How to lower alkalinity in reef crystals

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did you have any issues with perception due to such long circulation? I notice if I circulate reef crystals to long it has a ton of perception

The low pH and lower alk gives no precipitation, at least for folks doing it with normal IO.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am considering that just didn’t want to waste 10 buckets of salt I already had

I’d use it.

 

[Josh dotson]

I think I am going to I was just worried it would cause other issues but most people here have assured me it won’t as long as I aerated it long enough

I was doing water changes and it was making alk swings that I was not comfortable with and my Birdsnest wasn’t either so I was looking for a way to lower alk since I have a ton of RC already

 

[tqpolo]

My system is at 8 Alk and I use change water using RC up to 30% for years without missing a beat. You're overthinking it.

 

[blasterman]

The best way to get around RC's high bicarb content (alk) is to spread your water changes out so that the dilution of that 12-13 dKH isn't quite a shock to your SPS. That way a 10% water change or so is really no different than if you manually dosed alk.

If you are running a reactor or have automatic dosing dialed in really tight in a high growth SPS tank then simply put RC is not the salt for you.

Where RC kicks your SPS in the nads due to that high alk content is when you do big water changes. Then again I had a bag of Coralife test at 15 dKH.

I've also diluted RC with bulk sodium chloride to ride down the alk content. Yes, this also rides down calcium and mag, but those are easy to dose and suppliment to desired levels.

 

[Josh dotson]

Bulk sodium chloride is what? Same as muriatic acid?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The best way to get around RC's high bicarb content (alk) is to spread your water changes out so that the dilution of that 12-13 dKH isn't quite a shock to your SPS. That way a 10% water change or so is really no different than if you manually dosed alk.

If you are running a reactor or have automatic dosing dialed in really tight in a high growth SPS tank then simply put RC is not the salt for you.

Where RC kicks your SPS in the nads due to that high alk content is when you do big water changes. Then again I had a bag of Coralife test at 15 dKH.

I've also diluted RC with bulk sodium chloride to ride down the alk content. Yes, this also rides down calcium and mag, but those are easy to dose and suppliment to desired levels.

You also drive down everything else (e.g., potassium). I’d much rather add acid than sodium chloride to reduce alk in a salt mix.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Bulk sodium chloride is what? Same as muriatic acid?

Table salt, but I do not recommend it.

 

[Josh dotson]

Table salt, but I do not recommend it.

Thank you for all you help you have helped me greatly over the years with all your post on reef2reef glad to have people like you willing to help clueless people like myself

 

[Crossfire]

I don't know if this helps but I figured out a simple trick to get do a 20% water change with IO or reef crystals and keep the alkalinity pretty stable.

I mix my new water up the day before and do my water change first thing in the morning at 8am. I turn off my doser for the day and check my alkalinity. I noticed a 20-30% water change with IO or reef crystals brings the dkh up from 8.5 to about 9.3 or so. For me that is about my daily alkalinity consumption, so if I don't dose that day everything is perfect back to 8.5 the next day. I'll usually check my alk at 9pm and as long as it is above 8.7 I can turn the doser back on to dose the normal about the next day.

I'm at a point where I actually like to manually test alk (salifert testing ket) and dose 2 part by hand every morning. Makes me spend some time with the tank and takes a whopping 5mins max.

 

[Josh dotson]

That sounds like a great idea

 

[MabuyaQ]

The simplest solution is get one extra bucket of a brand with low alkalinity and create mixed batched untill you finished all the buckets.
I never use just one brand of salt for water changes, it is always a mix of TM proreef (in my opinion the best salt) and another brand that I switch depending on price and availability.

 

[Joedubyk]

What is your tanks alk at now? If you keep it at 9ish and your doing water changes fo about 10% with the 12dkh salt it will barely raise it up. Its higher dkh to replenish what was used between water changes. I use the red sea pro it's about 12-13dkg when mixed. I keep my tank at 10, when I do a 15g water change it doesnt change my tank alk at all.

THIS x 1000... you really don't need to have ALK to be that close in a new salt mix if you're just doing 10% WC.. Do the math, it shouldn't affect it hardly at all.

 

[Joedubyk]

My system is at 8 Alk and I use change water using RC up to 30% for years without missing a beat. You're overthinking it.

Co-sign... It's simple math a 10% wc wil not affect alk much at all, even with vast differences

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I am considering that just didn’t want to waste 10 buckets of salt I already had

I would list it for sale locally.

 

[Crossfire]

I would list it for sale locally.

Why would you sell it? The salt is fine. Everyone has the same issues when doing water changes with every brand of salt. The salt isn't the problem here. You'll run into the same problem with nearly every brand.

The key is do get your water change done when your alkalinity has dropped to your normal level of 8.5 without dosing. I agree with the 10% change as that won't affect the dkh much at all, maybe up .5.

Again the easiest solution is get your dkh to about 8.5 where you want it, turn off dosing pumps and do the water change in the morning. 20% wc will bring it to 9.3-9.5 and with your lights on all day it will drop pretty quickly back to 8.5 the next day. If you do a 10% wc, it won't affect it much at all, should bring it up to 9.0 from 8.5-8.6. I have a lot of acropora, montipora, and sps and this works just fine. Never had an issue.