Water changes and amending water before its added.

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I have never done this. But while rolling buckets around my living room the other day I thought, "Why aren't I testing the my WC water for cal, alk, and mag then amending the levels to match my desired parameters before I add it to my aquarium?" Am I daft and should have been doing this all along?

Previously I would mix up a batch, let it run with a pump in a semi-covered rubbermade tub for 24 hours. then I'd add to tank and 24 hours later test parameters and amend at this time.

It kind of seems like my previous WC method would contribute to parameter swings. Not to mention time saving and reduction of test kit use.

 

[xabo]

Researching those levels in the freshly mixed salt that you use would give you a head start.

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[Townes_Van_Camp]

Researching those levels in the freshly mixed salt that you use would give you a head start.

I mean, I know what my salt mix purports to supply. That isn't quite the truth though, their numbers are never accurate. which leads me to over thinking thinks and trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[xabo]

While their numbers may not be accurate it will give you ballpark numbers. In my limited experience in this I've found little to be absolute.

 

[KimG]

If you use a salt with parameters similar to your tank, you generally don't need to test, especially if the water changes aren't very big.
In my case I use tropic marine reef pro and I correct alk as it mixes lower then my desired parameters. But i don't really test it anymore, I just do the correction.
Parameters stay pretty stable.

 

[Azedenkae]

I have never done this. But while rolling buckets around my living room the other day I thought, "Why aren't I testing the my WC water for cal, alk, and mag then amending the levels to match my desired parameters before I add it to my aquarium?" Am I daft and should have been doing this all along?

Previously I would mix up a batch, let it run with a pump in a semi-covered rubbermade tub for 24 hours. then I'd add to tank and 24 hours later test parameters and amend at this time.

It kind of seems like my previous WC method would contribute to parameter swings. Not to mention time saving and reduction of test kit use.

Sure, it could work that way. A few considerations though - even if you get the parameters right in your mixed saltwater, it might still end up 'wrong' once a water change is done anyways, if the water parameters in your tank is different from what you are aiming for (could be due to consumption by corals for example). So might end up still needing to dose the tank. Or, gotta measure the tank, and measure your saltwater, and calculate what you'd need to change the parameters of the mixed saltwater to so that once a water change is done it hits the parameters you want.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, if the changes are small, there's no need to match the tank.