Question about Top Off water

ColaAddict

ColaAddict

New member
Can anyone discuss Buffering vs not buffering top off water? I usually buffer mine. I used to not, but then my pH and Alkalinity droped in my main tank.
 
Hey Nino, Ive always looked at it this way. RO(ideal top off water) is completely stripped of all hardness. When adding or doing a water change with it can only bring kh/hardness/buffer/alkalinity down. In fact it is much easier to raise kh/alkalinity via buffer than it is to lower it via RO water changes. I test kh at least once per week if and if it is high(11-13) i ride it out until it isgetting low (8-10) and then I add it. I think with evaporation you cannot count on adding buffer each time. A good Kh test is really the key to buffering any system with frequent monitoring. I usually reserve top-off for calcium or magnesium addition. hope this helps.
 
hmm. so probably It's just my livestock using up the trace minerals that caused my pH and alkalinity to drop then. I have a 92gal and do water changes about every month. and I use instant ocean reef salt on a mixed reef tank.
 
thanks for all the advise.
Could using a protein skimmer rated for 200 gal on my 92 gal also causing my problem?
 
I use Oceanic and it's got a lot of Calcium but Reef Crystals is good too. But you should definitely switch from Instant Ocean to something else. The local fish stores(Rob's Aquatics and Aquatica) both use Oceanic salt and it's cheaper than reef crystals but both are good imo.
 
I use Kents Coral Vite. I dose once a week. I might no be dosing enough. I really appreciate all the advise, thanks.
 
If your pH & alk are low, then you need to add more than you are. What's your mag? All 3 need to be balanced. If not, you are going to continue to have problems.
 
Whenever I buy a 5gal bucket of water, I buffer the bucket of ro water to 8.2 ph, because waters natural ph is 7.0.
 
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