Dosing Saltwater Mixing Bin

[dangles]

Maybe this is a dumb question....

If the salt I'm using has a lower-than-desired dKH, why not use something like BRS sodium bicarb to bring it up to the desired levels? Would this cause the other elements to precipitate out of solution? But if that's the case, wouldn't also bumping the magnesium keep everything in solution? What am I missing? I'm assuming there's a good reason it's not done regularly.

The reason I ask is I run auto water changes (about 2% per day) using Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt, with a stated dKH of 7. I try to keep my tank around 9 though, so my AWC (slowly) decreases my alkalinity. I would use another salt, but this one stores the best. It would be nice to bring my bin up to the desired alk level and not have to correct my tank as much.

Again, thanks for humoring me if this is a silly question

 

[Spare time]

You can easily add bi-carb with no issue. However, its simpler to just go with a salt at 9KH like the red sea salt.

 

[Spare time]

PS what makes a salt "store best" is having lower levels of alk and calcium. Tropic marin likes them at the bare minimum, hence why you may see it "store better"

 

[gbroadbridge]

Maybe this is a dumb question....

If the salt I'm using has a lower-than-desired dKH, why not use something like BRS sodium bicarb to bring it up to the desired levels? Would this cause the other elements to precipitate out of solution? But if that's the case, wouldn't also bumping the magnesium keep everything in solution? What am I missing? I'm assuming there's a good reason it's not done regularly.

People (including myself) adjust mixed water all the time.

 

[dangles]

You can easily add bi-carb with no issue. However, its simpler to just go with a salt at 9KH like the red sea salt.

So you don't put much stock in the BRS Investigates series on mixing/storing salt? The TM Pro had the least precipitate over time and maintained parameters. Both the Red Sea mixes precipitated quite a bit over time. That's fine if you don't store very long but I have a 45 gal container and only use about 30 gallons of that each month with my auto water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's fine to boost alk slightly in a salt mix, to match your tank, but do not use sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide . Use only sodium bicarbonate/baking soda.

The other two will raise pH too much and that is a big driver of calcium carbonate precipitation.

I don't know what BRS observed or claimed, but high alk is the second biggest driver of precipitation after high pH.

It is not a good plan to boost alk in a salt mix substantially higher to try to get water changes to boost alk in the tank. That will typically require too much alk in the mix, enhancing precipitation.

 

[Joe's Coral Reef]

I usually just test and bump mine with sodium bicarbonate. TM Pro always seems to be in the 6.5-7 dkh range every time but the last batch I opened its 10.5! Just test before bumping up alk

 

[Spare time]

So you don't put much stock in the BRS Investigates series on mixing/storing salt? The TM Pro had the least precipitate over time and maintained parameters. Both the Red Sea mixes precipitated quite a bit over time. That's fine if you don't store very long but I have a 45 gal container and only use about 30 gallons of that each month with my auto water changes.

Storing yes but I don't put much into that video because they believe precipitation is contamination and its also not really a good study since its a one off observation for each salt. If its easier for you to just adjust it when need be then I say go for that

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Storing yes but I don't put much into that video because they believe precipitation is contamination and its also not really a good study since its a one off observation for each salt. If its easier for you to just adjust it when need be then I say go for that

Again, I don't typically watch BRS videos, so I'm not sure what they showed or claimed, but I'll note that precipitation is very dependent on pH, and in new salt water, that can depend strongly on the CO2 level in the air around the mixing. Thus, the tendency to precipitate ma vary tremendously by where it is being tested.

Red Sea shows a video of precipitation of Reed Sea Coral Pro (very high alk) when mixed too much, but some Reef2Reefers tried it themselves and did not have the same observation. Variable CO2 in the air is a likely explanation, IMO.

 

[Spare time]

Again, I don't typically watch BRS videos, so I'm not sure what they showed or claimed, but I'll note that precipitation is very dependent on pH, and in new salt water, that can depend strongly on the CO2 level in the air around the mixing. Thus, the tendency to precipitate ma vary tremendously by where it is being tested.

Red Sea shows a video of precipitation of Reed Sea Coral Pro (very high alk) when mixed too much, but some Reef2Reefers tried it themselves and did not have the same observation. Variable CO2 in the air is a likely explanation, IMO.

They refer to the precipitation as unknown contaminants in their videos typically, which usually leads them to them recommending tropic marin's salt. The salt I was referring to was the red sea salt that runs at 9KH. In the coral pro, they recommend using it within 4 hours I believe?