Instant Ocean Salt

[Raddogz]

I just heard through the grapevine that IO may have issues as well. Someone told me he tested the alk out of fresh bucket of IO and it came in at 20dKH

Test each new bucket or bag of salt you buy as you open it

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Dang!

And I was about to go back to IO even

 

[Raddogz]

So was I - the point really is you just have to check with test kits and then adjust accordingly.

The reason why I couldn't understand why I was using calcium reactor, kalk stirrer, and then supplementing with two part on occasion with Reef Crystals.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Yah, but now you even have to test the test kits... grrr.

I'm halfway about to post on the DFS forum about API lameness.

It never ends!

 

[stubbsz]

I just got a bucket of RC back from Aquarium Systems after sending them samples from two of my Buckets... Bucket-one: I'd almost finished and was obviously fairly low in Mg and CA. I don't know how bucket-two measured up because i hadn't tested it myself yet. I assume it's ok otherwise they'd have sent me two buckets...but who knows, they haven't got back to my latest voicemails to tell me their findings.

I'm just concerned that there could be a whole set of other parameters that are out of whack. I'm going to test the new bucket and then it will be interesting to see how the tank responds to it.

I had thoughts of going back to IO two as my tank was looking better back then.

 

[northbay-reefer]

I've been using IO/RC/Kent mix because I can't count on them for having consistent reading am testing seachem and tunze salt in my next batch to see if they are any better, maybe we should do a group buy of all the salt from all different companies and then throw them in to a large container, mix them all together and divide them up

 

[sfsuphysics]

20 dkH? Isn't that impossible to have levels that high? Won't the alkalinity precipitate out of the solution? Sounds a bit suspect to me. But I'm about to do two water changes today, one IO (softies tank) and one RC (stonies tank) assuming they are at the proper salinity this morning I'll see what they test at, using Norman's favorite API tests

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Now that's funny, Tom

SeaChem is gonna be high in borate which tests as alk, but doesn't benefit your livestock the way carbonate does.

It'll buffer your pH though. That's why they use it in their formula.

With SeaChem salt, you have to target a higher meq/L compared to other salts.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3161.msg34832#msg34832 date=1203784014]
20 dkH? Isn't that impossible to have levels that high?[/quote]

Similar to what I wrote in my reply to Tom, it could be borate.

Homer Simpson might have gotten distracted by donut daydreams and added 10 pallets of borate instead of just 1 to the mixer

 

[Mr. Ugly]

[quote author=stubbsz link=topic=3161.msg34826#msg34826 date=1203782114]I'm just concerned that there could be a whole set of other parameters that are out of whack.[/quote]

DFS and AS are being pretty careful in giving non-answers too. I hate that. Not a whole lot of stuff pisses me off, but I hate when people aren't forthright with information.

Time for ICP-MS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICP-MS

 

[Mr. Ugly]

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3161.msg34832#msg34832 date=1203784014]I'll see what they test at, using Norman's favorite API tests [/quote]

Hehe... I'm gonna start selling "mod" kits for the test kits

 

[stubbsz]

I just tested the new batch. Low Mg and Low CA. Didn't get as far as ALK. Don't trust salt. Don't trust test-kits. Slightly at a loss for my next course of action.

 

[zepplock]

Don't do water changes. Last time I did water change - I killed a bunch of corals.

 

[stubbsz]

[quote author=Zepplock link=topic=3161.msg34849#msg34849 date=1203796235]
Don't do water changes. Last time I did water change - I killed a bunch of corals.
[/quote]


hahaha. Guess what I did this morning.

 

[Thales]

[quote author=Raddogz link=topic=3161.msg34767#msg34767 date=1203735483]
I just heard through the grapevine that IO may have issues as well. Someone told me he tested the alk out of fresh bucket of IO and it came in at 20dKH

Test each new bucket or bag of salt you buy as you open it
[/quote]

How did they test?

 

[Mr. Ugly]

[quote author=Zepplock link=topic=3161.msg34849#msg34849 date=1203796235]
Don't do water changes. Last time I did water change - I killed a bunch of corals.
[/quote]

No kidding.

It's like every time I do a water change, I lose 2 frags right now

 

[Gomer]

Just setup a continuous WC and have no spikes at all

 

[FinalPhaze987]

my water changes take me a whole day...i pump 20 gal out and use an aqualifter to pump the new water in...if i start at 10 am the last of the water will be in by 7-8 pm..