Interesting Reading on Alkalinity

[lduncan]

Just been reading through the lastest online reefkeeping mag (www.reefkeeping.com). Eric's column, which is always very enlightening, has the following to say about alkalinity. I have suspected something along these lines for a while. I remember when I first tried making base rock using cement, and calcium carbonate, and even though i cured it for months in salt water, after putting it in my tank, my alk levels when through the roof! I only had soft corals in my tank at the time, but the green start polyps, which suck calcium, were growing extremely rapidly, and had white growing margins, (similar to those on M. Capricornis when all is well). Anyway here is the extract, it would be interesting to see what everyone runs their alk levels at.

"What is worth mentioning here is that calcium, despite rapid depletion, is rarely limiting to calcification in seawater because of its very high availability. Alkalinity, however, is also rapidly depleted in tanks, and can be limiting to calcification. I rarely test calcium because I know from experience and my regular maintenance that I am adding a lot of calcium and I know it is at levels that make it readily available. I do, however, test alkalinity regularly on many of my tanks.

Ironically, and perhaps because of its rate of depletion in the small water volumes of aquaria, natural seawater levels of alkalinity are, in my experience, suboptimal. I prefer to keep my aquaria at levels much higher than seawater, and have seen no downside to doing so. On the contrary, if my tanks fall to seawater levels (about 2.9 meq/l), the tanks tend to look very poorly indeed. I strive for alkalinity levels somewhere between 4 and 5 meq/l, and the results of such elevated levels seem to indicate that reef aquaria thrive with the additional availability of carbonates. Furthermore, it helps to buffer against swings in pH values."

Layton

[reef]

i try to keep my kh at 2.5-3 mgl

if you go too high then it is hard to balance calcium as it will fall.

Read some german articles which state that too high a kh could cause RTN.

[Pies]

Layton, you don't say what you run yours at?

Just tested mine - 3.1

Eric Bourneman is 'da man' as far as I am concerned, anything he sais is worth listening too hes very smart and I like his 'Pro Environment' attitude. It is interesting that he says to keep ALK higher than Natural Seawater though.

I have a H U G E calcium reactor so adding calcium & alk is fairly easy for me, but things seem to be doing very well right now, so I am not planing on making any drastic changes to my tanks chemistry (expect for a wate change, GOD PLEASE MAKE IT STOP RAINING HERE! we havn't had 2 days without rain in a month!).

Along the same subject lines, any of you test or add Strontium or Iodine? I like to hear your thoughts on these too.

Pieola

[lduncan]

I have keept mine at about 9-10 dkH (3meq) also.

It's true that running higher alk makes it easier for Ca and Mg to precipitate out, which probably partially explains increased calcification rates. But also means calcium and magnesium have to be monitored even more carefully.

As far as increased risk of RTN with running high alk, maybe it is because calcium and magnesium levels change faster, stressing corals? I'm tempted to trial raising alk to about 3.5 - 4 meq over the next month or two, monitoring calcium and mag levels, and see what happens.

Layton

[Pies]

Yeah that does sound interesting. I would be curious to see how you get on. What do you use to raise your KH/ALK since your not using a reactor? Do you use a 'buffer' or baking soda or similar?

Coral stress sounds kinda 'lame' but I do belive its real. Perhapps also part of the reason for the RTN is that after the corals have been kept in conditions dissimlar to the natural ones (increase KH+CA) they are just stressed out? Although it doesn't seem to stop them growing?

Be interested to see how you get on. Like I said I am looking at stability with the conditions I have at the moment, ALL of my coral is growing and everything looks to be healty so I am 'if its not broke don't fix it'. I am tempted to upgrade my lighting though but my coral colour is looking good so not sure its nessessary (check my post tonight on 'i'm back').

Pies

[lduncan]

I haven't dosed strontium for months. I always use to, but recently read a paper, which stated how rediculous it really is to add strontium to an aquarium. They explain how the mechanisim for depositing strontium in the coral skeleton is a defence technique designed to detoxify the effects of soluble strontium. It is completely separate from the calcification mechanism. So really it appears that add strontium, is really harming corals, rather than aiding them. And I always thought adding strontium was benificial to corals, and coralline algae. Things change so quickly!

Undecided on iodine yet, i add it every now an then, but not regularly.

Pies, we got thunder and lightning down here an ChCh at the moment, no rain yet though ;-) .

Layton

[Pies]

We got the David Bowie concert tonight, he will be out there at the stadium, in a little boat. It is NASTY here.

[lduncan]

OK, now it's raining! it's getting quite serious now, lightning is huge, I hope the power doesn't get knocked out!

My corals are growing 2-3mm every two week on acros, at the moment, which I am reasonably happy with.

I'll use SeaChem buffer to raise alk. I dose Kalk and MgCl to maintain calcium and magnesium.

Checked your post, the colouration looks good on that frag! As far as lighting goes, I love my 400 watters!

Layton

[Pies]

Yeah that coral is looking nice, i've got a few not that are starting to show some good colour. I belive the added flow from the Streams + the Sea Swirl & SCWD help quite a bit. When I plumb out into the garage, it will give me another Sea Swirl and another 3000ish liters an hr of water flow.

My corals go through 'phases' of growth. Sometimes growing quickly 2-3mm a week, sometimes not. I can tell if a coral is growing as when I check the tank in the morning the polyps are out, expecially the ones at the 'end' if you know what I mean?

I am really tempted about 400 watt halides. Sorley tempted. I am not sure it will make much difference or not. I think I will go to 1300k bulbs too, which means I will prolly go for 2x 400, although am considering 3x 400 with a 10k in the middle. Basically I have no idea, but a large proportion of tanks with stoney corals have 400s and many tanks struggle to get good colouration with 250s. You can, but I don't think its as likley.

I have fragged my tank twice in the last week which has been cool. I have given away about 25 pieces of coral. Stonies and softies, some mushrooms too. The people who recieved them were very excited and its cool to see stuff actually having grown so well that I can give them away. I will be getting rid of some lime green hynofora, which I have 2 large colonies as well as several frags. This coral does very well in my tank and looks great. It also helped 'clear the sand bed' of lots of little frags and bits too, so the tank looks a little less cluttered. I have some more rock work to sort out on the left hand side, but that can wait for now. I hope to have some more stuff arrive in the next few weeks, which will make for a need to finalise the rockwork. I have about 40 kg of rock in the sump waiting to make its debut.

[lduncan]

Hey Pies, your avatar just reminded me. I was in at Redwood this week, they have a new shipment of fish in. Got them to hold a mandarin fish for me! Aparently they are about 4 inches long and fat! So hopefully my female clown can't swallow this one! Two more weeks in quarantine.

Layton

[Pies]

I am surprised a clown would eat one, for one thing they are poisonous, hence the reason nothing eats them, or at least that was my understanding. And clowns are not picovroes, I have seen my own clowns spit out live copepods so am very surprised they would eat any fish.

Redwoods. I got a Mandarin from them (mail order). It died after a few days. They told me it was fat and healthy when I ordered it. I recieved it and it was sooo skinny, Jane was shocked at its condition and considered calling the SPCA she was so upset with its health (could see bone through its skin). I asked them (redwoods) several times (have the email transactions) if it was fat, they said it was fat and very healthy, eating well. I was appauled when it arrived. I contacted them straight away, and was met by the comments 'its fine, thats what they look like you obviuosly don't know what your doing, if it dies its because your tank is unsuitable not out stock'. Which if you read between the lines is 'f$#k you, we have your money, good bye sucker'.

So check your stock before you pay for it! I have nothing positive to say about Redwoods, their stock or their attitude. Maybee they are different as a LFS but others have also delt with them and been dissapointed.

That being said our new Mandarin (Mandy of course) is a real character. Always out, always on the glass, it feeds from my hand, is so fat I am surprised it can swim. I could catch it in my hands if I wanted, no problem. She loves having her photo taken too, and is my partner Janes favorite fish.

I also have a scooter blenny, which is a cool little fish, another dragonet, and very cool. Weird to watch it swim, but cool. I would like to add another mandarin, a male to make a 'pair'.

As long as you have lots of little pods and life in the tank is should do fine. I have a refugium set up which is LOADED with bugs etc too, and I belive this is helping maintain the life in my tank. I can't wait to setup my 700 refugium in a few weeks time!!!

[lduncan]

I couldn't believe it myself, all I saw was the end of it's tail sticking out of her mouth! The mandarin fish was rather small thought, about 1.5" but the clownfish was only about 2.5"-3" at that time.

Layton