Should I switch salts?

[Bbio]

I’ve been using Red Sea coral pro (black bucket) for about a year now on my low demand 190 gallon system. My nitrates are always low 3-5ppm and my phosphates are 0.06-0.12.

I’m maintaining an alk of 9 and dose AFR between water changes to keep it at 9. My problem with black bucket is, it raises my alk 0.3-0.4 after a water change. So I either have to stop dosing around a water change and let alk drop to 8.7 and do the change or stop dosing after the change and let it drop from 9.3 back to 9 before I dose again.

This constant daily testing for alk around water change day has become annoying. So I want to switch to a salt that is more close to what I want.

I picked up a bucket of Red Sea (blue bucket) that mixes to an alk of 8.

I’m planning to stop dosing and let my alk drop to 8 from 9 slowly and start using the blue bucket so water changes won’t spike my alk and I won’t have to test daily anymore around water change day.

It’s this the right move? I’m worried about buffering capacity. My pH is on the low side (8-8.1 during the day and 7.7-7.8 during the night). I run a chaeto fuge on an opposite light schedule to try to offset fluctuations.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I use the same salt on my 2 reef tanks, I've tried to switch to other salts but my corals didn't like it at all, after a month I had to switch back to coral pro.

Same as you I guess, I reduce the AFR usage just before and after the water change and then bring it back to normal. Its a bit annoying, but it works. My tanks are more coral heavy than yours, so maybe thats why I saw such a negative reaction from my corals IDK, just giving the benefit of my experience, good luck

 

[Bbio]

I use the same salt on my 2 reef tanks, I've tried to switch to other salts but my corals didn't like it at all, after a month I had to switch back to coral pro.

Same as you I guess, I reduce the AFR usage just before and after the water change and then bring it back to normal. Its a bit annoying, but it works. My tanks are more coral heavy than yours, so maybe thats why I saw such a negative reaction from my corals IDK, just giving the benefit of my experience, good luck

Ah geez. Well, thanks for the camaraderie. You’re stronger than I. I have to test alk for like 6+ days straight around water changes so I just feel like I’m always doing it and burning through a lot of reagent.