Stability and Water Changes

[Wellsoman22]

So I've been getting into the sps game, and I've been working to build a dosing regimen, and one thing that I've encountered is that water changes have changed my parameters.

I have been maintaining my alk between 8 and 9 dKH, which I like, and Calcium at about 440 ppm. I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt which has a really high alkalinity, so whenever I do a water change (just over 20% every two weeks) my alk spikes.

How have you experienced keepers of sps kept your water stable with water changes? What do you recommend I do to keep things as stable as possible?

 

[jroovers]

How have you experienced keepers of sps kept your water stable with water changes? What do you recommend I do to keep things as stable as possible?

Do a 10% change once a week.

 

[bellis31]

I had the same issue and did not have the time to change to weekly water changes so I went to a salt with slightly lower parameters and just buffer the water to meet my needs.

 

[Jettareefer]

How big is your tank? And what sps do you currently have?

 

[Wellsoman22]

It's a 92 corner and so far I just have a couple... They are both acros, one is a small colony, the other more of a frag. If I were to do a 10% wc each week, would that be in place of dosing? I was thinking about changing salts, and coralife seems like a good product with a lower alkalinity more in the range I'm looking for. Thoughts?

 

[jroovers]

It's a 92 corner and so far I just have a couple... They are both acros, one is a small colony, the other more of a frag. If I were to do a 10% wc each week, would that be in place of dosing? I was thinking about changing salts, and coralife seems like a good product with a lower alkalinity more in the range I'm looking for. Thoughts?

It wouldn't be in place of dosing but it would minimize your alk swings somewhat when compared to more than 20% water changes every two weeks.

 

[Jettareefer]

Wellsonman22 you can try that and that will work until your cal and alk demand goes up. I would take your time with the sps your already have that way you can get things stable. I would test for everything every few days to watch for fluctuations. That's my .02. I also started a thread on sps forum about everyone's opinion on the salt they use you may take a look.
-Addison

 

[stickleback]

I'd run my tank to match to match my salt. So either increase your Alk to match your salt (think RSCP is around 10 dkh or change your salt that has an Alk around 8.5 dkh

 

[acesq]

You could try E.S.V. salt. The alk (Liquid Part B) is a separate component that allows you to dial it in to your tank parameters. Plus it is a super clean salt that mixes quickly. The downside is the expense.

 

[Wellsoman22]

I would like to run my tank with an alk between 8 and 9... I think coralife is in that range so I will probably be switching to that. I checked out the E.S.V. And that seems really cool! How exactly does one make their own salt mix? Probably a bit expensive for me! �� thanks for all the help!

 

[Peter Eichler]

Stability is overrated and preached incessantly in some cases for no good reason... My alk spikes every time I do a water change. I turn my reactor off overnight and it's back to where I need it with no harm done. The only time is seems to mess with things is people that carbon dose and drive nutrients (nitrates in particular) too low.

 

[jroovers]

Stability is overrated and preached incessantly in some cases for no good reason...

Completely disagree with you here. I think the reason that stability is promoted is that in most people's experience, keeping their parameters stable leads to the best results SPS wise. For a mixed reef or LPS reef, that may be completely different.

 

[Chris Lakies]

Because i have to dose 200ml (2 part) of Cal and Alk daily it raises my salinity. I use RSCP specifically because it has elevated levels of Cal/Alk so i can mix it at 1.024 (I keep my tank at 1.026) and bring the salinity back down. I do 3.5 to 7 gallon water changes weekly and everything seems pretty good.

 

[Tek]

Because i have to dose 200ml (2 part) of Cal and Alk daily it raises my salinity. I use RSCP specifically because it has elevated levels of Cal/Alk so i can mix it at 1.024 (I keep my tank at 1.026) and bring the salinity back down. I do 3.5 to 7 gallon water changes weekly and everything seems pretty good.

How does dosing CA and ALK raise salinity? Are you mixing it with salt water?

 

[Tek]

So I've been getting into the sps game, and I've been working to build a dosing regimen, and one thing that I've encountered is that water changes have changed my parameters.

I have been maintaining my alk between 8 and 9 dKH, which I like, and Calcium at about 440 ppm. I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt which has a really high alkalinity, so whenever I do a water change (just over 20% every two weeks) my alk spikes.

How have you experienced keepers of sps kept your water stable with water changes? What do you recommend I do to keep things as stable as possible?

Try the regular red sea salt. I stopped using RSCP salt since I run dosers and didn't need it raising my levels after taking the time to dial them in.

 

[Chris Lakies]

2 part raises your salinity over time.

From Randy:
Adding 1 gallon of each of these additives will result in a residue of ions remaining after calcification. These are mostly sodium and chloride, and the amounts of those two added are equal in numbers (i.e., moles), but slightly different in weight-based concentrations such as ppm because they do not weigh the same.

 

[ramseynb]

You could try E.S.V. salt. The alk (Liquid Part B) is a separate component that allows you to dial it in to your tank parameters. Plus it is a super clean salt that mixes quickly. The downside is the expense.

+1 great salt and worth every penny. I've never used a salt that didn't make things look unhappy if I did a big water change until ESV. I'm confident I could do a 100% water change with it and all SPS would be fine. It mixes to perfect numbers every time unlike other brands that vary from bucket to bucket.