I think you're doing the right thing by picking a salt mix that closely matches the parameters you want to keep in your reef. That's the smart thing to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smitas5
according to their website LPS based tank should be running at 1.025 or 33ppt salinity, at which salt gives 7.3-7.7dKH? isn't it way too low?
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As far as I know, the only reason salt companies make their parameter claims at 33 ppt is because then they can claim their salt mix makes more gallons of saltwater. It seems so silly. There is no reason to keep your tank at lower salinity than the ocean which averages 35 ppt where most of the fish and corals are harvested for our tanks. Red Sea is higher.
Looking at my last bucket of AF Reef Salt, the Quality Certificate says the following:
Salinity: 35 ppt
Ca: 420 mg/L
KH: 7.7 dKH
Mg: 1350 mg/L
K: 390 mg/L
This is probably the closest salt mix for you. If you really want to, you could add some calcium and alkalinity to get closer to your tank water.
OR
What I used to do is use H2Ocean and add muriatic acid to drop the alkalinity. You could do this with whichever salt you want to use. It has to circulate for several hours after the addition of the MA for the pH to get back to normal though, so that's a PITA, unless you like to mix salt up the day before or week before the change. I used to add the MA to the RO/DI, and then add the salt mix, seemed to affect pH less for some reason. At first, pH will be something like 6.5 pH.