DKoKoMan's 150g Reef Tank

[Myka]

An option for you would be to switch to regular IO and add some muriatic acid to it to bring down the KH (best to let it mix overnight after to let the pH come back up). IO has low Ca and Mg, so those numbers would slowly fall, then once they do you can add Ca and Mg to the freshly mixed IO to target specific numbers.

OR...switch to a salt that matches your desired parameters right out of the bucket. H2Ocean is very close to your ideal parameters you listed.

[DKoKoMan]

Thanks for the options Myka. I was considering switching to AF salt but I am definitely leaning toward getting a salt with the lower parameters. I will have to see if any of the LFS sell H2Ocean salt.

[DKoKoMan]

I ended up making an egg crate stand for my skimmer (2 inches) in height. My baffle in the skimmer compartment is set at 10" which is the max for my IceCap skimmer. I decided that I would have more wiggle room for adjusting the skimmate. I added a picture, nothing fancy but it will do the trick.

[tang daddy]

I tested af reefsalt kh of newly made water and it was at 9.6,I thought it would be lower so I've been buffering it up with 1 tbsp of sodium carbonate.... guess that was a mistake.... always test your newly made salt to make sure kh is what you think it is!

[Myka]

Originally Posted by tang daddy

I tested af reefsalt kh of newly made water and it was at 9.6,I thought it would be lower so I've been buffering it up with 1 tbsp of sodium carbonate.... guess that was a mistake.... always test your newly made salt to make sure kh is what you think it is!

Weird! I've never tested AF Reef Salt over 8.3 dKH!

[tang daddy]

Originally Posted by Myka

Weird! I've never tested AF Reef Salt over 8.3 dKH!

Definately weird, more alk I won't complain just means I don't need to bump the alk anymore...save where I can I guess...

[DKoKoMan]

Originally Posted by tang daddy

I tested af reefsalt kh of newly made water and it was at 9.6,I thought it would be lower so I've been buffering it up with 1 tbsp of sodium carbonate.... guess that was a mistake.... always test your newly made salt to make sure kh is what you think it is!

Oh wow! Just to clarify that is the AF Reef Salt and not the AF Probiotic Reef Salt? Will they both mix the same for KH?

[tang daddy]

Originally Posted by DKoKoMan

Oh wow! Just to clarify that is the AF Reef Salt and not the AF Probiotic Reef Salt? Will they both mix the same for KH?

Just my batch maybe it was all sitting at the top...I switched to the reef salt because probiotic was doing some weird bloom in my tank. If you use PB you should also use their bacteria food np pro and pro bio s, I skipped that part and failed, lucky the salt didn't go to waste...

I will do another alk test on the next few batches of new SW mix and see if there is any variation. But as of now my tank is sitting above 9 in alk and sps are spurting....