How to lower Alkalinity

Also i know ill be doing some water changes but will it matter if i mix two different types of reef salt since i want to switch? Sorry for all of the questions.

 

With this hobby, nothing good happens quickly.

 

Naw, mixing brands is fine.

 

this is a debatable topic... each time you do a change you will be taking out less and less of the old salt and more and more of the new salt:
[saltA]=100%
do a 20% water change:
[saltA]=80% [saltB]=20%
do another 20% water change:
you take out the water but it has a mixture of old and new salt in it already, however what you add will only be new salt so you might have this now:
[saltA]=65% [saltB]=35%

its complicated to see but eventually (3 or 4 changes) your levels will be high enough to counteract the instant ocean

 

I thought that I should give me 2 cents in this dicussion. First, you need to check your freshwater that you are mixing with the salt. I believe that your source of elevated alkalinity may be coming from your source, and not necessarily your salt. Naturally, over the course of time, your alkalinity will diminish without any outside interference. This is the method that I recommend. As your alkalinity decreases (I assume you proper magnesium levels), then you will be able to raise the calcium. You risk precipitation from adding calcium with your alkalinity at these levels. Do you keep corals? If not, then don't worry about the DKH and be happy with a PH of 8.2.

 

I use distilled water right now. I would like to go to an RO but dont have the money. With that said i dont think i need to worry about the water i am using. I will be getting corals as soon as i get the alaklinity down and calcium up.