Can raising my Alk cause my corals to close up??

My dendro and zoas will not open fully anymore ever since i started supplementing with kent alk superbuffer. Is this normal?

 

Please provide ALK level. If you are not testing for ALk do not dose.

Are you dosing too close to the corals, is the swing stressing the corals.

 

And how high is your alk? dKH or in meq/l # is fine.

In dKH it should ideally be between 8 and 12 maximum, IME 8 to 9 is usually fine.

 

My dKH i s at 10.4 right now and my calcium and magnesium are also in the range they should be (maybe a lil bit high)

 

I had all kinds of issues when I was using the kent super buffer - I felt like I could control my PH...kind of...and my alk kind of....but I had all kinds of issues with Ca and Mg. Ultimately, when I really started paying attention to my levels - testing using salifert kits...I realized I was getting more swings in level then I though. I ended up switching to the bulk reef suppy 2 part kit - it is cheap, easy, and is basic compounds. I have had a much more stable environment since then, and my critters have been much more healthy. Plus the BRS website has great calculators that offer advice on how best to raise and lower levels safely, how to administer the additives, etc. For what it is worth, I woudl dump the Kent buffer and go with the basics from BRS.

 

That's in the ideal range. What's your live-stock numbers? Have you tested to see how your tank consumes daily/weekly? You may not need to dose.

 

I totally agree. Just curious where do you dose your Alk at? And also what 2 part solution do you use to dose your tank?

 

I started dosing about 2 weeks ago when I noticed my alk was at 4.2 dKH. I never really tested the water for alk before that so now im really trying to test my water often and start trying to keep my params stable. I put the buffer into a cup of fresh water and disolve it before putting it in my display tank..

 

Try testing it, waiting a 24 hours and test again. This will give you an idea of how much alk. your tank is consuming. If it doesn't change, then daily doses aren't necessary (you might shoot past your target in this case). If it lowers over a weeks time, weekly dosing my be necessary, just make sure you do the proper calculations before you add.

 

Im not planning on adding, Im really just wondering if its normal for zoas to close up due to alk increases.