How to keep my alkalinity higher?

mhaley98 · Mar 2, 2024

Hi everyone, just some chemistry questions.
I am using the coral pro reef salt in my 15g cube. I currently do water changes (0.5 gallons) about every two weeks, but am considering doing either larger water changes (1-2 gallons?) or increasing my water changes to every week to get more stable readings. (Probably going to increase amount of water that I change, for convenience.)

My current readings are:
Calcium: 512ppm (hanna checker) (Allowing to lower on it's own and through water changes, not currently dosing)
Magnesium: 1500ppm (salifert) (also allowing to lower naturally)
KH: 9 (API)
pH: 8.0 (in the morning) (API)
Nitrate: 15ppm (hanna)

My Calcium and Magnesium seem stable (planning to let these lower on their own and through water changes), it is my KH that fluctuates. The coral pro salt levels have a KH reading of about 11 or 12. When I do bigger water changes, my KH in my tank gets to that level, but it slowly goes down over time.
My issue is the fact that when I am using the part 2 of the reef fusion dosing system, I get "snow" or precipitate. Does anyone know why this is? How else would you all recommend stabilizing my KH, without precipitate? Is kalk worthwhile looking into?

Thanks everyone!

Salty_Northerner · Mar 2, 2024

Honestly check into the ESV 2 part as its bang on to what you dose.
1500 mag is fine imho. Seachem 2 part Fusion isn't that good as Randy suggests it's not a true ballanced product.
Your probably precipitating.

mhaley98 · Mar 2, 2024

Salty_Northerner said:
Honestly check into the ESV 2 part as its bang on to what you dose.
1500 mag is fine imho. Seachem 2 part Fusion isn't that good as Randy suggests it's not a true ballanced product.
Your probably precipitating.

That makes sense, I agree, I am definitely precipitating. I had a feeling it was due to the quality of the product because from all of the research that I have done, I don't feel like precipitation should be happening. Any research I find is that people will have part 1 precipitate, not part 2... lol. Thank you for your insight!