Vinegar for Alk Reduction in Newly Mixed Salt Water

Dizzle63

New member
Hello,

I have heard of using muriatic acid to newly mixed saltwater to reduce the dkh of the water before a water change. Can vinegar work the same way? I know it is a weak acid, but can it be used? Thank you in advance!

Doug
 
It would work to lower alkalinity, but it would also add a large amount of a good carbon source to the water and that will tend to facilitate bacterial blooms.

How much do you need to drop the alk?
 
I need to drop it around 1 meq/L. I have been using aquavitro salt, doing 20 gallon water changes on a 75 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. My tank seems to do better around 2.6-2.8 meq/L instead of the 3.2-3.8 meq/L that the aquavitro seems to mix at. I will be switching salts after I get done with these two buckets I am currently working on, but that may be a while. I have no problem finding muriatic acid, but worry about impurities and if I don't need to work with a strong acid, I would feel much better. Thoughts?
 
I need to drop it around 1 meq/L. I have been using aquavitro salt, doing 20 gallon water changes on a 75 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. My tank seems to do better around 2.6-2.8 meq/L instead of the 3.2-3.8 meq/L that the aquavitro seems to mix at. I will be switching salts after I get done with these two buckets I am currently working on, but that may be a while. I have no problem finding muriatic acid, but worry about impurities and if I don't need to work with a strong acid, I would feel much better. Thoughts?

Are you dosing to keep that 2.6 - 2.8 number at all? Could you just turn the dosers off for a day and let the salt be your dose that day?

With about a 25% water change and only 1 meq/L difference in the alk between the salt and the tank you're only bumping the tank up by 0.2meq/L to just do that water change with nothing else. That doesn't seem to me to be enough to get very excited about or start adding anything to the change water.
 
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