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swfishguy
Guest
Why is that you can do a water change and increase the parameter say Ca over the recommended daily amount increase but you can't with dosing?
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
People are more precautious when it comes to dosing supplements than with doing water changes. Generally, if you are dosing supplements, you don't want to overdo one more than the other - things typically can become out of balance. Whereas by doing a water change you increase all of the "big three" chemicals (calcium, alkalinity, magnesium) as well as all the trace elements in equal parts found in nature or "enhanced nature." Meaning, you don't really have to guess or test each individual element that you are dosing and calculate each amount out that you need and try to figure out when to dose calcium in the system and when the proper time and placement of dosing alkalinity in the system is... A water change is perhaps the most simplest method you can do for your tank to properly balance everything out.
With supplements, such as calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate/chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate - if dosing long term without water changes, you will eventually shift the ionic balance of the tank towards a more chloride/sulphate balance rather then equal portions sodium to chloride ions. Basically, supplementation (not by a calcium reactor) will, over time, need to be balanced out with a proper water change.
With supplements, such as calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate/chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate - if dosing long term without water changes, you will eventually shift the ionic balance of the tank towards a more chloride/sulphate balance rather then equal portions sodium to chloride ions. Basically, supplementation (not by a calcium reactor) will, over time, need to be balanced out with a proper water change.