Reefers Best Salt

[digital-audiophile]

Under 7DKH? hmm I'll have to do a little more reserch on that. My tank water tested at 5DKH last night (using two different brand test kits) and I started to panic a bit.

When you mix up your first batch I would be interested to see how your tests come out.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

Under 7DKH? hmm I'll have to do a little more reserch on that. My tank water tested at 5DKH last night (using two different brand test kits) and I started to panic a bit.

5dKH might be a little low. Guide says to have it 6.5-7.5 and that any higher "shows no advantage" (which I take to mean, "not detrimental"). Coming from a few years ago when the recommendation for alk was to be 1/10th the Ca in meq/l (ie., 400Ca, 4.0meq/l -> ~11-12dKH), it's hard for me to wrap my head around low Alk numbers.

Nevertheless my alk tests at 8dKH, and unless someone comes out and tells me that it's bad, I'm leaving it there. It's such a pain to dial in different target numbers from my calcium reactor and kalk reactor that I would prefer to leave things the way they are. Plus, rapid changes in Alk I have found to be bad (worse than say low Alk, or high Alk, all on its own .. it's like the change or swing from one value to another is worse than whatever the old value was). So adjust your Alk slowly would be my recommendation.

[digital-audiophile]

Any advice on how to raise my alk level.. without resorting to even more equipment in my fish room

[Snappy]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

Any advice on how to raise my alk level.. without resorting to even more equipment in my fish room

Greg,
I suggest spreading a box of baking soda on to a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 for an hour. This changes it from bi-carbonate to carbonate. I then mix it with "unbaked" baking soda and now have a great ALK buffer. You can call me for more details or questions.
Greg

[Brent F]

I tested a new batch yesterday and it came out the same as Jason's (CA 400, ALK 7.0 Dkh, MG 1500). Should the calcium be suplemented to get it up to 425 from the 400? I've been leaving my alkalinity at 7 based on recommendations at the zeovit site.

[digital-audiophile]

On my last water change :

CA 380
ALK 7.0Dkh

I like the way the salt mixes, clear and clean with no particulate. I've only done 3 5gal water changes so far so it's hard for me to make a good assesment on how it is working in the tank.


Greg - I'll zip you a message later this PM when I have a few moments. I wouldn't mind picking your brain on the amount of baking soda to use and how much to dose.

Even with the RBS now I cannot get my DKH up yet. I have been using a DKH buffer but it does not seem to be working.

[Snappy]

Originally Posted by Brent F

I tested a new batch yesterday and it came out the same as Jason's (CA 400, ALK 7.0 Dkh, MG 1500). Should the calcium be suplemented to get it up to 425 from the 400? I've been leaving my alkalinity at 7 based on recommendations at the zeovit site.

Natural seawater is about 400 ca & 7 dkh. Having higher levels is a personal preference only. I like to have ca a bit higher just so I have a little wiggle room but it isn't necessary.

[rocketlily]

I'm now mixing up a batch of Reefer's Best salt and this is this first time I'll be using it. Unfortunately the box does not come with instructions. When using Red Sea Coral Pro I used 1 kg of salt to 30 litres of water. Should I be using the same ratio of salt to water?

[Delphinus]

Seachem Reef Advantage or other alkalinity type buffer. Do you run a reactor right now at all? Ie., kalk or Calcium reactor.. if so, just throttle up slightly.

[digital-audiophile]

I'm not using a reactor for Calcium at present. I am dosing manually with liquid when required ( I seem to maintin a Ca of 380-400 whisn is fine for me)

I'm thinking I may just throw some baking soda in the over tonight and start dosing that way, cheaper than store bought additives perhaps.