Dosing the WC water or the tank?

[crustytheclown]

So whats the best way to get your levels back to where you want them after a water change? Should you match the levels in your mixed up WC water by dosing in the bucket or just test the tank a few hours after a WC and than dose if needed? Ive heard that its sometimes hard to match your tank parameters in a bucket because the chemicals tend to precipitate out of solution. But ive also heard that you want your water change water to match the parameters in your tank so there is less swings.
Im kinda confused? Ive just been slowly dosing the tank if needed and everything in my tank looks great But am wondering what others do?
And if some of you dose the WC water to match the tank, what if your parameters of just the mixed salt water are better than those in your tank. Should you be worried about the shift?

 

[MattL]

What are you dosing that isn't already in your salt mix?

 

[crustytheclown]

nothing. its just that my levels of alk, mag, and cal are different in my tank than in my mixed up salt water that i use for my water changes.

 

[MattL]

Are they higher or lower? I usually just sustain the levels of the salt mix to regulate my levels. As for the question you asked I would add to the wc mix because if you over dose you can just dump it. Believe me I have over dosed before, and one late night petco run and many hours changing water later I was safe.

 

[MattL]

Plus the leaching out is so small you will be safe as kong as you don't wait too long to do the change.

 

[that0neguy1126]

I am curious what salt you are using that doesn't have reef level parameters already. You shiukdnt really need to dose war change water.

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