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9.0 after 24 hours
8.3 after 7 days
7.6 after 14 days
7.4 after 21 days
Has anybody tested other salts Alk over time? I suspect this is more common than we think.
I wonder if the drops reported can be contributed to CO2 present in the storage locations? If so, any brand/type of slat mix would be susceptible to the same effects. I dont know if other formulations would see a decrease at faster/slower rates? That would be a question for Mr. @Randy Holmes-Farley
I mixed up a 50 gallon batch and alk was 6.5....this does explain why I have been battling low alk since changing to this salt.
9.0 after 24 hours
8.3 after 7 days
7.6 after 14 days
7.4 after 21 days
Has anybody tested other salts Alk over time? I suspect this is more common than we think.
This has been happening in my tank with Fritz RPM as I'm cycling. No live stock in the tank. It went from 8.5 to 7.5 in about 12 days. I wonder if this happens with other salts? I guess its hard to tell as most people would contribute a drop in alk from corals in the tank. Its not really that big a deal. I just added 1/2 TSP of baking soda and my tank was up to 8.5 the next day.
Cycling depletes alkalinity, if there is ammonia being converted into nitrate.
That is possible. But this was happening well before I had traceable nitrites/nitrates in the water.
Are you stirring and heating it?
Such precipitation is a function of the temp (lower is better to prevent it), the pH, and the alkalinity.
BUT, what you are observing can be an additional effect, which is very slow settling of fine calcium carbonate solids, which will dissolve in an alk test and read a false high alkalinity.