Salt question

[Vorog]

I have been using Red Sea coral pro salt since I started my tanks over 2 years ago. I do like the salt and will continue to use it. But I noticed my Alk is always around 12 DKH which is high for my taste. I know that the coral pro has elevated levels of cal,alk,mag.. And if you mix it at 1.025 that's what you get 12DKH. So I was thinking about switching to the regular Red Sea salt. And just dose as needed. Would you say just switching would be okay to do on my bi-weekly water change of 10 gallons? Or would you do weekly 5 gallons. My corals are doing great. But I just feel like my Alk is always too high. I'll give you my parameters just to show. My coralline algae doesn't grow as fast as others I feel. Also I noticed in my sump the coralline grows fast and everywhere. I'm thinking that's due to the lighting of my refugium? What would you guys do? Any feed back? Or am I going crazy lol?

Temp 77
Salinity 1.025 Milwaukee refractometer
Nitrate 1 ppm Hanna
Phosphorus 0.1 ppm Hanna
Cal 450 Red Sea
Alk 12.5 Red Sea
Mag 1355 Red Sea
Ph 8.1 Red Sea

 

[anbosu]

If it's working I wouldn't change it.

Are you dosing? 12 dkh all the time seems excessive, I'd agree.

 

[Vorog]

Salt question

If it's working I wouldn't change it.

Are you dosing? 12 dkh all the time seems excessive, I'd agree.

I did add a small amount of kalk to my ATO just to help my cal and ph stable a bit. But my Alk went up and over 13 DKH so I am back to just my salt mix and RO no kalk. I should note because details help. It's a 30 gallon tank, 20L sump with refugium. Mixed reef, lots of zoas, shrooms, acans, torch, monti cap, birdsnest, RBTA, and Duncan's. They are all doing great for over a year. That's why I'm hesitating on switching the salt. But I love the Red Sea products. And I like that it mixes fast if you need saltwater on hand quick.

 

[anbosu]

I did add a small amount of kalk to my ATO just to help my cal and ph stable a bit. But my Alk went up and over 13 DKH so I am back to just my salt mix and RO no kalk. I should note because details help. It's a 30 gallon tank, 20L sump with refugium. Mixed reef, lots of zoas, shrooms, acans, torch, monti cap, birdsnest, RBTA, and Duncan's. They are all doing great for over a year. That's why I'm hesitating on switching the salt. But I love the Red Sea products. And I like that it mixes fast if you need saltwater on hand quick.

In my opinion, on a tank of that size, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If everything is thriving then eventually your dkh will drop due to increased growth, and you'll like having the higher dkh in your salt.

 

[Vorog]

Yeah that's why I don't really want to change anything just seeing what you guys recommend

 

[C.Eymann]

I ditched rea sea coral pro after I added a calcium reactor to my system because W/C's were making my ALK creep up, switched to ESV, couldn't be happier.

 

[oblio]

If your tank is happy I wouldn't change a thing. It seems most every salt has high ALK. If it really bothers you that much you can drop the alk numbers with muriatic acid to your new salt water. Ive been doing this for years with Reef Crystals. The RC runs 12-13alk at 1.026. for 20gallons 5ml of acid drops it to 8.2-8.4 and that's where I run the tank. I know it sounds a tad sketchy but it works. You just have to airate the water back to your house's "normal" ph reading.

 

[JVD BVI]

I used Coralife for years and always struggled with PH and Alk. I recently switched to Red Sea Pro an no longer have any PH or Alk issues, I love it

 

[janes_mw]

Long time Red Sea Salt user here. First, if you have no problems and no Alk burn symptoms, leave what isn't broken alone. I use the Blue bucket which yields a very much lower Alk reading but also I use Zeovite which likes to start with an Alk closer to natural Seawater.

I would leave alone and not get to concerned if growth and color is good and your happy. Don't over think it! Over the past 25+ years doing this, CONSISTENCY is the best thing you can do! Find something that works for you, and keep it there!

just my two pennies

 

[Vorog]

If your tank is happy I wouldn't change a thing. It seems most every salt has high ALK. If it really bothers you that much you can drop the alk numbers with muriatic acid to your new salt water. Ive been doing this for years with Reef Crystals. The RC runs 12-13alk at 1.026. for 20gallons 5ml of acid drops it to 8.2-8.4 and that's where I run the tank. I know it sounds a tad sketchy but it works. You just have to airate the water back to your house's "normal" ph reading.

Yeah I am not going to change anything. I just was wondering if it would be worth switching to the regular salt mix. To bring it down to about 9 DKH

 

[Vorog]

Long time Red Sea Salt user here. First, if you have no problems and no Alk burn symptoms, leave what isn't broken alone. I use the Blue bucket which yields a very much lower Alk reading but also I use Zeovite which likes to start with an Alk closer to natural Seawater.

I would leave alone and not get to concerned if growth and color is good and your happy. Don't over think it! Over the past 25+ years doing this, CONSISTENCY is the best thing you can do! Find something that works for you, and keep it there!

just my two pennies

I couldn't agree more. And I don't see any problems with growth or color. I was just wondering if I should try the blue bucket to lower the ALK down to a "normal" reading of around 9 DKH.

 

[janes_mw]

I couldn't agree more. And I don't see any problems with growth or color. I was just wondering if I should try the blue bucket to lower the ALK down to a "normal" reading of around 9 DKH.

Just keep an eye on it and don't let creep up anymore (IMO). You could always do every other WC with Bluebucket, but again, if nothing going wrong, leave alone. Lowering will then change other things also, so something else for you to worry about . :lolspin:

 

[Vorog]

I thought about switching salts from CP to regular every other water change. But I think I will just leave it alone for now and make sure it doesn't go above 12. However it did go to 13+ when I added kalk and I freaked out. But I brought it back down to 12 and its stable. My corals didn't show any signs of burning or change.

 

[Vorog]

So I've been watching my DKH and it has been between 11, and 12 for a while. I decided to switch the the regular Red Sea salt (blue bucket) I mixed it to match my tank salinity @1.026. And I have to say all other parameters where close to what I wanted. My tank is staying solid at 9 DKH, the only thing I had to dose was magnesium. Very small amount. I read 1300 a day after water change. I bumped it to 1360. My Ca was 440. I'm keeping a close eye on everything and testing every night before lights go out. I might just make the full time switch to regular Red Sea salt.

 

[rogergolf66]

Don't fix what's not broken

 

[Vorog]

Don't fix what's not broken

I do agree, however I feel like 12 DKH, is way to high. And in the past I had a few sps bleach. I thought it was lighting or flow. Now I'm starting to think it was my alk all along. I have seen most salts have a 12dkh, and that would be fine in a sps tank that uses it up fast. But in my mixed reef I don't have as many sps as lps.

 

[robthorn]

Higher alk takes more alk to stay high than maintaining a lower number closer to natural seawater. Why pay more to keep something elevated that doesn't need to be elevated. You are staying red sea so the quality of all other elements are the same. Your calcium is fine but higher than it needs to be and mag doesn't "have" to be that high either but its fine where it is.
My tank I would not run that high and I want the fresh salt water as close to my tank when possible. If you carbon dose you want lower alk than 12 in most cases.

 

[janes_mw]

Higher alk takes more alk to stay high than maintaining a lower number closer to natural seawater. Why pay more to keep something elevated that doesn't need to be elevated. You are staying red sea so the quality of all other elements are the same. Your calcium is fine but higher than it needs to be and mag doesn't "have" to be that high either but its fine where it is.
My tank I would not run that high and I want the fresh salt water as close to my tank when possible. If you carbon dose you want lower alk than 12 in most cases.

very well put Rob. Good summary.

 

[Vorog]

Why pay more to keep something elevated that doesn't need to be elevated. You are staying red sea so the quality of all other elements are the same.

That is my thoughts exactly. I am staying with the same brand salt, same trace elements. Just without the higher Ca,Alk,Mg. Like you said why pay more for something that doesn't have to be that high. (The price is NOT the problem, just to be clear. RSCP salt isn't much more than the regular.I just don't like my DKH at 12). Also I am keeping an eye on all my levels and I like to keep my parameters near CA-420, DKH 8-9, and Mg 1350..it is just my preference.

 

[robthorn]

Mike can tell you more about the blue label fresh mix levels probably. They may be where you want to run them.