? on KH

[sadie]

I have a 16 Gal BioCube, it is my 4th tank since I started almost 20 yrs ago.  Most of the LR and LS are that old, (I did add some new LS a few yrs ago when switching tanks)  Just thought I would throw that out there so ppl don't think my tank is new or cycling.

 

Long story short it took me a while to figure out some problems and I finally did.  My tank was stable and everything good for a few months so in Aug I added 2 baby pajama cardinals.   Parameters stayed the same for a while, so I started adding coral (Sept 18)  I knew things would change so I tested every day. I noticed my KH was slowly going up.  In Aug it was stable at 9.3 On 9/24 it went up to 9.6  on 9/26 it went up 9.9 on 9/28 it went up to 10.2 on 10/7 it was 10.5  on 10/12 it went up to 11.2.

 

I use Salifert test kit that will expire in 2023.  I test the same time every day.  I do 2 gal WC every Friday.  I have Purigen and filter floss in my tower(change filter floss daily or every other day as needed).

 

I keep reading that there is no perfect  number (though there is an ideal range) and that stability is more important (as long as it stays inside that range).  So it didn't concern me too much that it was rising, but it's not stabilizing, and THAT is concerning me.  I kinda thought it would hit a number then stay there.

 

I did a 3 gal WC this morning and just out of curiosity I tested the salt water before adding it to my tank and it was 11.3, which seems really high to me.

 

My candy cane coral is getting pale and I'm wondering if it because the KH is high or not stable or both.  

 

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

[sadie]

Everything in my tank, except the candy cane seem to be fine.  My zoas have started to open and show color, just haven't fully opened yet.

 

I just did a WC so things have not settled yet.  I blast the rocks and vaccum the sand, so it looks like it's snowing. 

 

FTS

[patback]

What is the alkalinity of your water change water?  

At work so cant do the math right now to see if it coincides, but if you're going up small amounts and dont really have enough coral to use up the alkalinity, you will eventually stop rising once you reach the level that your salt is mixing to.  

[patback]

Just skimmed through the rest of your post that I missed.  Raising it a little each week shoukdnt cause a coral much stress. Lower nutrient tanks should have lower on the scale alk, higher=higher.    Try feeding more. And make sure your lights arent too high. I have killed quite a few candy canes by having the lighting too intense. 

[GetPsyched2124]

Do you have an ATO or have been topping off the evaporated water daily? The only thing i can think of that would cause Kh to rise is water evaporating and not being equally replenished via top off or an ATO, which would slowly raise the Kh or any other nutrient each day.

[sadie]

1 hour ago, patback said:

Just skimmed through the rest of your post that I missed.  Raising it a little each week shoukdnt cause a coral much stress. Lower nutrient tanks should have lower on the scale alk, higher=higher.    Try feeding more. And make sure your lights arent too high. I have killed quite a few candy canes by having the lighting too intense. 

I just backed off my feeding because my tank got ugly.  I was feeding fish 2x a day (flake or frozen mysis) and coral every other day (frozen mysis, zoo plankton and reef roids).  Now I feed fish about 5-6x a week and my coral 2x a week.  My cleaning crew was finally able to get algae under control.  So I'm not sure I want to start feeding more again.  

[sadie]

1 hour ago, GetPsyched2124 said:

Do you have an ATO or have been topping off the evaporated water daily? The only thing i can think of that would cause Kh to rise is water evaporating and not being equally replenished via top off or an ATO, which would slowly raise the Kh or any other nutrient each day.

I don't have an ATO, with the weekly WC my salinity stays at 1.025, there isn't much evaporation.  I check salinity daily, calibrated with solution, not water.

[sadie]

Could my candy cane be too high in the tank?  I could put them on the sand bed, though they are glued to the rock I 'm sure I could pop them. 

 

I have stock lighting.

 

But it still doesn't explain why my KH is slowly going up,

[sadie]

So if my KH stays at 11.3 (which is what my newly made water tested at), is that too high? 

[Clown79]

What's your calcium and mag levels?

 

If mag is low it will cause an issue with alk and ca balance.

 

As ca increases, alk decreases and vice versa.

A lot of ppl use 2 part dosing systems to keep the 2 balanced.

 

Your alk levels are best maintained at what your salt mixes at, so testing the newly made salt would be an idea for your target alk levels.

 

My salt mixes at 8.2, that's what I target yo maintain daily. 

[sadie]

29 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

What's your calcium and mag levels?

 

If mag is low it will cause an issue with alk and ca balance.

 

As ca increases, alk decreases and vice versa.

A lot of ppl use 2 part dosing systems to keep the 2 balanced.

 

Your alk levels are best maintained at what your salt mixes at, so testing the newly made salt would be an idea for your target alk levels.

 

My salt mixes at 8.2, that's what I target yo maintain daily. 

my calcium on 9/29 was 445, 9/30 440, 10/1 450 and has basically stayed at 450 till 10/15when it was 435.

My mag was 1305 on 9/29, 1305 on 9/30, 1320 on 10/1, 1335 on 10/7, 1320 on 10/12, 

 

Yesterday I decided to add the Nano parts A & B (I use to use it daily in my old tank that was filled with coral)  My KH before adding it was 10.9 and after adding A&B was around 11.9.  I did a 1 gal water change.  This morning it was 11.3 so I did a 3 gal WC.  BUT when I tested the fresh made water it was 11.3  which I thought was crazy.  Using the same salt, my KH was stable at 9.3. (back in Sept) 

 

The only change I can think of, is I did loose a couple acans.  One the day after I got it and the other just a couple days ago (from the same shipment). Not sure that would bring up my KH though.  I do take out the skeleton after it dies.

[sadie]

I think I am going to go buy new salt tomorrow.  I will buy a smaller box so I use it quicker.  I usually buy a box that will treat 50 gal so it lasts me a couple months.  I will see if that makes a difference.  I keep the salt in an airtight container and kinda mix the salt up before I use it.

[mcarroll]

On 10/16/2019 at 10:20 AM, sadie said:

I did a 3 gal WC this morning and just out of curiosity I tested the salt water before adding it to my tank and it was 11.3, which seems really high to me.

 

My candy cane coral is getting pale and I'm wondering if it because the KH is high or not stable or both.  

 

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.

Sounds like your salt mix might have needed to be re-mixed from settling before you used it.....OR.....your initial fill of saltwater in the tank was just lower s.g. and every water change has been trending the tank up to 11.3.

 

In any event 11.3 is fine, if not en vogue.

 

If your corals are having a problem, look elsewhere.  Lack of nutrients is a likely problem.

 

What are your tests showing for nitrates and phosphates? 

 

Phosphates are especially critical, and I'd be concerned at anything < 0.05 ppm I think.  Around there or more is BETTER.   

 

5-10 ppm (or more) for nitrates is a good target as well.

[sadie]

6 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Sounds like your salt mix might have needed to be re-mixed from settling before you used it.....OR.....your initial fill of saltwater in the tank was just lower s.g. and every water change has been trending the tank up to 11.3.

 

In any event 11.3 is fine, if not en vogue.

 

If your corals are having a problem, look elsewhere.  Lack of nutrients is a likely problem.

 

What are your tests showing for nitrates and phosphates? 

 

Phosphates are especially critical, and I'd be concerned at anything < 0.05 ppm I think.  Around there or more is BETTER.   

 

5-10 ppm (or more) for nitrates is a good target as well.

my test shows 0 phos and nitrates.  I was looking into dosing and saw that if you have algae you never dose.  That you actually have phos. and the algae is eating it.  I did try and raise it a bit, but my tank just got ugly (I have a post about that).  They told me not to chase #s.  I had an amazing tank for years (a while ago) with 0 phos and nitrates. 

I have moved my candycane coral down a bit, it's the only one that's not doing great.  Everything else is good.

 

I do mix my salt up before mixing, but only started that half way through the batch.  I have also ordered RS blue bucket salt and I'm curious how that will do in my tank.

[MrObscura]

Theres always going to be some algea present. I personally want detectable levels of no3 and po4, my corals struggle otherwise.

 

As for high alk, some people run it no problem, but I dont like to. Corals never seem to like when it's gotten high. 

 

I strangely had my alk jump up for no apparent reason and climb daily despite nothing being added to cause it. Recently I did a number of waterchanges to bring it down and it seems stable again.