[Delphinus]

I do add the Mg and Ca first (after bringing the RO/DI to temperature), but I add amounts that I determined some time ago that would raise a bucket of 24g, already at 1.025 for salinity, to bring Mg to 1400 and Ca to 380. (I retest for determining the amounts added for every new box of bucket too.) It's 30ml of Ca crystals (from Ben), and 15 scoops of 15ml of Mg crystals (also from Ben). It raises that 24g another two points so I end up at 1.027 unless I use a cup less salt. I use IO and I find I don't need to adjust for Alk at all these days.

So my question is - since I add the Mg and Ca first, is it better to add enough salt to make it 1.025 or should I add the same amount of salt that I would have added before if I had not dosed any Ca or Mg?

I've tried other salt mixes and the truth is that every brand - every brand - I found eventually needed adjusting for at least one of the big 3 (Ca, Alk, Mg). This is what pushed me back to IO. If I'm going to test for big 3, and adjust them anyhow, then I'm buying the most cost effective salt. The difference in cost for the additives is far far less than the premium you pay for the upgraded salt mixes. Ie., I might spend $10 more in additives over the year but I'll save >$100 on salt over that year. Anyhow a little off topic tangentially, so enough about that .. The real question is, add Ca and Mg, and salt to 1.025 and stop there?