How to get lower Alk with IO Reef Crystals?

[Mr.Rocc]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience being able to lower the high alk that comes along with IO Reef Crystals?

 

[Velcro]

You can (very carefully) add hydrochloric acid. I believe there are calculators out there. Make sure you aerate to let the CO2 that is created gas off so the ph of the water is appropriate.

 

[tutmatt3]

Funny enough I think had big issues using the salt because my tank is so new and I'm sure the higher elements are meant for more mature tanks.

My solution was to begin doing water changes using instant oceans normal

Tank is about a 40% RC to 60% IO ratio and is doing dramatically better then that was with reef crystals only.

Might keep using both salts or only Instant Ocean I'm not sure yet, what the problem was my alkalinity wouldn't go down with reef crystals because everything was stagnant therefore nothing was getting used.

Just my recent $0.02

 

[Waters]

If you want to run a lower ALK, I would suggest just switching salts. I had the same issue so I switched to Red Sea blue which mixes at a MUCH lower ALK.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't think there's any evidence that anything in Reef Crystals is too high for a "new tank", and the high alkalinity is only a concern in a very low nutrient SPS tank.

 

[tutmatt3]

I don't think there's any evidence that anything in Reef Crystals is too high for a "new tank", and the high alkalinity is only a concern in a very low nutrient SPS tank.

Unfortunately I have no scientific evidence to support my claim, nor any official reasoning to offer, but literally doing a few water changes over the duration of a week, a few days later all rtn/stn issues i had stopped, and coraline began growing in spots all over the glass which its never on the past 6 months.

My 55g tank only has 4x smaller fish at the time (others in qt), so perhaps a lower bioload is part of the equation here

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Unfortunately I have no scientific evidence to support my claim, nor any official reasoning to offer, but literally doing a few water changes over the duration of a week, a few days later all rtn/stn issues i had stopped, and coraline began growing in spots all over the glass which its never on the past 6 months.

My 55g tank only has 4x smaller fish at the time (others in qt), so perhaps a lower bioload is part of the equation here

Not sure what happened, but I can't see that being due to a problem with Reef Crystals that was fixed by IO.

 

[bif24701]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience being able to lower the high alk that comes along with IO Reef Crystals?

Use regular Instant Ocean

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Use regular Instant Ocean

IMO, regular IO is a good choice and I used it for 20 years, but it too has quite high alkalinity, so if that is the concern, it won't help much.

 

[bif24701]

IMO, regular IO is a good choice and I used it for 20 years, but it too has quite high alkalinity, so if that is the concern, it won't help much.

IO does have high ALK, like about 10-12 dKH. However IO Reef Crystals has upto 15! I didn't know it was so high until about 6 months ago.

 

[bo0sted2g]

IO does have high ALK, like about 10-12 dKH. However IO Reef Crystals has upto 15! I didn't know it was so high until about 6 months ago.

I use reef crystals and I have to dose calcium and alkalinity daily to keep it above 7.5 and I don't even have many corals in the tank Next water change I'll have to test the fresh mixed water before I put it in the tank to see what it reads at.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IO does have high ALK, like about 10-12 dKH. However IO Reef Crystals has upto 15! I didn't know it was so high until about 6 months ago.

The difference is not typically that high. Maybe an off batch of RC at 15 dKH, or unusually high salinity.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Mine jumped up to 10.4 dkh after moving my tank. But I guess when I only do 10% water changes it won't hurt too much

 

[Cory]

I wonder if canadas io is different because ive always got 7-8dkh for alk at 35ppt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder if canadas io is different because ive always got 7-8dkh for alk at 35ppt.

Really? That's unexpected.

 

[Cory]

Really? That's unexpected.

Yeah its unexpected i thought too. But reef crystals I got is 11dkh. I use a refractometer with atc.

 

[tutmatt3]

Well, when are you guys testing?

I notice if I test a new batch of RC an hour after mixing - it'll be high. 12-13

If I test it a few days after initial mixing (i have my bucket come on 4x times a day for 1 hour each time), it'll be much lower. 9-11

If I remember my previous readings, other people have this happen as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, when are you guys testing?

I notice if I test a new batch of RC an hour after mixing - it'll be high. 12-13

If I test it a few days after initial mixing (i have my bucket come on 4x times a day for 1 hour each time), it'll be much lower. 9-11

If I remember my previous readings, other people have this happen as well.

You may have both settling of solids (which dissolve in an alk test and give false high readings) and new precipitation that can lower measured alkalinity.

 

[tutmatt3]

You may have both settling of solids (which dissolve in an alk test and give false high readings) and new precipitation that can lower measured alkalinity.

understood. Thanks randy!

 

[nano reef]

I don't think there's any evidence that anything in Reef Crystals is too high for a "new tank", and the high alkalinity is only a concern in a very low nutrient SPS tank.

I have a question for you. is it normal for salt mixes to get moist and clump and when they do is it normal for the alk to go down. I have only used reef crystals except when I bought fritz already mixed up from my lfs. I always kept alk around 9.5 or so. Every 160 gallon bucket I ever bought got a little moist but I stored in my hot garge in florida. i moved the last batch inside but for got to put lid back on a few times.

I have a 8 month old 36 gallon that has been dropping salinty but about 2 months ago I stocked with 30 or more frags within a month period so I assumed my frags were consuming it. yesterday it was 6.5 ! I had recently read that reef crystals is 12 dkh or something close to that(dosnt say on bucket) I have never tested the batches I put in for waterchanges about 1 x evry 7 to 10 days so I decided to test some of the remaining water still in the bin that I didnt end up using for W.C. Well, it tested from 5.9 to 6.0 at 1026 salinity!I Then decided to mix small batch in a cup but didint aierate or anything and it tested the same! How the hell can that be?

I was getting reading to dose and decided to anyway because I didnt have any other salt or enough rodi for a waterchange. I upped it to 7..2 calcium was 400 so put in equal amounts and that would raise calcium to 405 I think. It was only 20 ml. I am going to pick up a new batch and test it and maybe I dont even need to dose.

Should 32 frags and 2 colonies of mostly lps, some softies and about 4 small sps but one colony of montipora. need dosing do you think? 36 gallon bowfront. I have been losing alk but very random levels like some days 0.3 some days none some days 0.5 Just all over the place!

I also wonder how temp would effect the alk. I had a small amount left in bin and the pump I use to aeriated the water and also pump the water back in the tank really heats up the water but I always let it get back to even temp with the tank b4 I put it in.
The temp was 88.5 and like I said saltmix very very moist. Like so moist I could squeeze water out of it if I picked up a handful!


Just wondering what your opions are and if you think need to dose with the amount of frags I have. I dont know how I i wwll ever be able to dial in a daily dose when it drops so randonly.

I can stop dosing at any time right? I thought I would do a small dose tonight and next day then do a water change then quit dosing to see what happens. Since this will be a fresh batch with proper alk then it should be normal levels. I would like to keep about 9,5. Thanks for any help!