ATI ICP Test and Alkalinity

[JayFish4004]

@JayFish4004 If your goal is a dkh of 8 and you dont want to dose (which is completely understandable) then ideally you will want a salt mix that more like 9-10dkh if doing weekly 15% changes.

For example if your tank starts at 8dkh and consumption is .15dkh per week and you use a 9dkh salt then at the end of the week you will be at 7.85dkh before the WC and back to 8dkh after the water change. The spike is very minimal and keeps you stable overall.

Of course the problem with this logic is that alkalinity uptake rarely remains stable so it wont just always end up that perfect. A higher dkh salt though would definitely help though. Eventually if your coral is growing well and you have stony corals and or a lot of coralline you may be left with no choice but dosing if you want to keep it stable (though this could just mean using kalk in topoff water for example does not necessarily mean you need a dosing pump)

So if I’m at 7dkh instead of 8dkh - all other factors like stability, etc are the same - are my corals less likely to thrive?

If you were me - would you change to a higher alk salt given I don’t want to dose, or leave it be? Corals and fish doing fine as is.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I had differences also with my Hanna checkers at the ATI test. The biggest was calcium. ATI showed 384 and Hanna 474.

The Hanna Ca Checker is tricky to use and requires very accurate and consistent procedures to obtain useful results.

I use a lab grade micro pipettes for all liquid measurements and find the test to be within the stated accuracy when compared to the local Triton ICP testing lab - Usually within 20ppm or so.

Anyway, oops off topic for this thread.

 

[mdb_talon]

So if I’m at 7dkh instead of 8dkh - all other factors like stability, etc are the same - are my corals less likely to thrive?

If you were me - would you change to a higher alk salt given I don’t want to dose, or leave it be? Corals and fish doing fine as is.

Personally i would switch to a higher alk salt in that scenario. Especially because at .15dkh consumption a week it will settle out around 7 using an 8dkh salt. The more that consumption goes up then it will start settling at a lower number. It may get to the point you have no choice but to dose if you want to keep coral growing and healthy, but the higher alk salt gonna give you more time.

 

[JayFish4004]

Personally i would switch to a higher alk salt in that scenario. Especially because at .15dkh consumption a week it will settle out around 7 using an 8dkh salt. The more that consumption goes up then it will start settling at a lower number. It may get to the point you have no choice but to dose if you want to keep coral growing and healthy, but the higher alk salt gonna give you more time.

Any recommendations on brands and how I switch salts without destroying my tank? Super new to this and have never switched salts before.

 

[mdb_talon]

Any recommendations on brands and how I switch salts without destroying my tank? Super new to this and have never switched salts before.

In my opinion people make way too much out of switching salts. The switch should not make mich of a difference at all on coral health. With a 15% weekly change i would just switch as soon as you run out of current one.

I dont have any recommendations on brand(i personally buy whatever is having a really good sale). I think Tropic Marin Classic is around 10dkh which may be a good choice for you. I think instant ocean regular may be similar or a bit higher than that. I imagine some are in the 9-10dkh range but dont really know off the top of my head.

 

[Borat]

Yes, I think I achieve somewhat slightly better than that

View attachment 2582381

Out of interest..
- Is that the cyringe actuator?
- do you not use stirrer?
- what PH end point is your choice?