Question on dkh, salt mixes...

[XNavyDiver]

I started my tank some months ago using RSCP mix and have never used anything else. I have been slowly adding corals over time. It is and will continue to be a SPS dominate display.

I've been doing A LOT of reading and research on this and other sites, testing religiously on a weekly basis as I've gone along. As of now, my corals aren't numerous enough to be using a lot of alk or calcium and my semi weekly WC is more than enough to keep my dKH/cal/mag numbers where they need to be (8-9/450/1400). Although with RSCP, my alk creeps up after water changes as it mixes at 12.2 dkh at 1.026. I am currently NOT dosing anything, but I'm set up to do so in the future as the tank matures and the demand for alk and cal increases.

I guess my question to folks here is; what strategy do folks adhere to with regard to their salt mixes and dosing 2 part? Are you choosing a mix that is high in alk to reduce the amount of dosing or are you choosing a mix lower in alk and supplementing? Which is easier to maintain a consistent measurement?

I guess I'm looking at the future demands of the type of tank I'm doing.

 

[Centerline]

I have been using RSCP for years. I run my alk at 12 and dose daily to keep it there. I use RSCP because I want to keep the parameters to the tank water as close as possible during water changes. If I use something with a lower dKH then I would have to adjust the freshly made salt water. If you want to run your alk lower you may want to try a different salt mix that is in line with your target params. Maybe the regular Res Sea salt mix.

 

[Martin Kuhn]

Best is a saltmix as close to your preferred parameters as possible. So the swing by a WC is only very little

Anyhow, for Alk, this is not so important.
Imagine: your saltmix has as much as 4dKH more than your tank water has. Doing a 10% WC this means only 0,4 dKH alkalinity rise.
A typical consumption of Alk is 1..2 dKH

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I started my tank some months ago using RSCP mix and have never used anything else. I have been slowly adding corals over time. It is and will continue to be a SPS dominate display.

I've been doing A LOT of reading and research on this and other sites, testing religiously on a weekly basis as I've gone along. As of now, my corals aren't numerous enough to be using a lot of alk or calcium and my semi weekly WC is more than enough to keep my dKH/cal/mag numbers where they need to be (8-9/450/1400). Although with RSCP, my alk creeps up after water changes as it mixes at 12.2 dkh at 1.026. I am currently NOT dosing anything, but I'm set up to do so in the future as the tank matures and the demand for alk and cal increases.

I guess my question to folks here is; what strategy do folks adhere to with regard to their salt mixes and dosing 2 part? Are you choosing a mix that is high in alk to reduce the amount of dosing or are you choosing a mix lower in alk and supplementing? Which is easier to maintain a consistent measurement?

I guess I'm looking at the future demands of the type of tank I'm doing.

That depends on how you change water. All at once in big amounts can lead to some alk changes if the mix doesn't match the tank (higher or lower). Slow steady water changes and it won't matter.