Alkalinity controller waste, who puts it back into their tanks?

[BigJohnny]

I'm about to start doing this because I'm tired of emptying 2l of waste a week and replacing the missing saltwater, would love to hear your experiences. Pretty sure in my case (alkatronic) the waste is sulfuric acid (what I think the reagent is) and tank water. I'm told this has a very small impact on a macro (which is why I guessed sulfuric acid) equivalent to 1390ppm magnesium changing to 1395ppm magnesium over a year. Additionally, I was told that theoretically it would reduce my tanks alkalinity by about .005 dKH per day, or something like that. Seems perfectly safe to me but I'm curious if others have done this for extended periods of time with any alk controller. Thanks!

Just fyi I have 110g tank testing 4 times a day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, it makes little difference. Either you need to add a little extra alk to make up for the low alk water being added back, or you add some new salt water and think of it like a very small water change.

There is zero concern about the acid used except that it depletes the alk in the waste water.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Bump

 

[ReefTeacher]

I have been dumping the waste from my KHG monitor back into my tank for a year. I see nothing detrimental.

 

[BigJohnny]

IMO, it makes little difference. Either you need to add a little extra alk to make up for the low alk water being added back, or you add some new salt water and think of it like a very small water change.

There is zero concern about the acid used except that it depletes the alk in the waste water.

Thanks randy, I appreciate the response. I run Triton so it was a thorn in my side having to do small water changes once I got the controller, I prefer not to do any unless absolutely necessary. Does it matter where I dump the waste? for example into my return section where i also dose triton 4 part and kalkwasser? I assume the waste has very low ph.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I have been dumping the waste from my KHG monitor back into my tank for a year. I see nothing detrimental.

Ditto

 

[ihavecrabs]

Ditto

One month for me!

 

[gojk]

I have the Alkatronic and I have been dumping the waste water back in the tank for about a year now with no ill effects.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I don't understand spend a thousand dollars to test you alk levels automatically and then worry about adding a bit of saltwater to make up for use or adjusting your alk dosing for adding back in the waste water. Just saying, as it seems the more hands off the less time spent observing condition of tank and live stock.

 

[BigJohnny]

I don't understand spend a thousand dollars to test you alk levels automatically and then worry about adding a bit of saltwater to make up for use or adjusting your alk dosing for adding back in the waste water. Just saying, as it seems the more hands off the less time spent observing condition of tank and live stock.

You are right, you dont understand.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

My logic is if you spend $1,000 to automate test then you can automate adding mixed saltwater back in or adjusting alk levels. I understand stability but testing 4 times a day for me once a week is enough. I am old school and like to watch tank. My 280 gallon is pretty stable and is pretty much hands off. Just seems that worrying about two liters of waste a week is no big deal to empty and you can automate adding fresh salt mix on a daily basis or adjust alk to maintain stability. If all you were looking for was if it was safe to add waste back in fine but you said you were tired of dumping 2 liters a week. Explain the part I don't understand.

 

[hart24601]

I dump it back into the tank. It may not matter on a big tank, but on my nano removing that much tank water is going to have a large impact on salinity. The reduction in alk from the acid is just made up for with regular dosing or having the alk monitor dose it when low. I wouldn’t have an alk monitor if I couldn’t put the tank water back in. With my nano consuming 2kdh a day and only increasing the amount I need to add back in is pretty minor all things considered.

 

[ihavecrabs]

My logic is if you spend $1,000 to automate test then you can automate adding mixed saltwater back in or adjusting alk levels. I understand stability but testing 4 times a day for me once a week is enough. I am old school and like to watch tank. My 280 gallon is pretty stable and is pretty much hands off. Just seems that worrying about two liters of waste a week is no big deal to empty and you can automate adding fresh salt mix on a daily basis or adjust alk to maintain stability. If all you were looking for was if it was safe to add waste back in fine but you said you were tired of dumping 2 liters a week. Explain the part I don't understand.

I'd rather dump it in and make up for the every so minimal alkalinity drop.

Even if you add saltwater back in and dump the test water and reagent, you likely have to adjust the alkalinity in the source water unless it is identical to what you run (or account for the respective increase/decrease) if your end goal is to keep it perfectly stable..

As for BigJonny, he runs triton, so why risk pushing other trace elements out of wack when you can just dump the reagent and test water back in and manage just the alkalinity deficiency in that sample.

 

[BigJohnny]

I dump it back into the tank. It may not matter on a big tank, but on my nano removing that much tank water is going to have a large impact on salinity. The reduction in alk from the acid is just made up for with regular dosing or having the alk monitor dose it when low. I wouldn’t have an alk monitor if I couldn’t put the tank water back in. With my nano consuming 2kdh a day and only increasing the amount I need to add back in is pretty minor all things considered.

Yea on my tank 2 liters a week makes a large difference and its never the exact same amount so it's not as simple as adding exactly 2 liters everytime. The alk reduction from the acid is very small I agree.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I'd rather dump it in and make up for the every so minimal alkalinity drop.

Even if you add saltwater back in and dump the test water and reagent, you likely have to adjust the alkalinity in the source water unless it is identical to what you run (or account for the respective increase/decrease) if your end goal is to keep it perfectly stable..

As for BigJonny, he runs triton, so why risk pushing other trace elements out of wack when you can just dump the reagent and test water back in and manage just the alkalinity deficiency in that sample.

Thanks for the info then what he really wanted to know is if there were any long term effects of dumping back in. I don't do Triton but I don't do water changes. After over three years of no water changes I did a Triton icp test and other than saying to do water changes they had nothing else that needed dosed. Potassium was a little high my fault but nothing else off. So other than salinity, alk, calcium and magnesium, nitrates and phosphate test a couple times a month feeding and cleaning the glass is where most of my time is spent. Only automation is ato and calcium reactor. But I am also not one to spend hundreds on a single frag.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Yea on my tank 2 liters a week makes a large difference and its never the exact same amount so it's not as simple as adding exactly 2 liters everytime. The alk reduction from the acid is very small I agree.

That part I understand I removed my skimmer as a gallon or more a week was enough to have to adjust salinity and was always zero on nitrates and phosphates even though I was feeding 4-5 times a day.

 

[BigJohnny]

My logic is if you spend $1,000 to automate test then you can automate adding mixed saltwater back in or adjusting alk levels. I understand stability but testing 4 times a day for me once a week is enough. I am old school and like to watch tank. My 280 gallon is pretty stable and is pretty much hands off. Just seems that worrying about two liters of waste a week is no big deal to empty and you can automate adding fresh salt mix on a daily basis or adjust alk to maintain stability. If all you were looking for was if it was safe to add waste back in fine but you said you were tired of dumping 2 liters a week. Explain the part I don't understand.

There is no way you could possibly have an informed opinion about anyone else's situation but your own without knowing everything about their lives and tank. I am not here to fill you in, and have no interest in discussing this further.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

There is no way you could possibly have an informed opinion about anyone else's situation but your own without knowing everything about their lives and tank. I am not here to fill you in, and have no interest in discussing this further.

Sorry was not meant to be an argument and I did not want to know about your life. But it appears you have your answer that it should be fine to dump back in with minor adjustment for alk.