high consumption?

[baslewprime]

Hello

are these consumptions normal after 3 days?

5 hours after water change

alk 11
cal 375
mag 1280

3 days later

alk 9
cal 350
mag 1140

Im ready to start dosing but are these numbers real?

Im using red sea test kit.
IO regular salt

 

[GThompson]

Looks about right, but really depends on what you have in your tank. Edit: picture just downloaded. Looks about right with the corals you have.

 

[rmurken]

+1 for using IO.

11 seems high even for IO to mix up at, but I feel like a room of 50 people with 50 bags of the same salt and 50 of the same Alk tests would all get different results after mixing up a batch of 35ppt water. Seems like your consumption is the more important indicator that things are ok.

 

[rmurken]

Also, nice tank!

 

[baslewprime]

+1 for using IO.

11 seems high even for IO to mix up at, but I feel like a room of 50 people with 50 bags of the same salt and 50 of the same Alk tests would all get different results after mixing up a batch of 35ppt water. Seems like your consumption is the more important indicator that things are ok.

I'm thinking very strongly of switching my salt mix to dose less, thoughts?

 

[rmurken]

I'm thinking very strongly of switching my salt mix to dose less, thoughts?

Only been in SW for a year, so haven’t tried other stuff. But seems like the two approaches in the hobby are “deluxe mix that has everything” and “use IO and add what you need.” I’m a tinkerer and like to do things manually, and so the latter appeals to me. But it’s a matter of preference.

I will say that if your primary concern is Ca/Alk, you’re going to have to supplement no matter what mix you use, so I see no advantage to using something other than IO.

But again, others see it differently.