Question about Top Off water

[ColaAddict]

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.

 

[bluethumb]

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.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I never add anything to my top off water.

 

[Stonefish13]

Me neither. I just dose the tank accordingly. I never add anything to the top off water.

 

[ColaAddict]

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.

 

[Pufferpunk]

IO is for a FO tank. Change to Reef Crystals.

 

[ColaAddict]

thanks for all the advise.
Could using a protein skimmer rated for 200 gal on my 92 gal also causing my problem?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Nope. Are you dosing anything to make up for what your corals are using?

 

[BooyahsReef]

thanks for all the advise.
Could using a protein skimmer rated for 200 gal on my 92 gal also causing my problem?

Nope

 

[Stonefish13]

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.

 

[ColaAddict]

I use Kents Coral Vite. I dose once a week. I might no be dosing enough. I really appreciate all the advise, thanks.

 

[Pufferpunk]

That is only a vitamin. There is no calcium, alk or mag in that product.
I think you need to start reading:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

 

[Stonefish13]

What kind of corals do you have?

 

[ColaAddict]

I have a couple toadstools, zoas, bubble, frogspawn, hammers, anemone, bunch of fishes.

 

[ColaAddict]

I also have been using Kents A&B to add calcium and increase alk/pH when I top off. my calcium is always 500.

 

[Pufferpunk]

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.

 

[ColaAddict]

Hi Jeni, what brand additive do you suggest / like to use?

 

[Smitty]

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.

 

[ColaAddict]

So we do have 2 different schools of thought here. some buffer their top off and some don't.

 

[Pufferpunk]

The only thing that evaporates from your tank is H2O & that is all that needs to be replaced with top offs. As far as what your corals use up, that is a different story.

I dose Pedlow pellets for Ca, DIY alk & Epsom salts for mag.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#4