Kshack Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 I am filling my new 250 gal tank with fresh RO/DI water and Ocean Pure salt mix. Salinity is 1.024 (refractometer). Just for kicks I decided to test the water. KH....4.8 CA+...270 PH 7.8 That does not look good to me. Should I dump the water (has taken me three days to make this much), or try to boost with chemicals (A and B stuff?)? I put the rock in the tank today, would be a [language filter] to have to take it all out and start over with the water. Thanks, Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 are you sure thats not meq/l? nor DKH? for your ALK? What did you use to test with? I find it hard to beleive that every single thing is off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Sailfert test kit. Did it twice because my jaw droped after the first. Refractometer measures 0.02 with RO/DI, so it is close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Well if thats meq/l on the alk your not doing to bad... but if its measured in DKH... then.. uh... huston... we have a problem. Calcium easy to fix, ph no problem..... but OMG whats up with your salt! Im not even going to ask what you tested the magnesium to. I would consider returning the salt if its not old, if it is, I would do a 80 or so gallon water change to salvage what I could and dose the rest. Sorry to hear of your troubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Yes, that is DKH. Half the salt is about 1 mo old, the other half I bought Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Have waves or another LFS test to confirm, your salilfert tests should have an expiration date on them, Im just trying to cover all the basis. I have never used that salt though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Just went out and calibrated my refractometer. Now reading 1.020, so I will add supersaturated salt to the water and see what I get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 not that i dont trust coral life but i always buff the ph and mag in all new batches of water i make and ive tested all avaible salts, reefcrystals,instant ocean, ocean pure,marine mix and couple others that i cant remeber names lol all but tropic marine which is to expensive to use in my operation lol but coral life is just as good or better then these mentioned for my buck but i still buff anyways i use seachems 8.3 and there mag product to buff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Ken bring me a sample,,, I dont believe it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Just checked at 1.024. Alk 5.1 Calcium 270 Not much better. Joel, I will bring some salt by on Sunday Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 If you can,, bring the premixed salt you just made,,, just set some aside now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drock59 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 First bad thing ive heard about Oceanpure....i had a sneaky suspicion is couldnt be perfect for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy-S Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 any updates on the saltmix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 any updates on the saltmix? Ditto!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted November 8, 2006 Author Share Posted November 8, 2006 Joel mixed up some salt and the Ca and Alk were low, but the Mg was good. We opened another bag (same lot number) and the Ca and Alk were higher, but the Mg was lower. He gave me a new batch and the numbers I got were: Ca 420, Alk 9 (dkh). I do not have a Mg test kit yet, so no numbers there. I can live with that. Can only speculate as to why there were very different numbers between two bags of the same lot number salt. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I have heard rumors that salts can settle while in their bags/buckets. Would this have any effect on your test? Thinking that maybe your bag had set for a while and settled a little and when Joel grabbed a new bag he might have shaken it up. Like I say just rumors that I have read on other boards/threads. Do any of you think this is possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 well the bags travel on there back flat, when I opened them I poured out the top portion so it should have been a fairly good representation of what is in the bag. Good point though, Ill keep checking as I mix up large batches (like 80% of the bag at a time). Only other thought is settling prior to bagging, since they were from the same lot. I really think its a fluke, but I havent spoken to TAAM yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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