Do you adjust chemicals before or after water change?

[Montrosereef]

Before doing water change, do you need to make sure the levels of alkanility, calcium, and magnesium in newly made saltwater are close to the water in the tank? I use Kent Marine salt mix to make new salwater and oddly it has an akanility of 2.8 dkh. I add akanility from Bulkreefsupplies in the new saltwater to bring it up to 9.6dkh. I am having hard time testing alkanility in the new water. Does anyone know what is happening? Or do I adjust chemicals after new water has been added to the tank?

 

[javisaman]

How are you measuring the alkalinity in the Kent Marin salt? If you're just reading the package, you maybe confused by the units it may be 2.8 meq/L which is approximately 8dKh. If by chance the new salt is really registering as 2.8dKh, I would definitely return it or get a new kind, since likely everything else is out of whack.

First make sure your not reading the wrong units. Which test kit are you using to measure the alkalinity?

 

[Montrosereef]

I use salifert to test new water and my tank water. I got 9.6 dkh out of my tank water and 2.8dkh out of new water with kent marine salt mix. I re-tested it a couple of times to make sure I got it correctly. I was surprised it is still 2.8dkh. Can salt mix go bad?

 

[Pappy]

I believe test kits can go bad. I would have someone double check your reading with another kit to be safe. If its the same I would def return the salt.

 

[Montrosereef]

Salt mix can go bad. I made a new batch with different salt mix and the alkanility is right on. I can't trust kent marine salt. Got a a couple of bags of kent marine salt to throw away today.

 

[ritter6788]

A local guy here once got a bucket of Reef Crystals with a dkh of 3 with an API test. I didn't believe him and he brought me a sample and I got 1.83 dkh with my Hanna Checker. It can happen.

 

[MarineDepot]

For the hobbyists getting inconsistent readings from new batches of salt, it is always a good idea to thoroughly mix the new salt and even try rolling the buckets before use. Heavier elements in the salt mix may settle due to the vibrations during transit, therefore giving inconsistent results when scooping and mixing salt by the cup. Generally the parameters listed on the side of the buckets are close to what you will get when you mix the entire bucket or bag at one time.

Dan

 

[Steven R]

I quit two days before and resume the day of the water change, but with my brightwell salt I do not have to adjust much and I test my ALK and PH about every other day though and I use a Elos test kit the best test kit in my opinion and I have tried a lot of them but this is the most accurate one I have found besides electronic ones.

 

[3Twinklets]

I test mine an hour or so after I change my water. I want to know what the water that I plan on leaving in there tests at not what I am taking out. Plus, I just look at my anemone weather vanes and if they are happy than I am happy.