What do you add ?

[plack]

when I make new salt water and test it before adding it to the tank I want the calcium and alk to be the best possable. I recently changed to IO from oceanic and (am ordering more test kits as i ran out) it seems when I use rodi water the calc was ? i think it was like 360 and the alk dk was i think like 9 I know many of you make a large batch up in a container and I plan now on doing this (was using 5 gallon buckets and playing merry go round with a heater)so what do you use to get the levels up a bit I tried but not got it down yet as to how much to add so I trashed it and now am waiting for more kits before I try again I am trying to see if anyone has a set amount of sompthing they add to x amount of gallons to achieve a nice balance instead of adding and waiting and testing over and over until its optimal. I know i could just add kalkwasser later but wanted to start out more near optimal

Paul
Thank for reading

 

[Ohgee]

Not sure about Oceanic salt but I know what I did initially with IO was to get my salinity correct then take the base readings. Using the following calculator, http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html, I then new what I needed to add as far as baking soda and calcium.

From that point on I've added the same amounts every time I do a water change. I've checked it with every new bag of IO but it hasn't changed much at all.

Hope that helps a little.

Duane

 

[Scooterman]

When I used IO I would add a little turbo ca to boost that up a little but not so much to through everything out of wack.

 

[Woodstock]

I've been using Oceanic for a long time now and the only thing I add to it is about 1/6 teaspoon of seachem's buffer per a 5 gal bucket, stir, let set overnight, then pour. But, with IO, I added a calcium and magnesium supplement..... can't remember how much though...

 

[NaH2O]

Paul - I don't have an exact amount yet for my IO. I used to use Turbo Calcium but have since switched to Warner Marine products. Something to take into consideration, not everyone will have the same alk or Ca in a bucket, and make sure you are comparing the salinity, too. If I only mixed my water up to S=32, then my concentrations may be different, and therefore my supplementation might be different. Does this make sense? I think Duane's approach will be very beneficial to getting the levels you want in your pre-mix water.

Hope this helps

 

[plack]

NaH2O- Im am going for s = 35 and using rodi and io salt ,and I had 1 bad experience using a calculator to balance my tank but I probably will for this as I will measure before adding to the tank hope to get kits and all straightened out this week

 

[DonW]

I dont know if youve already switched or if your just starting. I'd watch boosting the mg portion. Oceanic is real high on the mg so it may take a few water changes to get it down to NSW. All you should have to add is a little calcium chloride to balance out the new water, assuming you dont have the already high ca that oceanic used to have. IO mg has been running about 1350 @ 35ppt for the last 5 or so buckets Ive used.

Don

Don