Alkalinity consumption rate

[PFoster]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

Ugh, I'm ashamed to admit it. I was dosing unequal amounts of a 'balanced' supplement. I didn't realize just how unequal it had gotten, but by three weeks ago I was dosing almost exactly 2x the alk as calcium. Which means I was also dosing 2x the amount of sodium.

Why you ask? Because I'm a moron and forgot something I thought I knew like the back of my hand 5 years ago

Not sure if that contributed to anything, but my tank would always drastically improve after a few large water changes in a row. Since I fixed it, things that haven't grown in a year are growing and a problem I was having with Acropora hyperplasia has started to resolve itself. I think I'm also now seeing my tank's "real" consumption rate,

Yeah well we all make mistakes sometimes.

This does illustrate the major flaw in the so called "balanced" system.
Maybe this applies in a lab, but definitely not in real life.
And certainly not on an sps system, as anyone that has successfully kept an acro tank knows this.



I use the Fauna Balling system for my alk, and i have will switch to a USP grade #1 alk from time to time.

Our sps system has a consumption rate of around 253 grams per day,
but this is based on 3 x 4' x 8' coral beds full of sps and with regular and large WC's.
WC's are replenishing alk
Corals coming in and out disrupt stability which decreases consumption…
So basically my data is useless for you, but still

Keep dosing and keep testing till your tank is stable.
And once it seems to stabilize don't stop testing.
You will seem to reach a balanced point.
then your sps will basically go "hey this is freakin perfect growing condition"
And your consumption rate will skyrocket again.
Then once you balance out you will be tuned in.

A drop of 1 dKh in a day…. yeah thats not good for happy sps at all…
Personally i like to keep my alk swings below .5dKh per day, up or down.
So don't raise it to fast either, but make sure it doesn't go to low either (yes i know, kinda hard to do.