Dosing the water change.

[Mr. Microscope]

Hello All,

 

I have a 3 gallon tank, so it doesn't take much to alter the water chemistry. I do a WC 1/week. Afterwords, the Mg, Ca, and Alk in my system suffer and I spend the rest of the week adjusting parameters until it is time for the next WC and then I have to start all over again.

 

I use Tropic Marin and RO/DI and mix it for 24hours before use. I make it fresh every time 1.5L at a time and always use the same amount of salt (weighed on a digital scale). Today, I tested the batch I made.

 

Mg = 1095

Ca = 385

Alk = 9.0

 

From my understanding Mg should be 1250-1300, Ca 420-450, and Alk 11. I've been struggling with this for a few weeks now. I can add a dosing step to my salt mixture? That would be no problem and easier than trying to adjust it slowly throughout the week. Any thoughts?

 

Also, am I doing harm to my system be adding mineral and carbonate deficient water to the tank, be it fresh?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

P.S. Sorry, perhaps this should be in the beginner's section.

[usnret]

I too use Tropic Marine salt and fresh saltwater gives me about the same readings as you, I add Tropic Marine Mag. and Tropic Marine Cal. to my fresh before the change. This seems like a lot of work but after battling Reef Crystals and Red Sea Pro (this up that down not mixing right lots of crap left in my mixing bucket) I switched to Tropic Marine products, I tryed Kent, Seachem and B-Ionic additives and the tank was just OK very little growth and just a little coraline, i't been 4 weeks and 4 water changes at week 3 things started looking way much better week 4 candycane and frogspawns are all fluffed out greenstar has new growths and there is some new coraline. Im going to stay with Tropic Marine products they mix fast and my mix bucket is clean, I think I have found the sweet spot.