5's for the IM40. Now you've reminded me I've been meaning to get a small generator for years now... 2 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 9am 7.7 KH just topoff on. Hmmm. Maybe a bad measurement last night. 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 It will be interesting to see a graph of the 24 hour cycle after several days to smooth out any irregular measurements. 2 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 1pm 8.0 KH Hanna - T5's turn on, full LED Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 6pm 7.3 Salifert, 7.6 Hanna - end of T5 cycle Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Generator is set for 6 months of storage. Added 1 oz of Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer, ran for 5 minutes, then turned off fuel line to starve the motor as instructed. Will need to start and run for 15 minutes in November or December, plus topoff with gas and more StaBil. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
dferrari13 Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Wow....is kh suppose to drop that low at night?? 1 Quote Link to comment
dferrari13 Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I usually run my tank at about 9- 10 kh But I've never tested at 6am lol 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.