Dumb Water Change Question

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, if you do water changes that are not too large, the effect on your parameters is small. Still, if alk bumps too much for you, you can lower the alk in the new salt water using muriatic acid, or use a mix with a lower alkalinity to begin with.

For example, if your tank is at the 8.9 dKH you like, and you do a 10% change with 11 dKH water, the alk only bumps to 9.1 dKH.

 

[specialk]

IO is a great salt, but the alk is much higher than 9 dKH.

I dont know why I was under the impression that Reef Crystals was better for reef tanks (corals) and the regular Instant Ocean was a "cheaper" version. But if I can use the regular IO, all the better!

 

[specialk]

FWIW, if you do water changes that are not too large, the effect on your parameters is small. Still, if alk bumps too much for you, you can lower the alk in the new salt water using muriatic acid, or use a mix with a lower alkalinity to begin with.

For example, if your tank is at the 8.9 dKH you like, and you do a 10% change with 11 dKH water, the alk only bumps to 9.1 dKH.

Ok .. so ---> small water change = not a major difference in parameters ... good stuff!

 

[specialk]

All salts have all the elements necessary, there are no elements missing. Not sure what you mean camp that doses other elements. Regular water changes provide all necessary elements and we're just adjusting alk, Calc and magnesium.

Some salts add stuff to differentiate themselves like organic material, but I don't think that has any value. You can toss in any magic elixir you want afterwards, but salts are basically all the same. Listen to reefthreards podcast about salt with Craig bingman.

I absolutely will listen to that! Thanks!

 

[specialk]

FWIW, if you do water changes that are not too large, the effect on your parameters is small. Still, if alk bumps too much for you, you can lower the alk in the new salt water using muriatic acid, or use a mix with a lower alkalinity to begin with.

Also very interested in learning more about this acid .. is there an article you can point me to that discusses how much to add and the "directions" for this? I am also assuming (or hoping) that it is safe on corals after I add the newly mixed water to the tank>?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Also very interested in learning more about this acid .. is there an article you can point me to that discusses how much to add and the "directions" for this? I am also assuming (or hoping) that it is safe on corals after I add the newly mixed water to the tank>?

Yes, it is safe, assuming the muriatic acid is not excessively contaminated.

Here's a thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/muriatic-acid.260059/