food grade Cal, Mg & KH

[klyve]

help needed.. Wanted to find out guys out there using the above. Does this powder increase our salt salinity ?

[Evolutionz]

I use food grade for these 3 and all seems fine.

[klyve]

oh okie.. cause my salinity raises up. So wondering if its the cause..

[surreal1228]

chemically yes. But much less than adding salt.

But long term can tell. So balling may not the best for long term run. My 2 cents

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

[Evolutionz]

The amount dosed for my tank even though if it contains salt should not raise salinity..

[klyve]

Hmm think it really raises salinity in the long run.. never tested my water before and when some sps started to die.. check everything and found the salinity is 1.030!!!!

[youdontnowm]

I use food grade for all 3 since i started the hobby. No problems at all, salinity have been v.stable as i check salinity every 2weeks. But chemically as kkk121 said, the sodium in kh and chloride from cal and mg can formed into sodium chloride which is salt , but is alotalotalot lesser than saltmix imo , big tank like yours shouldnt be an issue lol. Unless u no change water for very long time lah.. hahaha Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

[surreal1228]

Hmm think it really raises salinity in the long run.. never tested my water before and when some sps started to die.. check everything and found the salinity is 1.030!!!!

thought you r using CR?

[klyve]

I use food grade for all 3 since i started the hobby. No problems at all, salinity have been v.stable as i check salinity every 2weeks. But chemically as kkk121 said, the sodium in kh and chloride from cal and mg can formed into sodium chloride which is salt , but is alotalotalot lesser than saltmix imo , big tank like yours shouldnt be an issue lol. Unless u no change water for very long time lah.. hahaha Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

hmm I change like maybe 2 weeks plus. but only 25L.. hmm

[klyve]

thought you r using CR?

nope bro CR was like donkey years ago. have been using dosing for around 2 years + already.

[surreal1228]

nope bro CR was like donkey years ago. have been using dosing for around 2 years + already.

I see. Then used back cr lah. Better for long run as I also feel balling method will give some issue to sps, esp for those 2 years + system.

Sps just stn or not good pe, just not looks right. Also agreed by some other friends.

CR also good to have less coralline algea I feel.

[klyve]

I see. Then used back cr lah. Better for long run as I also feel balling method will give some issue to sps, esp for those 2 years + system. Sps just stn or not good pe, just not looks right. Also agreed by some other friends. CR also good to have less coralline algea I feel.

oh is it?? Yeah agreed sps no PE, also sometimes stn and looks odd... hmm but I sold off was because CR very hard to tune and always choke..and was using deltec which was told the earliest to use..lol

[FuEl]

Sodium bicarbonate will increase salinity over time due to the sodium component so it is always advisable to check salinity when using the balling method.

In my honest opinion, food grade additives are only good enough for reef aquariums if you are keeping up with regular water changes. Food grade chemicals contain impurities that the human body can process/remove,, which is why they are termed food grade. In reef aquariums such impurities can build up over time as their removal by reef organisms can be limited. You can be using food grade additives and everything works out fine until few years later you end up with mysterious deaths of animals which nothing can explain. Then a huge water change solves the "unknown" problem.

Many strive to achieve 0 TDS readings from RO/DI but end up mixing this water with food grade supplements...the irony of it all. Short term savings yes, long term costs = ?

Food for thought:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965327

[RockyBoy]

Very true..