How often should I have to add buffer?

[dynagirl]

I have a 54 corner reef tank and I add about half a dose of buffer twice weekly to keep my alk around 9 or 10.
The buffer says to add monthly or every two weeks...is there something off balance with my tank?
I have a b & w ocellaris, yellow wrasse, coral beauty, 3 chromis, and a shrimp goby, plus
cleanup crew and inverts. Also about 50 lbs of live rock and 1-2 inches of sand, plus a 2.5 gal refugium with chaeto.
My water parameters are ammonia and nitrites = 0, calcium = 400, pH = 8.3,
salinity = 1.026, nitrates =0-2, temp range = 77-80 degrees.
Thanks!

 

[mopar9012]

i dont add any buffers unless my tank needs it. I dont think you should be adding it every week.

 

[catawaba]

Whats your alkalinity level?

 

[gwh57]

You should be testing first then you know how much to add.

 

[dynagirl]

Right now, its 9.5 but I have to add buffer weekly to keep it up there....

 

[dynagirl]

This alk-pH thing is sort of the last thing I have not quite got a handle on.
I finally got my nitrates down, and I don't think my tank is overstocked, but my alk and therefore my pH will vary without my adding buffer weekly. I actually went out of town one week and I lost my xenia because the alk/pH dropped. I also have trouble with LPS corals.
My acros do great and my zoos and mushrooms do great, but I have lost one brain and another just looks so so and my candycane is showing some regression.
I am not sure what is going on.

 

[dynagirl]

Originally Posted by gwh57
You should be testing first then you know how much to add.

I always test....usually twice weekly....

 

[gwh57]

My tank drops 1.5 dkh per day. I drip limewater 24/7 and add baking soda nightly to keep my alk stable. I also add calcium nightly.

 

[dynagirl]

So I guess having to add buffer twice a week isn't bad? The contain says having to add it more than
twice a month means something is out of balance.....

 

[hatessushi]

If you check the archive section of this site there are some helpful articles on the relation between Alkalinity, pH, Calcium, Magnesium. Read those and it will give a better understanding.

 

[catawaba]

Originally Posted by HatesSushi
If you check the archive section of this site there are some helpful articles on the relation between Alkalinity, pH, Calcium, Magnesium. Read those and it will give a better understanding.