Poll: Stable #'s and water changes

[specialk]

Hey All ..

So curious about something ... in an ongoing effort to keep my #'s rock steady, stable and consistent, along with CONSISTENT bi-weekly 15% water changes on a 125 gal tank (145 gallon all total with sump)....

... when I am doing the water changes naturally the salt mix I use (I use the regular instant ocean) does not have the exact same #'s across the board as I keep my system running at.

So everytime I do a change every other week, my numbers flucuate a bit and I am back to chasing #'s, water for calcium to fall down a bit to get to my desired #, THEN start to dose like I used to and normally do for 2 weeks until my next water change .. then repeat and have #'s all over the place again.

So I am wondering how everyone keeps their #'s stable when you are dosing, and then do a water change and cause your numbers to jump a bit ... do you just dose right away after you do a water change to get the #'s back up to where they were ? What about if you keep your alk at 8.3, you do a water change and it jumps to "9.0" ... obviously you dont keep the dosing pump running for the alk or it will make the #'s all out of whack again ..

You can see what I am getting at and wondering .. how you manage these stable #s with consistent water changes

 

[NY_Caveman]

Hey All ..

So curious about something ... in an ongoing effort to keep my #'s rock steady, stable and consistent, along with CONSISTENT bi-weekly 15% water changes on a 125 gal tank (145 gallon all total with sump)....

... when I am doing the water changes naturally the salt mix I use (I use the regular instant ocean) does not have the exact same #'s across the board as I keep my system running at.

So everytime I do a change every other week, my numbers flucuate a bit and I am back to chasing #'s, water for calcium to fall down a bit to get to my desired #, THEN start to dose like I used to and normally do for 2 weeks until my next water change .. then repeat and have #'s all over the place again.

So I am wondering how everyone keeps their #'s stable when you are dosing, and then do a water change and cause your numbers to jump a bit ... do you just dose right away after you do a water change to get the #'s back up to where they were ? What about if you keep your alk at 8.3, you do a water change and it jumps to "9.0" ... obviously you dont keep the dosing pump running for the alk or it will make the #'s all out of whack again ..

You can see what I am getting at and wondering .. how you manage these stable #s with consistent water changes

I wonder about this too. For my new build I chose to try LiveAquaria salt because it mixes closest to where I will want my parameters to be. IO is cheaper, but the Alkalinity is pretty high. Seems like a lot of salts have quite high Alkalinity. I get some are high to replace used buffering capacity with small water changes, but for a tank fill that is just too high for my system.

 

[jwshiver]

I use a salt brand, Tropic Marin Pro, that has dkh slightly lower than what I maintain in DT. I match salinity and temp then I test DT and new saltwater mix before I do water change. I use the Bulk Reef calculator to figure how much 2 part to add to bring dkh up of new salt water to match DT. I let it run 1 - 2 hours to let the pH stablize because dosing soda ash will raise the pH. Double check temp and adjust then make water change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hey All ..

So curious about something ... in an ongoing effort to keep my #'s rock steady, stable and consistent, along with CONSISTENT bi-weekly 15% water changes on a 125 gal tank (145 gallon all total with sump)....

... when I am doing the water changes naturally the salt mix I use (I use the regular instant ocean) does not have the exact same #'s across the board as I keep my system running at.

So everytime I do a change every other week, my numbers flucuate a bit and I am back to chasing #'s, water for calcium to fall down a bit to get to my desired #, THEN start to dose like I used to and normally do for 2 weeks until my next water change .. then repeat and have #'s all over the place again.

So I am wondering how everyone keeps their #'s stable when you are dosing, and then do a water change and cause your numbers to jump a bit ... do you just dose right away after you do a water change to get the #'s back up to where they were ? What about if you keep your alk at 8.3, you do a water change and it jumps to "9.0" ... obviously you dont keep the dosing pump running for the alk or it will make the #'s all out of whack again ..

You can see what I am getting at and wondering .. how you manage these stable #s with consistent water changes

Your target level for calcium should not be lower than normal IO, which is low to start with in the mid to upper 300's, depending on the salinity.

What is your target?

As to alk, you can do smaller water changes, lower the alk in the salt mix with acid, or use a different mix. People do all of these.

 

[specialk]

Your target level for calcium should not be lower than normal IO, which is low to start with in the mid to upper 300's, depending on the salinity.

What is your target?

As to alk, you can do smaller water changes, lower the alk in the salt mix with acid, or use a different mix. People do all of these.

Well for calcium it is 450. It is not so much the calcium as it is the Alk. My target for the alk is 8.3 ... I have no issues raising it and KEEPING it a bit higher, I just remember reading something awhile ago that showed the #s of many successful and thriving sps tanks, and many of the Alk #s were low 8's. So that is what I was and am aiming for ... but if there is no issue in keeping it at high 8's or even low 9's, I may opt for that. Thoughts on that?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well for calcium it is 450. It is not so much the calcium as it is the Alk. My target for the alk is 8.3 ... I have no issues raising it and KEEPING it a bit higher, I just remember reading something awhile ago that showed the #s of many successful and thriving sps tanks, and many of the Alk #s were low 8's. So that is what I was and am aiming for ... but if there is no issue in keeping it at high 8's or even low 9's, I may opt for that. Thoughts on that?

OK, I agree the alk is higher than most keep and the calcium is lower. You can boost the calcium in the new mix as needed.

Alk lowering is possible:

The pH drops like a rock adding acid to deplete alkalinity, so it must be done slowly.

Here are some threads describing how to do it:

Sodium Bisulfate
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/

Muriatic acid:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reducing-alkalinity.339109/#post-4214464

 

[specialk]

Th

OK, I agree the alk is higher than most keep and the calcium is lower. You can boost the calcium in the new mix as needed.

Alk lowering is possible:

The pH drops like a rock adding acid to deplete alkalinity, so it must be done slowly.

Here are some threads describing how to do it:

Sodium Bisulfate
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/

Muriatic acid:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reducing-alkalinity.339109/#post-4214464

Thanks Randy ...

I have low P04 and low nitrate ... so I am actually going to start lowering my alk to around 7 (slowly) ... I can't keep po4 and nitrate in my system it seems and its always running low, so I need to lower my alk. So I am going to have to lower it while mixing the salt

 

[specialk]

OK, I agree the alk is higher than most keep and the calcium is lower. You can boost the calcium in the new mix as needed.

Alk lowering is possible:

The pH drops like a rock adding acid to deplete alkalinity, so it must be done slowly.

Here are some threads describing how to do it:

Sodium Bisulfate
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/

Muriatic acid:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reducing-alkalinity.339109/#post-4214464

Ok ok ok .. I get what you are saying after I posted that last one ... So simply, if I am mixing 20 gallons of water for the water change (and IO calcium is 400) simply use the calculator and figure out what is needed to raise the calcium to my current 450 level and add the supplement as needed ... correct? and then simply lower the alk as needed to better fit into the ideal alk # I am running at

 

[specialk]

and this may be a dumb question... but in aerating, will a simple powerhead at the bottom of the mixing bin for about 45 minutes AFTER I mix the salt be ok?

I use a power head any way to mix the salt up while I am taking out the old water ... so I mix the salt with a power head to start and do it before I do anything else... then I let it mix for about 30-45 minutes while I clean the tank, etc. then when that is done I come back and add the new water ... will that powerhead in the bottom of the bin properly aerate it?

 

[cracker]

I get the same thing. I tried to match my new water but every barrel seems different . I think it's how much time the new water stays in the barrel. So now I just test the new water .use a calculator to dose it then use right away.
What I don't get is is the levels drop in the barrel then why not in the tank? I'm missing something.

 

[jsker]

Mine do fluctuate between batchs of salt but otherwise stay pretty steady

Have you thought about a auto water change? this would help the fluctuations after water changes.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Using IO with 10% water changes every other week, I just never worried about it that much. Never saw a diffence in the tanks or coral growth. Alk at 8. (Ish ...lol)

Kinda sps heavy too....

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Personally I would find a salt mix that has parameters near what you want, then just target that. For example, Red Sea blue bucket has around 8.5 dKh, 425 ppm Ca and 1,250 ppm Mg. If the water you're taking out of your tank has the exact same carbonate, calcium and magnesium, there's no need to adjust anything.

 

[specialk]

Using IO with 10% water changes every other week, I just never worried about it that much. Never saw a diffence in the tanks or coral growth. Alk at 8. (Ish ...lol)

Kinda sps heavy too....

Colors are good as well? Also how many gallons you have ?

PO3 and nitrate relatively low?

 

[specialk]

Anyone on my aerating question... ?

 

[cracker]

I'd "think " if a power head was busting up the water surface good would work fine. after all gas exchange happens at the water surface. Again I "think" an air stone doesn't exchange while rising in the water ,it just busts up the water surface well. Just my theory. Always wondered which is best. An air stone producing air bubbles or water surface agitation. This is a great topic !

 

[jsker]

Anyone on my aerating question... ?

Since the are no live animals or corals, I would say that this would not be a concern.

 

[specialk]

Since the are no live animals or corals, I would say that this would not be a concern.

so a powerhead at the bottom of the bucket mixing the salt submurged under water would probobly aerate it and bring the ph back up?

 

[jsker]

so a powerhead at the bottom of the bucket mixing the salt submurged under water would probobly aerate it and bring the ph back up?

Randy will correct me I do not think the Ph will drop or only slightly in the mixing process.

 

[specialk]

Randy will correct me I do not think the Ph will drop or only slightly in the mixing process.

I'm sorry ....should have clarified ....I meant after I add the acid to bring down the alk. IO is 11...I want my fresh batch to be around 8 or lower

Sorry, should have made that clear