Instant Ocean recipe. are you changing the levels?

[Devaji]

this is not a my salt is better than your salt thread

SO I need some more salt mix I have been using IO RC but thinking of going with reg. IO

so for all of you that use reg IO are you messing with the levels? I know it has 11ish alk are you lowering that?
if so what are you using. amounts per gallon plz

looking for a recipe here to see if its worth the switch or not.
I have heard of some ppl bumping up the Ca others just lower the alk.

I will be mixing 55ish gallon at a time for 1-1.5 gallon per day AWC tank will be LPD dom with some softies and a few SPS up high
I dont mind messing with the levels when I am mixing up a batch if it easy and cost effective but am not a chemist.

so what are you folk doing to your IO
cheers
D

 

[lapin]

this is not a my salt is better than your salt thread


cheers
D

You are no fun.....*_#

 

[dwest]

If you are using 1 or so gallons per day, it won’t matter. I use IO and AWC 2 gallons per day in my 180 gallon system. I then use kalkwasser and 2 part to control calcium and alkalinity.

 

[nereefpat]

I use IO and don't mess with the levels.

I also don't do bigger water changes than about 10% at a time.

There are some Acropora keepers that will add muriatic acid to lower the alk. Post #8 in this thread has what jda does: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/why-anything-but-instant-ocean.730671/

 

[Devaji]

You are no fun.....*_#

I think we have had engough of those threads over the years...lol

If you are using 1 or so gallons per day, it won’t matter. I use IO and AWC 2 gallons per day in my 180 gallon system. I then use kalkwasser and 2 part to control calcium and alkalinity.

my system is 170ish gallons I do plan on doing kalk vai a dosing pump.
I might end up doing 2 gal per day but will start off with 1 and addjust from there as needed.

so you dont do anything with your IO?

 

[Devaji]

I use IO and don't mess with the levels.

I also don't do bigger water changes than about 10% at a time.

There are some Acropora keepers that will add muriatic acid to lower the alk. Post #8 in this thread has what jda does: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/why-anything-but-instant-ocean.730671/

I knew there was a recipe around here some where. thanks

here is his just encase your to lazy to click the link...lol
My IO recipie, for anybody who wants to give it a go:


50g bag of IO into a 44g brute full of COLD RO water. Add 2 tbsp of dowflake (calcium chloride). Mix. Add 20mls of Muriatic Acid and heat. Let mix for a day or two until the pH is back up. Perfect acropora water with dKh about 7.0 and calcium at 425.

 

[dwest]

I mix a bag with about 45 gallons of water, circulate for about 15 minutes, and go. No adjustment needed. Do AWC of about 1% per day day and you’ll be good.

I also now use an avast kalk stirrer but used kalk from ATO for many years as well.

 

[dwest]

I used to use a similar recipe when doing large water changes. This was to reduce the “alkalinity shock” to delicate corals. But when you do slow AWC daily, there’s no need for adjusting IME. It makes no sense to lower alkalinity then add 2 part or kalkwasser to replenish alkalinity.

 

[Devaji]

I mix a bag with about 45 gallons of water, circulate for about 15 minutes, and go. No adjustment needed. Do AWC of about 1% per day day and you’ll be good.

I also now use an avast kalk stirrer but used kalk from ATO for many years as well.

I really though about the avast kalk stirrer and still might but I am leaving towards a versa and dos what I need a few X a day.

1% for me would be 1.7gal a day of AWC

 

[nereefpat]

I agree that if you're doing small automatic water changes, it doesn't make much sense to lower your makeup water with acid only to dose
alk to the display.

 

[Billldg]

Are you using some means of dosing?

At a 1-1.5 AWC, your tank parameters will not change quick enough to effect the corals.

Agree with above, if you like the parameters your current salt mix is at, then why change. If you want to lower parameters then I would just let the AWC take care of it.

 

[Devaji]

I used to use a similar recipe when doing large water changes. This was to reduce the “alkalinity shock” to delicate corals. But when you do slow AWC daily, there’s no need for adjusting IME. It makes no sense to lower alkalinity then add 2 part or kalkwasser to replenish alkalinity.

good to know. I dont yet have my AWC set up hopefully soon. I have the DOS and apex hole in the wall to basement and some 55 food grade barrels.

still need to do wire management set up the apex and build the gravity fed mixing station so it might be a while till it fully up and running.

what is the larges % of water change one could do with out alk shock to a mixed reef?

 

[Devaji]

Are you using some means of dosing?

At a 1-1.5 AWC, you tank parameters will not change quick enough to effect the corals.

Agree with above, if you like the parameters your current salt mix is at, then why change. If you want to lower parameters then I would just let the AWC take care of it.

tank is new about 6 months old. just staring to add some nice LPS and softies then around the 1 year make some branching stag acros.

yes I plan on dosing kalk via a dosing pump. ( not ATO pump ) my thinking is, I could have more stability that way. + I just dont want to do it via ATO.

I will dos mag when needed.

 

[Devaji]

sorry for the typo in the title...

 

[Billldg]

tank is new about 6 months old. just staring to add some nice LPS and softies then around the 1 year make some branching stag acros.

yes I plan on dosing kalk via a dosing pump. ( not ATO pump ) my thinking is, I could have more stability that way. + I just dont want to do it via ATO.

I will dos mag when needed.

Using a ATO to dose Kalk is unreliable as it will only dose when the pump turns on, thus inaccurate. I would suggest using a Ecotech Versa to dose the Kalk. When I look at salt mixes I look at what I want the tank parameters to be at with as little adjustment as possible. I am looking to change salt name brands, but doing so I will have to alter the mix ratio a little to get what I want. I wll use my AWC to change the water, and my doser to compensate for the difference.

 

[Billldg]

sorry for the typo in the title...

Fixed

 

[Devaji]

Using a ATO to dose Kalk is unreliable as it will only dose when the pump turns on, thus inaccurate. I would suggest using a Ecotech Versa to dose the Kalk. When I look at salt mixes I look at what I want the tank parameters to be at with as little adjustment as possible. I am looking to change salt name brands, but doing so I will have to alter the mix ratio a little to get what I want. I wll use my AWC to change the water, and my doser to compensate for the difference.

yes Sir the versa is the one i am going to get. if it ever get in stock. I have been wanted to do it that way for a year +.
now the Eco tech is up and running in there new space I sure do hope they start pumping them out ( yes pun intended )

 

[Billldg]

yes Sir the versa is the one i am going to get. if it ever get in stock. I have been wanted to do it that way for a year +.
now the Eco tech is up and running in there new space I sure do hope they start pumping them out ( yes pun intended )

I have gotten 3 from BRS, just go to the page for the Versa and click notify when they are in stock. Then you have to be quick to order them. Ecotech is currently trying to catch up, and they will, just not sure how long before they are able to catch up. Their new facility is fully up and running, so they should be making more than before.

 

[dwest]

good to know. I dont yet have my AWC set up hopefully soon. I have the DOS and apex hole in the wall to basement and some 55 food grade barrels.

still need to do wire management set up the apex and build the gravity fed mixing station so it might be a while till it fully up and running.

what is the larges % of water change one could do with out alk shock to a mixed reef?

The last question is tough to answer but you could do the math.
For years I did monthly 30% water changes without problems. I didn’t have acros then. Later, I switched to 10% weekly changes with acros and all was good. Most of the time I used IO but controlled alkalinity in tank around 8 dKH.

 

[dragon99]

I've use IO as is now. I used to add acid to drop the alk a little, but for a normal 10% wc I don't bother anymore.