Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - Need help with massive Ca/Alk consumption

Michael_D · 10/03/2017, 07:29 PM

Hi everyone, I've never posted on the forums before, but I am today because I can't seem to find an answer to my question from searching online!

I have a 75 gallon mixed reef that has been running for a few months now. It was an upgrade from an older 50 gallon tank that I did as part of a house move. I have a 20 gallon sump, a Gyre 130, a Vortech mp10, 2 Maxpect Ethereals, a Bubble Magus skimmer and a Jabeo DC return pump. I dose 2 part Seachem Reef Fusion with a Jabeo 4 channel doser.

I'd say my tank should have a healthy demand for Alk and Ca, as I have 2 large grapefruit sized trumpet corals, and about the same amount in bird-nest colonies, as well as some assorted SPS frags and various Euphyllia.
Everything seems healthy and happy in the tank, as long as i keep dosing, but I am currently using 240ml/day of Reef Fusion 1 and 2 (each) to keep the alkalinity and calcium up!! From what I can tell, this should be enough for a large tank heavily stocked with SPS? Right?

My parameters:
Ca: 380ppm
Alk: 6dKH
Mag: 1500ppm
Salinity:1.026
Temp:79F
PH: 8.4? (really hard to tell)
No detectable Nitrate/Phosphate

I am using Nutrafin test kits except for mag which is Salifert. I tested the accuracy by testing some freshly mixed reef crystal water, and I got 420ppm and 10dKh with the same kits.

I have noticed some sand clumping, and my heater will develop precipitation very quickly. But if I stop dosing, my tank will plummet to under 5 dKH within the day and my corals become visibly unhappy. Is my pH too high? I added fresh sand when I set the tank up (aragonite), as my old tank was bare bottom. Could the sand bed be causing abiotic precipitation? I removed half the sand and it made no difference on my consumption. I also removed my largest coral colonies and put them in a separate tank for a few days, again with no difference in consumption.

My old tank was maintained with a capflul per day of the same 2 part solution, and the corals have only grown a little bit since then. Now I am dosing 10ml/hour...

Any idea what is going on? I could really use some help on very frustrating problem.

10/03/2017, 07:29 PM	#1
Michael_D Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 6	Need help with massive Ca/Alk consumption Hi everyone, I've never posted on the forums before, but I am today because I can't seem to find an answer to my question from searching online! I have a 75 gallon mixed reef that has been running for a few months now. It was an upgrade from an older 50 gallon tank that I did as part of a house move. I have a 20 gallon sump, a Gyre 130, a Vortech mp10, 2 Maxpect Ethereals, a Bubble Magus skimmer and a Jabeo DC return pump. I dose 2 part Seachem Reef Fusion with a Jabeo 4 channel doser. I'd say my tank should have a healthy demand for Alk and Ca, as I have 2 large grapefruit sized trumpet corals, and about the same amount in bird-nest colonies, as well as some assorted SPS frags and various Euphyllia. Everything seems healthy and happy in the tank, as long as i keep dosing, but I am currently using 240ml/day of Reef Fusion 1 and 2 (each) to keep the alkalinity and calcium up!! From what I can tell, this should be enough for a large tank heavily stocked with SPS? Right? My parameters: Ca: 380ppm Alk: 6dKH Mag: 1500ppm Salinity:1.026 Temp:79F PH: 8.4? (really hard to tell) No detectable Nitrate/Phosphate I am using Nutrafin test kits except for mag which is Salifert. I tested the accuracy by testing some freshly mixed reef crystal water, and I got 420ppm and 10dKh with the same kits. I have noticed some sand clumping, and my heater will develop precipitation very quickly. But if I stop dosing, my tank will plummet to under 5 dKH within the day and my corals become visibly unhappy. Is my pH too high? I added fresh sand when I set the tank up (aragonite), as my old tank was bare bottom. Could the sand bed be causing abiotic precipitation? I removed half the sand and it made no difference on my consumption. I also removed my largest coral colonies and put them in a separate tank for a few days, again with no difference in consumption. My old tank was maintained with a capflul per day of the same 2 part solution, and the corals have only grown a little bit since then. Now I am dosing 10ml/hour... Any idea what is going on? I could really use some help on very frustrating problem.