Kh keeps dropping

[Zante]

I test my Kh twice a week and I always find it to be below 8, I once found it to be 5!

I am regularly dosing enough Kh buffer to bring the Kh to 9 and I'm dosing kalkwasser in the ATO to the tune of two teaspoons a week.

I'm guessing the consumption is a good sign that my SPS frags are ripping minerals out o the water, but I would like some confirmation.

I have ordered a calcium reactor and it will be delivered on Thursday.

[UTCReefer]

What is your CA at now? Adding too much CA will drop your ALK, and vice versa. Other than that you need to test your MAG. Its the glue between CA and ALK. If mag is below 1300 then your CA and ALK will swing.

[Zante]

mag is constantly around 1400 and I strive to keep ca between 400 and 450

[UTCReefer]

Its probably just being consumed faster than you are adding it. I dose in my tank and it took about a week to get it dialed in. I run my drews doser pumps for about 15min every hour and my levels stay steady. Try using the reef calculator to figure out a dosing level for the next couple of days and dose by hand instead of the ATO this way you can monitor the daily usage of your tank and come up with a better estimate.

[bertoni]

I agree that the tank probably just needs more supplement. Many tanks consume 2-3 dKH per day. I would pick a time of day, and measure, then dose, alkalinity at that time for a week or so. You should get a reasonable trend line.

[gregphoenix]

how consistant is the volume of top off liquid the ATO is dispensing? has the humidity of your fish room changed (did you turn on or off your AC?)

[Zante]

how consistant is the volume of top off liquid the ATO is dispensing? has the humidity of your fish room changed (did you turn on or off your AC?)

Not a fish room, a bedroom :D
... and no, I don't have AC and I've kept the humidity of my room constant by keeping a window open.

I also have a discus breeding tank, a shrimp tank, a 400 litre amazon tank and a grow-out tank with some firemouths in there, and never had any humidity issues thanks to the simple open window ;)

I am using approximately 20 litres of top off every week, but that is bound to drop in winter.

[Zante]

I agree that the tank probably just needs more supplement. Many tanks consume 2-3 dKH per day. I would pick a time of day, and measure, then dose, alkalinity at that time for a week or so. You should get a reasonable trend line.

My tank only has seven SPS frags for the moment, so the consumption took me a bit by surprise. I'm getting a calcium reactor on Thursday, and once that is running and properly dialled in the issue should be solved.

[tmz]

Do you see any caclium carbonate precipitation in the tank or on the surfaces of heaters , pumps or other heat sources? Is coraline growing?

[Zante]

Coralline and coral are growing.

[bertoni]

Coralline can consume 2-3 dKH per day, IME. A couple of my soft coral tanks did.

[PaulieReef]

Not to hijake but this just answered my post I think. I got a bunch of coral and my dKH was dropping 1 per day and I was freaking out. Thanks!

[bertoni]

It's a common question. Corals can consume a lot more alkalinity than one might think.