High Tide Aquatics

Rostatos Reefer 450 and Reefer 170

max_nano said:
There’s sodium in part one and chloride in part two, when the carbonate and calcium are used these combine to make salt in the water.

but there’s also the fact that when you measure the salinity it isn’t only salt, it’s also the other elements in the ppt that are measured so adding two part will increase those values, but obviously the idea is that the coral is using up most of what is being added.

but that’s just my understand and I’m no chemist so someone else may be able to explain better.
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Salinity is the measurement of salts in the water. Maybe you're thinking of TDS.
 

Target Salinity Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Create a water-change schedule that can be used to reach a target salinity.
www.hamzasreef.com www.hamzasreef.com

Here, if you know the weekly salinity increase you can use this to figure out how much water you need to change to keep up with it.
 
EBJ said:

Target Salinity Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Create a water-change schedule that can be used to reach a target salinity.
www.hamzasreef.com www.hamzasreef.com

Here, if you know the weekly salinity increase you can use this to figure out how much water you need to change to keep up with it.
Click to expand...
I would not play with wc salinity just to adjust system salinity...at least not on a weekly basis.
The salinity level of the salt mix decide the level of the foundation and trace elememts as well. So changing salinity is not just changing "salinity", its changing every other element in the salt.
 
max_nano said:
There’s sodium in part one and chloride in part two, when the carbonate and calcium are used these combine to make salt in the water.

but there’s also the fact that when you measure the salinity it isn’t only salt, it’s also the other elements in the ppt that are measured so adding two part will increase those values, but obviously the idea is that the coral is using up most of what is being added.

but that’s just my understand and I’m no chemist so someone else may be able to explain better.
Click to expand...
You are correct.
Foundation elememts and trace elements pevel change when you change your salinity point in your eater mix.
 
ofzakaria said:
I would not play with wc salinity just to adjust system salinity...at least not on a weekly basis.
The salinity level of the salt mix decide the level of the foundation and trace elements as well. So changing salinity is not just changing "salinity", its changing every other element in the salt.
Click to expand...
Yes but the water changes alone won't ever cause the elements to go below what they are at for the specific salinity you mix the water at. You'd have to check the element concentration in your mixed saltwater at a specific salinity to see if it's acceptable.

As an example for Rostato's old 65 gallon tank, below is the SG he would have to mix weekly 10 gallon water changes to in order to offset a 1.026 --> 1.028 monthly increase. I don't have a significant increase in salinity in my tank so maybe the calcium reactor is simpler in his case.

Screen Shot 2020-08-23 at 6.39.15 PM.png
 
EBJ said:
Yes but the water changes alone won't ever cause the elements to go below what they are at for the specific salinity you mix the water at. You'd have to check the element concentration in your mixed saltwater at a specific salinity to see if it's acceptable.

As an example for Rostato's old 65 gallon tank, below is the SG he would have to mix weekly 10 gallon water changes to in order to offset a 1.026 --> 1.028 monthly increase. I don't have a significant increase in salinity in my tank so maybe the calcium reactor is simpler in his case.

View attachment 18803
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If you expect water change can impact salinity, why you think it will not impact elememts?
High salinity water will have high alk and ca as an example, with regular high salinity water change you can see your tank alk and ca creep up.
Same concept applies with low salinity water mix..
 
ofzakaria said:
If you expect water change can impact salinity, why you think it will not impact elememts?
High salinity water will have high alk and ca as an example, with regular high salinity water change you can see your tank alk and ca creep up.
Same concept applies with low salinity water mix..
Click to expand...
I didn't say it will not impact them. I said the water change won't cause the other elements (Mg, trace elements, etc) to go lower in the tank than the concentration they are at in the replacement water at 1.023. Maybe they'd be too low at that specific gravity depending on the salt mix.
 
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Yeah if I lower the salinity of the water I’m changing then I lower the dkh, cal, msg and all trace elements proportionally. That makes things even worse.

I would never advocate to lower overall salinity with a lower salinity water change unless I also wanted to lower all major and minor elements.
 
Rostato said:
Yeah if I lower the salinity of the water I’m changing then I lower the dkh, cal, msg and all trace elements proportionally. That makes things even worse.

I would never advocate to lower overall salinity with a lower salinity water change unless I also wanted to lower all major and minor elements.
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yeah except you'd be bumping up alk and calcium by dosing anyway. It sounds too complicated in your case anyway.
 
Rostato said:
no I’m maintaining levels...
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Your doser would adjust the initial amount based on the dkh readings after a water change. I already have a similar problem now as reef crystals is higher in alk and calcium than I have it in my tank. I just turn off dosing for a while after a water change. Before I was putting muriatic acid in the makeup water to lower dKH but gave up on that.
 
EBJ said:
yeah except you'd be bumping up alk and calcium by dosing anyway. It sounds too complicated in your case anyway.
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And that's a rabbit hole right there.
It will be complicated for any case.
Hence, inwoild never recommend mixing water at diffrent salinity than the target salimity of your system regularly. Doing it to correct salinity every now and then is ok, but having this as part of the weekly regime is not good.
Salinity level will effect other trace elements also, traces that you useually do not dose and might not want to be forced to start dosing ir.
 
ofzakaria said:
And that's a rabbit hole right there.
It will be complicated for any case.
Hence, inwoild never recommend mixing water at diffrent salinity than the target salimity of your system regularly. Doing it to correct salinity every now and then is ok, but having this as part of the weekly regime is not good.
Salinity level will effect other trace elements also, traces that you useually do not dose and might not want to be forced to start dosing ir.
Click to expand...
I agree it would probably just be an endless adjustment game in this case.
 
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