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Switch to a different salt?


NanoBiscuit

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NanoBiscuit

So I have been using regular IO salt and have found that the Alk levels have been lower than I would like (usually test in the low 8's dKh) but Ca and Mg are testing higher (460 ppm and 1500 ppm which seems high for fresh mixed IO salt). My question is, am I better off switching to Reef Crystals or RSCP to achieve a higher and more stable Alk or should I dose for just Alk as I have been doing?

 

Tank is 30 gallons (~25 g water volume)

Salinity 1.026 (refractometer)

WC schedule is ~4.5 gallons bi-weekly

Tank is stocked with zoas, a small hammer, a few small brain and favia frags, small birdsnest frag, and a few montipora frags.

 

I use the box with bags of salt and try to make sure they are well mixed before adding to my RO/DI when I make a new batch so I don't think it has to do with the ingredients settling or anything like that, plus my numbers have been pretty consistent since I've been testing my Alk, Ca, and Mg too.

 

Thanks for the input.

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I use RSCP and still have to dose alk, so I don't think switching will gain you much.

 

How long has the tank been up and do you have coraline alkgae growing?

 

Newer tanks tend to use more alk and calcium especially if you have a lot of new coraline algae growing. My tank of similar size that is three months in, consumes about 1dKH a day but I have alot of coraline algae growing on the rock.

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Tank is stocked with zoas, a small hammer, a few small brain and favia frags, small birdsnest frag, and a few montipora frags.

 

 

You have to dose.

 

IO is a good salt, lots of users, rock solid choice. You can choose to use a salt with higher parameters but your goal is to keep parameters as steady as possible, which weekly water changes will never do if you are adding SPS to the tank.

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NanoBiscuit

If I am shooting for 11 dKh or so, I assume I should adjust the Alk of the freshly mixed water before it goes in the tank? I know I don't want to chase numbers, but I feel like 8 dKh is too low compared to the Ca in the fresh mixed water.

 

Tank has been running since February, I have had good growth on most corals in the tank. Birdsnest has sprouted off new branches, montipora are slowly expanding, hammer has gone from two to three heads, zoas are coming along nicely, but coralline growth is minimal. It also seems that the Alk is being used quicker than Calcium because it barely drops between water changes. I've never measured Ca below 420 ppm.

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If I am shooting for 11 dKh or so, I assume I should adjust the Alk of the freshly mixed water before it goes in the tank? I know I don't want to chase numbers, but I feel like 8 dKh is too low compared to the Ca in the fresh mixed water.

 

Tank has been running since February, I have had good growth on most corals in the tank. Birdsnest has sprouted off new branches, montipora are slowly expanding, hammer has gone from two to three heads, zoas are coming along nicely, but coralline growth is minimal. It also seems that the Alk is being used quicker than Calcium because it barely drops between water changes. I've never measured Ca below 420 ppm.

 

Why 11? There is really no right or wrong, but evaluate why you want to run at 11. :)

 

Here's the thing about SPS. You will get good growth when they are happy, and then the little buggers will try and crash your tank by eating up all your Alk and Calcium.

 

You need to ignore calcium and concentrate on Alk, doing equal parts of 2 part based on Alk usage. If, after testing once a day at the same time very day, you see Calcium climbing then, and only then, should you adjust dosing to reduce calcium. Also make sure your Magnesium is high enough (1300+) or else you will start losing Alk and calcium faster than you can add it.

 

All these params are tied together and can be confusing when you first start testing, which is why I say concentrate on Alk but does equal parts alk and calcium (from a good 2 part set).

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NanoBiscuit


~ 11 because its higher than 8. Lol. No, I say around 11 because even though I never envision going all SPS with this tank, I do want the few SPS frags I have or will have to flourish the most.

 

You mentioned to dose two part equally. I've read this before and it has me confused. If I want to bump up my Alk tonight by .5 dKh, my Red Sea two part (which is technically three part since the Mg component is also a separate bottle) says to dose 5mL for 25 gallons of volume. (Don't quote me on that number, I am going from memory but I think it is .1 dKh per mL for 25 gallons). Even though my Ca may test at 450 ppm, I need to also add 5mL of the calcium additive which in theory will raise it to 500 ppm? (Again, I believe it is 10 ppm per 1 mL per 25 gallons). My Mg tests high at 1500ppm, do I need to dose 5 mL as well since it is part of the Red Sea reef foundation A, B, C kit?

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~ 11 because its higher than 8. Lol. No, I say around 11 because even though I never envision going all SPS with this tank, I do want the few SPS frags I have or will have to flourish the most.

 

You mentioned to dose two part equally. I've read this before and it has me confused. If I want to bump up my Alk tonight by .5 dKh, my Red Sea two part (which is technically three part since the Mg component is also a separate bottle) says to dose 5mL for 25 gallons of volume. (Don't quote me on that number, I am going from memory but I think it is .1 dKh per mL for 25 gallons). Even though my Ca may test at 450 ppm, I need to also add 5mL of the calcium additive which in theory will raise it to 500 ppm? (Again, I believe it is 10 ppm per 1 mL per 25 gallons). My Mg tests high at 1500ppm, do I need to dose 5 mL as well since it is part of the Red Sea reef foundation A, B, C kit?

 

No, they are tied together. Dosing just calcium will drop Alk, dosing just Alk will drop Calcium. Getting to far out of whack will cause all kinds of issues.

 

Keeping KH way up at 11 may result in faster growth for some corals but SPS do much better at lower KH. I would shoot for 9, a happy medium, and easier to maintain.

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NanoBiscuit

I guess that's why they say don't chase numbers, just confuses you even more when things don't add up. I will try bringing up my Alk to 9 or so while also dosing the Ca and see where that leaves me. Thanks for the info Mark, I appreciate it.

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There are times when alk will be consumed faster than calcium. This is why you need to test both. You can then supplement each according to how it is being utilized.

 

I test my levels weekly for calcium before and after water changes. I find that calcium in my system is only being consumed at about 20 ppm per week. In contrast my alk is consumed at about 1 dKH per day, so I supplement this daily to keep at 8 dKH.

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You have to dose.

 

IO is a good salt, lots of users, rock solid choice. You can choose to use a salt with higher parameters but your goal is to keep parameters as steady as possible, which weekly water changes will never do if you are adding SPS to the tank.

So are you saying to stretch out the water changes to avoid adding new Alk, Ca, Mg, etc too often and export nutrients in some other way? Not questioning your logic, just making sure I understand it correctly.

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