Salt mix - Page 2

Kevin Guthrie · 04/14/2018, 11:28 AM

Quote:

If one goal is to maintain stable alk and calcium, why do people use salt mixes with such high numbers? For example, IO is around 11 for Alk and IORC is around 13.

I am guessing the reason for high alk is the mfgs want the mix to work for everyone, including customers with non-R/O DI water that is acidic. So best to overdo the alk than under.

The instructions will say to aerate after mixing. Reason is the CO2 will lower the pH back to mid-buffer where it belongs. Of course this will also cause precipitate in your mixing vessel, which is fine.

I've been using IO for decades.

Bpb · 04/14/2018, 11:52 AM

Yeah honestly I don’t fuss with fresh salt alk. I run 7-8 dkh and the IO mixes at 11 dkh. I don’t even temp acclimate the salt. Mix it in the garage and in it goes. My acros are happy. Color and PE the day of a water change is actually the best it will be all week. The negligible and temporary bump in alk I get goes unnoticed once ph stabilizes. It’ll spike for about 2 hours upon water change by around 0.2-0.3 and it’s back to normal within that time frame. Temperature too

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josephxsxn · 04/14/2018, 12:57 PM

I used to use RC and it always seemed to mix and have some brown rusty looking crud at the bottom. The salt spray also always seemed kinda dirty when dry. Changed over to NeoMarine and no more crud at the bottom when mixing, the salt spray also seems to dry alot whiter then more. No idea if that's the salt or something else tho.

Both grow Coral. I second everyone saying it's about stability.

bertoni · 04/14/2018, 10:20 PM

Some people like to buy salt product at the higher end. I think one of the stated reasons is that they need to supplement less, if at all, which for some tanks likely is true. I think such product also are advertised as being "better for corals".

Water from city water supplies will be high in pH most often because acidic conditions can be hard on pipes. Well water might have a lot of carbon dioxide in it, which will lower the pH into the acidic zone, but aeration will bring the pH back, and carbon dioxide doesn't affect the alkalinity.

04/14/2018, 10:20 PM	#29
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Some people like to buy salt product at the higher end. I think one of the stated reasons is that they need to supplement less, if at all, which for some tanks likely is true. I think such product also are advertised as being "better for corals". Water from city water supplies will be high in pH most often because acidic conditions can be hard on pipes. Well water might have a lot of carbon dioxide in it, which will lower the pH into the acidic zone, but aeration will bring the pH back, and carbon dioxide doesn't affect the alkalinity. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/14/2018, 11:52 AM	#27
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	Yeah honestly I don’t fuss with fresh salt alk. I run 7-8 dkh and the IO mixes at 11 dkh. I don’t even temp acclimate the salt. Mix it in the garage and in it goes. My acros are happy. Color and PE the day of a water change is actually the best it will be all week. The negligible and temporary bump in alk I get goes unnoticed once ph stabilizes. It’ll spike for about 2 hours upon water change by around 0.2-0.3 and it’s back to normal within that time frame. Temperature too Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

04/14/2018, 12:57 PM	#28
josephxsxn Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: DTW, Michigan Posts: 122	I used to use RC and it always seemed to mix and have some brown rusty looking crud at the bottom. The salt spray also always seemed kinda dirty when dry. Changed over to NeoMarine and no more crud at the bottom when mixing, the salt spray also seems to dry alot whiter then more. No idea if that's the salt or something else tho. Both grow Coral. I second everyone saying it's about stability.