Xenia and Alka

[toptank]

I have a dual ca reactor and am not able to get my alka up over 8.6 dKh. My ca run in the range of 420 -450 ppm.

I have a large amount of Xenia and was told that was the cause of not being able to get my alka up. Is that correct?

Barry

 

[nm]

As far as I know alk affect xenia, xenia don't affect alk.
Xenia don't do well in low alk.

 

[24Tom]

My alk has been stable a 8.4 DKH before and after I added xenia. The xenia is growing like a weed and pulsing like crazy.

 

[toptank]

nm ,I don't know what you consider low Alka but my Xenia is growing faster than I can thin out.

I was wondering if having all this Xenia is preventing me from raising my Alka up?

 

[THillson]

The presence or absence of xenia in your tank will not affect the Alk level.

Are you aiming for higher Ca levels? Alk and Ca are in a balance in you aquarium, you can't raise one without raising the other using a reactor or two part additive. You would probably need to get your Ca over 500 to get the Alk up anymore using a calcium reactor. You could use an Alk additive to push up the Alk (your Ca level will probably drop) to where you want it. Then the reactor could maintain it.

 

[nm]

I had problems with xenia suddenly closing up and staying that way . I could not figure out why. Finally I got an alk test kit and it measured 1.1 dkh. Now thats low.
Strangely enough the other coral did not seem to mind, but the xenia took a few months to recover.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Just add Bicarbonate or buffer to your system and leave the Ca reactor as is. Ca reactor added Ca and alkalinity in the correct porportion. You may have low Alkalinity because you started out with low Alkalinity before you added the Ca reactor.

 

[toptank]

Minh, you are correct I have been running low Alk before adding the reactor. TOday I bought some Seachem Reef Builder, will monitor to see what happens.

I raised by bubble count from 40 to 50 and someone said to decrease my effluent output to raise the Alk.

Barry