Alk dropping after WC

[Travis Stewart]

After doing a water change, my alk has been dropping. My salinity is at 1.025 in tank and 1.025 on new water.

I use fritz salt mix and it's dkh is 8.5 on new mix.

My alk in my tank before the water change was roughly 8.3 dropping to 7.8 two hours after the change.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Supurderek]

Are the lights off when it dropped?

 

[Reeferdood]

New mix should have an alkalinity reading of closer to 10.. Either you have a bad test kit or a bad batch of salt...

 

[Travis Stewart]

New mix should have an alkalinity reading of closer to 10.. Either you have a bad test kit or a bad batch of salt...

I got the values from the website.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Are the lights off when it dropped?

Yes lights are off.

 

[Reeferdood]

I got the values from the website.

Still seems low...
If you are doing a reef setup, I would use a different mix..

 

[Travis Stewart]

My reef is stunning with this mix

 

[Travis Stewart]

Still seems low...
If you are doing a reef setup, I would use a different mix..

Tank looks great and been using this salt for about a year now

 

[Thor2j]

Tank looks great and been using this salt for about a year now

You either have bad batch or bad test kit.

 

[Reeferdood]

You either have bad batch or bad test kit.

I already suggested this but he seems to be looking for a different answer...

 

[Thor2j]

I already suggested this but he seems to be looking for a different answer...

I know, just trying to reiterate as it doesn't seem to be working. [emoji6]

 

[Travis Stewart]

I already suggested this but he seems to be looking for a different answer...

Lol I get it thanks guys. Hard to reply while working

 

[Travis Stewart]

I know, just trying to reiterate as it doesn't seem to be working. [emoji6]

Is there any way to tell its bad salt other than values not meeting their stated values?

 

[Reeferdood]

I wouldn't say it is bad per se but perhaps try a different alkalinity test kit just to see.
I have never seen a salt mix with that low of alkalinity right out of the box..

 

[Thor2j]

Is there any way to tell its bad salt other than values not meeting their stated values?

Did u roll it around for a while first? I've heard it helps sometimes to mix it up as things settle.

 

[Travis Stewart]

10-4 I am going to try testing water after mixed as well.

 

[Reeferdood]

I did some digging and found out that the pro salt is lower in alkalinity than some of the mixes that I am familiar with.
I use IO and am always pleased with my tank after a water change. IO alkalinity is usually @10.5-11 & that is the range I personally shoot for.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Yea I run a LNS so I try to stick to upper 8's. So when changing water with an alk at 8.5 I won't have much of s swing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I already suggested this but he seems to be looking for a different answer...

OK, I'll give one. That salt mix isn't exactly matching the web site. Hardly surprising. Might really not match (salt mixes very often do not), or might be a different salinity than the company uses for that determination. :)

 

[Travis Stewart]

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley. I have tried to get to the same salinity to ensure that I was getting the most accurate comparison. I will test my new water in the future to find out the true reading.