pH buffer on water change water

[Travis Stewart]

So currently using seachem acid buffer to lower pH on my water change water to match my tank alk. Is this method okay for a mixed reef tank? I am using instant ocean salt that mixes at 11dkh. Try to get it closer to 8.5 when doing water changes. Seen some decline on my corals as of lately so trying to rule everything out. Thanks in advance!

 

[Scorpius]

Why not use salt that more closely matches your tank parameters.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Why not use salt that more closely matches your tank parameters.

Changed from fritz..didn’t really think that salt was cutting it for me.

 

[Scorpius]

Changed from fritz..didn’t really think that salt was cutting it for me.

There's other lower alkalinity salts out there.

 

[Tamberav]

Strange, my regular IO salt never mixes up that high.

 

[BoxKing]

Frits RPM BLUE has been great for me… ALK generally mixes around 8.4-8.6

 

[Travis Stewart]

Strange, my regular IO salt never mixes up that high.

Reef crystals *

 

[Tamberav]

Reef crystals *

ahh ya that makes sense. I would just use something with lower alk. Lots of people have had success with just instant ocean

What did you not like about Fritz salt? Salt seems to make very little difference as long as parameters are somewhere in the range you want.

 

[Uncle99]

Frits RPM BLUE has been great for me… ALK generally mixes around 8.4-8.6

I agree the OP must be using Fritz Redline for an ALk that high.

Blue mixes up nicely as you state.

On my 20th box and very very happy.
….and made in the US of A…..so available and significantly less transportation costs…..which I’d like to keep in my pocket.

Did not understand the lowering of PH, most want to increase this number but both Fritz mix up with a PH of 8.3-8.4

 

[Travis Stewart]

Frits RPM BLUE has been great for me… ALK generally mixes around 8.4-8.6

Strange, my regular IO salt never mixes up that high.

calcium

ahh ya that makes sense. I would just use something with lower alk. Lots of people have had success with just instant ocean

What did you not like about Fritz salt? Salt seems to make very little difference as long as parameters are somewhere in the range you want.

Calcium is too low on the regular instant

 

[homer1475]

Calcium to low on regular IO?

I've used regular old purple box IO for many years now. Always mixes up to around 10ALK, 440 CAL, and 1500 MAG.

It mixes up so consistently that I don't even measure ALK before dumping in the same amount muriatic acid every time I mix, to lower the ALK down to around my preferred level of 7.5.

 

[Tamberav]

Calcium is too low on the regular instant

You sure? It’s all I use. Isn’t it what public aquariums use too? And the most popular salt? Corals seem to not complain!

Over the years I have used fritz blue box, tropic marine classic, and Red Sea blue bucket. I saw no discernible difference among the salt so swapped to IO since it is the cheapest.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So currently using seachem acid buffer to lower pH on my water change water to match my tank alk. Is this method okay for a mixed reef tank? I am using instant ocean salt that mixes at 11dkh. Try to get it closer to 8.5 when doing water changes. Seen some decline on my corals as of lately so trying to rule everything out. Thanks in advance!

It's a fine way to lower alk, as long as you aerate to bring the pH back up after adding it.

You can also use muriatic acid, or a pure version of the Seachem acid buffer from amazon (sodium bisulfate):

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did not understand the lowering of PH, most want to increase this number but both Fritz mix up with a PH of 8.3-8.4

While the Seachem product is called a pH buffer, he's doing it for alk, not pH.

 

[Travis Stewart]

It's a fine way to lower alk, as long as you aerate to bring the pH back up after adding it.

You can also use muriatic acid, or a pure version of the Seachem acid buffer from amazon (sodium bisulfate):

Thanks Randy. Think it’s okay on the coral? Def let the aeration take place for 24 hours to give pH a chance to balance back.

 

[Travis Stewart]

You sure? It’s all I use. Isn’t it what public aquariums use too? And the most popular salt? Corals seem to not complain!

Over the years I have used fritz blue box, tropic marine classic, and Red Sea blue bucket. I saw no discernible difference among the salt so swapped to IO since it is the cheapest.

No need to flex.

 

[homer1475]

Purely out of curiosity( I run IO as well) how high do you run your CAL?

I find IO actually mixes up a tad high for my liking, but I roll with it.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Usually above 450 but I swore regular IO was sub 400ppm. If not what’s the difference in that and reef crystals because both all’s would be high then too

 

[homer1475]

RC mixes up to around 12 ALK, and higher MAG. I also lower the ALK in IO, but leave the CAL alone as it mixes up to around 440 for me(actually just tested a fresh batch 10 minutes ago).

 

[Travis Stewart]

RC mixes up to around 12 ALK, and higher MAG. I also lower the ALK in IO, but leave the CAL alone as it mixes up to around 440 for me(actually just tested a fresh batch 10 minutes ago).

The provided info says 400 calcium and 11 dkh vs RC 14”3 dkh and 440 calcium