What depletes alkalinity?

gmann1139

Active Member
I've had consistent issues with low alkalinity (2.5 mEq/L) in my 12g Nano, ever since I set it up a year ago.
Recently, the alk dropped down closer to 2.0, so I performed two 50% water changes, hoping to raise it back up. That worked temporarily as it was back up to 2.5 for a week or two, but it has since dropped back below 2.0 again.
Since my other two tanks are consistently around 3.0, my question is what could be depleting the alk in this tank?
Its a 12g nano, with ~1" of aragonite, 10 lb of LR, 2 ocel clowns.
Filtration is 2 sponges, LR, and chaeto. I've replaced the stock filtration with a MJ600.
I've had a consistent hair algae population, but my coraline is quite prolific as well.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2969155
I've had consistent issues with low alkalinity (2.5 mEq/L) in my 12g Nano, ever since I set it up a year ago.
Recently, the alk dropped down closer to 2.0, so I performed two 50% water changes, hoping to raise it back up. That worked temporarily as it was back up to 2.5 for a week or two, but it has since dropped back below 2.0 again.
Since my other two tanks are consistently around 3.0, my question is what could be depleting the alk in this tank?
Its a 12g nano, with ~1" of aragonite, 10 lb of LR, 2 ocel clowns.
Filtration is 2 sponges, LR, and chaeto. I've replaced the stock filtration with a MJ600.
I've had a consistent hair algae population, but my coraline is quite prolific as well.
2 off the top of my head are calcification of corals and coraline algae.
And/or magnesium deficiency
 

gmann1139

Active Member
Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
http:///forum/post/2969170
2 off the top of my head are calcification of corals and coraline algae.
And/or magnesium deficiency
No corals, so that's out.
I'll admit, I haven't checked my calcium level lately, and never tested magnesium.
Will check the first this weekend, and the second once I get a kit.
If they are in balance, should I just keep doing water changes until it gets back up? That's the only course of action I can think of, just keep putting higher alk water in.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2969300
No corals, so that's out.
I'll admit, I haven't checked my calcium level lately, and never tested magnesium.
Will check the first this weekend, and the second once I get a kit.
If they are in balance, should I just keep doing water changes until it gets back up? That's the only course of action I can think of, just keep putting higher alk water in.
Alkalinity depletes rather quickly.
 

geoj

Active Member
waste decomposition also depletes alkalinity
The consistent hair algae may be a hint that there is waste keeping it going
 

gmann1139

Active Member
Alright, so I'm going to take a two-pronged approach.
1. Two gallon (~20%) water changes daily for 7 days. This should replace 80% of my water, and we'll see what that does. I'm also going to test the water going in to make sure I didn't get a bad bucket of salt.
2. Feeding every other day, instead of daily for that week. I'll have a couple Turbos/Astreas from SWF to go in at the end of the next week, so we'll see if they can help with cleanup as well.
 

gmann1139

Active Member
Ok, after three 20% water changes, alk is back up to 2.8.
I just checked calcium, came in at 400.
Only skipped one feeding so far, but I've also scraped off and vacuumed out a good portion of the hair algae.
After seeing what the snails did to the hair algae I put in my QT for them, I'm fairly confident they'll deal with anything I don't get.
 
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