Is it really necessary to use RO/DI water to dose powder supplements?

Or can I just dump it in my overflow and let it dissolve? I have usuassly used my RO water to dissolve the powder in a container and then add....

 

bump

 

Hi Nor Cal Guy

I would mix it with RODI to be honest
if you add the powders to a high flow area, you may get localised peaks and thus precipitation on a small scale at that point

adding to RODI , thins down the mixture allowing the flow to spread it further much faster
thus preventing the potential precipitation

Steve

 

It also allows it to dissolve instead of being a powder in the water that can get onto your corals.

 

If I put it in the overflow, it never reaches the display tank until dissolved.

 

NorCal, I have done that in the past and never had any bad effects from it. that said, now days, especially if I am dosing kalk, I will dissolve it first then put it in.

 

One of the only powders I can think of NOT to dissolve in RO/DI water first would be if you are treating with pure crystalline sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C). You want to put VC powder directly into your overflow. Mixing with RO/DI will cause the pH of the powder/water mixture to drop dangerously low.

 

So there is no benefit for my reef to dissolve my Brightwell Aquatics Ca, Mg, Kh?

 

If you add those directly to your tank, depending on what the levels were previously, you can actually end up with LESS of one or more of those elements than you had previously.

 

I'm wanting to just dose my usual amounts into the overflow instead of stirring the supplements into a container Ro water and such. I just hate getting the supplements disovled, it takes forever. The overflow is a swirling smash of water and dissolves it so quickly and it has to go through my entire sump/refuge before it gets to DT.