Salts and their Alkalinity

[Kar]

So I see many successful tanks running their tanks at an Alk between 8-9 and they say they are using Instant Ocean RC but that salt has very high Alk it’s close to about 13 how are they managing this high Alk during water change ( turning off Dosing pumps or calrx... heck no... I maintain my tank at 8-9 Alk and used RC salt for the water change ( was using Aquaforest before) and due to higher Alk after water change I lost a nice reef raft frag that I purchased recently at Silicon Valley Coral market exhibition. So folks share your thoughts, do you use RC salt, if so how do you manage, if not RC share what salt you are using currently


Best
Kar

 

[Ludders]

I use Red Sea Pro which also has a high alk level. I almost switched brands last weekend because I was unsure why the alk was so high and I had been struggling with some SPS.

I ended up attributing it to changing my light settings too quickly, but this high alk topic does interest me.

The reason I stuck with the pro salt was because I didn't want to have to mess around and buffer up the calcium and magnesium levels which would be required with the standard red sea salt.

Generally speaking I don't have any issues and maintain the high alk levels with my dosing pump.

 

[reefwiser]

What many hobbyist due is adjust the alk on their IO salt before using it. I prefer mixing my salt to the alk level I want. So I don't buy high alk level salt as I dont want alk swings in my aquarium if I can help it.

 

[hubble]

I think ESV brand mixes at 9 alk

 

[Andrewalex11]

Slight differences between IO Marine and Reef Crystals. I used the stuff religiously for about a year and didn't really notice a difference with ANYTHING switching between the two.

BUT... Red Sea CP has definately recorded some faster growth with my more colorful zoanthids, and my Euphyllia corals. Also it definately bounced back a lot of corals that weren't looking so hot like my leptoseris. So far I'll be using this brand from now on.

ALSO; Instant Ocean mixes like garbage, compared to Red Sea. I'll argue that until I'm dead because I used to scrub the excess crud from the stuff out of a huge 500gallon mixing vat. I will say that the price is right though so the choice is yours !

Red Sea Alk: 8 Stable
Instant Ocean Marine & Reef Crystals both mixed: 8 unstable quickly dropping and leveling off at 7-7.5

 

[ReefingwithO]

When you are doing small water changes it’s fine and won’t up your all too much too soon. The problem is when you do larger water changes and your parameters get huge swings.

I’m running the Triton method and the only times I’ll need to do water changes is when something is wrong so I need a salt that matches my parameters.

 

[Ludders]

Slight differences between IO Marine and Reef Crystals. I used the stuff religiously for about a year and didn't really notice a difference with ANYTHING switching between the two.

BUT... Red Sea CP has definately recorded some faster growth with my more colorful zoanthids, and my Euphyllia corals. Also it definately bounced back a lot of corals that weren't looking so hot like my leptoseris. So far I'll be using this brand from now on.

ALSO; Instant Ocean mixes like garbage, compared to Red Sea. I'll argue that until I'm dead because I used to scrub the excess crud from the stuff out of a huge 500gallon mixing vat. I will say that the price is right though so the choice is yours !

Red Sea Alk: 8 Stable
Instant Ocean Marine & Reef Crystals both mixed: 8 unstable quickly dropping and leveling off at 7-7.5

I have to agree, I used IO on my first marine tank and it doesn't mix nearly as well as the CP I use now.

 

[MTBake]

I used red sea coral pro on my last tank. A 75 gallon well established mixed reef. It worked well for me.

Now I use the regular red sea in the blue bucket. I keep my alk between 8 and 9dkh. This salt mixes to 8.0 dkh, which is right in line with where I want it. Also, calcium checks in at 420 and magnesium is around 1280 with this salt. Mixes quicker and cleaner than instant ocean, imo.

 

[Kar]

Thanks guys, so looks like Red Sea blue bucket is the choice here, can’t use coral pro because even it has higher Alk. Did anyone use Tropic Marine Bio Actif if so what are your observations on that.

 

[John3]

I’m using RC salt but I’m also running my alk higher than most. I’m running my alk now at 11-12 with good growth results on softies, lps, and orange monti caps. My nutrients are a bit higher than most as well with nitrates around 15 ppm. So the higher alk is not an issue in my case.

The only coral giving me issue is a pink lobo which was in really bad shape when I got it. It hasn’t died nor recovered in the 8 months I have had it.

 

[BoomCorals]

I chose a salt with alkalinity that is very close to what I keep my tanks at. This way I can control alk/ca with just dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I see many successful tanks running their tanks at an Alk between 8-9 and they say they are using Instant Ocean RC but that salt has very high Alk it’s close to about 13 how are they managing this high Alk during water change ( turning off Dosing pumps or calrx... heck no... I maintain my tank at 8-9 Alk and used RC salt for the water change ( was using Aquaforest before) and due to higher Alk after water change I lost a nice reef raft frag that I purchased recently at Silicon Valley Coral market exhibition. So folks share your thoughts, do you use RC salt, if so how do you manage, if not RC share what salt you are using currently


Best
Kar

You can change less water more frequently (many of us do many very small water changes automatically), so there is no concern.

Additionally, the effect is really not that large unless the changes are large. A 10% change with new water at 12 dKH in a tank at 8 dKH only boosts alkalinity by 0.4 dKH. [emoji3]

 

[Kar]

@Randy Holmes-Farley you are correct, bad part was I made 50% water change.

 

[madweazl]

I use IO (usually mixes at about 10.8 dKh on my test kit) and keep my alkalinity at 7.5-8.0 dKh. When I mix the salt, i add 3ml muriatic acid to five gallons of freshly mixed IO, this brings the alkalinity down to 7.5 dKh.

 

[Centerline]

So I see many successful tanks running their tanks at an Alk between 8-9 and they say they are using Instant Ocean RC but that salt has very high Alk it’s close to about 13 how are they managing this high Alk during water change ( turning off Dosing pumps or calrx... heck no... I maintain my tank at 8-9 Alk and used RC salt for the water change ( was using Aquaforest before) and due to higher Alk after water change I lost a nice reef raft frag that I purchased recently at Silicon Valley Coral market exhibition. So folks share your thoughts, do you use RC salt, if so how do you manage, if not RC share what salt you are using currently


Best
Kar

I use Red Sea Pro and dose Alk to keep it in the 11-12 range. When doing a water change I always test the new batch and adjust the Alk if needed. That isn't often at the stuff mixes pretty much on point all the time. I also use the blue bucket Red Sea in a small tank I have and find it to be just as consistent.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I use CP and like others said it is on the higher alk range when I keep my tank 7-8. Will use up what I have and switch to the blue bucket. Sounds like it mixes as well as the CP from the comments on this thread.

 

[marvelousone]

What many hobbyist due is adjust the alk on their IO salt before using it. I prefer mixing my salt to the alk level I want. So I don't buy high alk level salt as I dont want alk swings in my aquarium if I can help it.

How are you adjusting alk before using it.

 

[reefwiser]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

 

[reefndude]

I adjust my alkalinity levels in new salt water mix. You can use any salt and adjust it to your liking. I use muriatic acid to lower alk to match my tank. The acid will lower ph so you will need to aerate to bring it back up.

 

[Centerline]

I use CP and like others said it is on the higher alk range when I keep my tank 7-8. Will use up what I have and switch to the blue bucket. Sounds like it mixes as well as the CP from the comments on this thread.

It does!