Adjusting IO salt

Miami Reef

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Hello chemists,

I use about a bag a week of IO for my water changes. The alk is too high, calcium is a bit too low, and magnesium could be higher.

How consistent is IO salt? Could I find out my adjustment needs and use the same amount of muriatic, Ca, and Mg to the water without testing the individual salt batches prior every week?

If I am expected to test each IO batch weekly before calculating how much muriatic acid, calcium, and magnesium each and every week: the cost would not be worth the effort.

Summary: Can I figure out a set amount of chemicals to fix the parameters of my salt mix, or is IO salt too inconsistent?
 

GARRIGA

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Didn't BRS do an investigate on mixing consistency with various salts? Don't recall if IO was included. That's probably a place to start. Otherwise, could take a sample of salt from top of container, mid and bottom and mix those up then test each. Assuming another hasn't already but that just confirms the batch one has. Not sure if reaching out to the manufacturer would help although I know this salt has been around a long time and I used it in the 80s. Perhaps any variances that exist are negligible and best test each new mix prior to a water change to insure it's close enough to last then adjust that, if needed. Considering what happened with TMP and Hungary then wouldn't it be prudent to test each new water change?
 

Snoopy 67

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I've been using it forever. Pretty consistent IMHO & I buy it 3-4 boxes @ a time.
If lot #'s are the same test 1 & done.
 
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Where do you buy muriatic acid from that’s safe for reef tanks? Home Depot?
 

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I get consistent numbers from IO mixed 24hours and then tested. Below are test results last week. Hanna on alk, salifert on the others.

I don't do any adjusting of the fresh mix and do 10% a week water changes.


SG- 35----

K- 405
Alk- 8.5
Calc- 420
Mg- 1260
 
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I get consistent numbers from IO mixed 24hours and then tested. Below are test results last week. Hanna on alk, salifert on the others.

I don't do any adjusting of the fresh mix and do 10% a week water changes.


SG- 35----

K- 405
Alk- 8.5
Calc- 420
Mg- 1260
I tested mine:

35ppt
Alk: 9.5dkh
Ca 400
 

Big E

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There is going to be some minor differences in user testing per person and some kit variance.

I haven't seen 9.5 in more than a few years.....maybe 9-9.2 max. When it mixes for 24 hours or more the alk will drop.

Ca will range from 400-420

I check maybe 3-4 times a year

Here's another set of numbers from ATI from a few years ago-- for another data point with all the numbers--

I don't adjust anything because even at 9.5 if you do the math it's a minor glitch up of .2 if you keep your tank at 7.5. How you set your doser will also make this a non issue.
 
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Miami Reef

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There is going to be some minor differences in user testing per person and some kit variance.

I haven't seen 9.5 in more than a few years.....maybe 9-9.2 max. When it mixes for 24 hours or more the alk will drop.

Ca will range from 400-420

I check maybe 3-4 times a year

Here's another set of numbers from ATI from a few years ago-- for another data point with all the numbers--

I don't adjust anything because even at 9.5 if you do the math it's a minor glitch up of .2 if you keep your tank at 7.5. How you set your doser will also make this a non issue.
Thank you. I needed to hear this.
 

Duncan62

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There is going to be some minor differences in user testing per person and some kit variance.

I haven't seen 9.5 in more than a few years.....maybe 9-9.2 max. When it mixes for 24 hours or more the alk will drop.

Ca will range from 400-420

I check maybe 3-4 times a year

Here's another set of numbers from ATI from a few years ago-- for another data point with all the numbers--

I don't adjust anything because even at 9.5 if you do the math it's a minor glitch up of .2 if you keep your tank at 7.5. How you set your doser will also make this a non issue.
I've used io for decades. I'm friends with a dealer that sells and promotes another brand but uses io in his commercial operation. I tested. IO was consistently a bit high in calcium and kh. The corals will lower these for you. In my experience IO mag was a little low. Over all IO is good. I read a couple years ago that algeabarn uses it. Good enough for me.
 

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I get consistent numbers from IO mixed 24hours and then tested. Below are test results last week. Hanna on alk, salifert on the others.

I don't do any adjusting of the fresh mix and do 10% a week water changes.


SG- 35----

K- 405
Alk- 8.5
Calc- 420
Mg- 1260

Wow this makes it much more appealing to me. Thanks Ed for you (always) valuable input
 

spsick

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There is going to be some minor differences in user testing per person and some kit variance.

I haven't seen 9.5 in more than a few years.....maybe 9-9.2 max. When it mixes for 24 hours or more the alk will drop.

Ca will range from 400-420

I check maybe 3-4 times a year

Here's another set of numbers from ATI from a few years ago-- for another data point with all the numbers--

I don't adjust anything because even at 9.5 if you do the math it's a minor glitch up of .2 if you keep your tank at 7.5. How you set your doser will also make this a non issue.

So now you have me thinking how I can implement this. Basically add a little liquid calcium and magnesium, lower alk doses a bit and test frequently I suppose. Seems like a worthwhile effort when IO is currently $9/50gal bag vs $80/175g bucket of Red Sea blue bucket.
 

homer1475

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I get very consistent numbers with IO, box to box. So much so, that I don't even test anymore before adding a little muriatic acid to lower the ALK(of course I test after, and it's always within "range" for me).

Mag is always 1500+
Cal is always 400 - 440
Alk is always north of 9
On a fresh batch @ 1.026

I've used IO for more then 20 years of keeping salt tanks. When I moved on to reefing, it just made sense to keep using it.

I have found small variances between the bags, the buckets, and the boxes though. No idea why either. I'll sometimes buy the buckets instead of the boxes, and the buckets seem to mix up a bit higher then the boxes do.
 

Brian_68

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Your results will depend on your SG as well so everyone will have variation from that plus the test kit. Most have used it as is for years, sometimes decades.
 

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I’m moving to IO planning on using seachem acid buffer to drop the kh, what does everyone else use?
 
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