Salt mixing too high alk

[Clown79]

So I've been using RSCP and normally alk is around 9.5. Ca 410

My last waterchange was bigger tasn usual and the alk is at 11 and obviously my ca is now 390.

 

Is there any way to lower the alk level in waterchange mixes?

 

Could i dose ca to the waterchange water to increase that which will lower the alk? I'd prefer 9 alk and 420 ca.

 

I don't like reef crystals and getting red sea blue box salt is very difficult here.

[RIP Sebastian]

So I've been using RSCP and normally alk is around 9.5. Ca 410

My last waterchange was bigger tasn usual and the alk is at 11 and obviously my ca is now 390.

 

Is there any way to lower the alk level in waterchange mixes?

 

Could i dose ca to the waterchange water to increase that which will lower the alk? I'd prefer 9 alk and 420 ca.

 

I don't like reef crystals and getting red sea blue box salt is very difficult here.

 

I had issues with RSCP, too. Switch to the Red Sea Reefer Salt (blue bucket).

[Clown79]

Thats what i want to do but its not easy getting it here in ca unless you want the huge buckets, which i can't even lift. Lol.

 

Sometimes its available on amazon sometimes not.

 

I was wondering if dosing ca would be a fix to the problem as now the ca is getting low but alk is high.

 

Why can't they just make z salt thats perfect.lol.

[RIP Sebastian]

Thats what i want to do but its not easy getting it here in ca unless you want the huge buckets, which i can't even lift. Lol.

 

Sometimes its available on amazon sometimes not.

 

I was wondering if dosing ca would be a fix to the problem as now the ca is getting low but alk is high.

 

Why can't they just make z salt thats perfect.lol.

 

I hear AquaForest is good.

[Clown79]

I'vw heard that too. Another one thats hit and miss to get. Its really expensive.

[GMay]

You can lower alk by adding the appropriate amount of HCl (hydrochloric acid).

[smeagol108]

What are you mixing the salt to? 11-12 is the standard for RSCP if you are mixing to 1.025. that's exactly what it is supposed to mix to. so if you don't want it that high than stop using rscp, cause its gonna mix that hight every time at 35 ppt. I suspect you did not test right initially when you said it measured 9. or your salinity was way low.

http://www.redseafish.com/red-sea-salts/coral-pro-salt/

 

The salt is not doing anything wrong, it is mixing to exactly what it should. Now your tank alk is gonna drop based on the corals using the calcium carbonate and if you do a large water change it will affect it more in the tank if you are not dosing between water changes to keep it at the elevated levels the salt mixes too..

 

I do dose and I keep my tank right around an ALK of 8. depends on my nitrates, if they go up than I send my alk up with it, if they go down than I keep my alk low. I use red sea blue bucket b/c it mixes to 8 exactly pretty much.... Once in a while I add a single scoop to of rscp to a 5 gallon bucket with 4 scoops of red sea blue bucket just bumb up my alk with a water change slightly.

[Clown79]

I tested it numerous times and this is the first time it was 11.

 

My salinity is spot on. I use refractometer thats calibrated monthly with 35ppt solution.

 

The issue is, my ca is continously getting lower while the alk is much higher.

 

390 for ca and 11 alk is just not balanced when it was mixing at 415/9- same salinity, same water.

 

Even Io had better numbers than this. 400 ca and 8 alk is a lot better than 390 and 11

[Ebn]

You can use muriatic acid to drop the Alk down if you're interested. From RHF on a different forum:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13945770&postcount=3

[Clown79]

I'm thinking of switching to red sea blue bucket.

 

I have too many issues and can't use acids

[squamptonbc]

I just tested a fresh batch of RSCP I mixed yesterday.

 

Alk 12.6

 

CA 460

 

Mixed at 35ppt.

 

 

 

Tank water (7 to 9 days since last water change)

 

Alk 11.2

 

Calcium 420

 

Tank at 35ppt.

 

Have you requested the batch analysis for your batch?

[basser1]

High Alk is the main reason I switched from RSCP to Aquaforest. AF suggests an Alk level of 6.5 to 8 dKH. Not to mention I got tired of using muriatic acid to bring it down. That acid is some mean stuff.

[Clown79]

I like my alk at 9 i think 11 is pushing the limits.

 

I don't wanna mess with acids so I will try the blue bucket.

 

I like rscp but alk is consistently getting higher, my ca is mixing very low and mag only 1200.

 

My beef with reef crystals was low mag but ca and alk was good 420/8

[Water Dog]

I dunno, I just switched from Reef Cystals to Aquaforest Reef (non probiotic) because the RC was consistently mixing to 12dKH.

[Clown79]

Lol. Mine mixed at 7.5. Never saw my alk get higher than 8.

 

I don't really like rc for various reasons.

[Water Dog]

What kit are you using for your Alk test? I find it odd that you are getting such low Alk numbers with newly mixed saltwater, RC at 7.5 and RSCP at 9, when pretty much across the board, everyone is getting in the 12s or higher for those two salt brands.

 

We've had these discussions about salt in other threads before and I would always scratch my head when you would mention these lower than normal Alk results for these two particular brands.

[Clown79]

Well my alk now is at 11 with rscp. I don't like it that high and clearly neither do my corals because they aren't happy.

 

With RC it was always 8 and that was tested with api, salifert, red sea. My tanks were consistently 8 alk, ca 420 my mag was everywhere with RC. Mag was very inconsistent with RC thats why I changed.

 

I have used many various kits and i have to say, they have all been the same.

 

I spent double the amount on salifert for alk and ca on ppls advice, got the same results as Api.

Unfortunately through all my reading, i've seen ppl's numbers all over the board with all salts.

 

Rc - ppl complain too high and too low

Rscp- same thing too high or too low

Io- seems average numbers

Aquaforest- there alk seems low