Bad Salt Mix?

[Kshack]

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 bitch to have to take it all out and start over with the water.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Brenden]

Add some lime water and see what you get. By no means dump it.

 

[Krish]

Bummer...May be a long shot, but I was just curious, how you went about mixing the salt and the water, and how long after did you test it? Depending on how you went about it, it may just need time to mix thoroughly and adjust. Just a thought...I hope you get sorted out soon

 

[Kshack]

OK Can you explain Lime water and how you make it.
Ken

 

[Kshack]

I started Monday mixing the salt with RO/DI water in my sump. When the sump was the proper salinity and full, I would pump into display tank. Did this with a pump running in display tank and pump running in sump to keep water moving. I have a 100GPD RO which makes about 60-80 gpd (cold source water)
Ken

 

[Aquarium Scienc]

I had similar results with OP. I got a replacement package and at SG 1.025. The second package had Ca of 560 ppm. Mg 900. Alk. 4.5. pH was 9.2 two hours after mixing with RO water. After 24 hours of airation the pH dropped to 7.7. I tossed it. No more China made salts for me.

Back to BIO-SEA.

 

[Krish]

I started Monday mixing the salt with RO/DI water in my sump. When the sump was the proper salinity and full, I would pump into display tank. Did this with a pump running in display tank and pump running in sump to keep water moving. I have a 100GPD RO which makes about 60-80 gpd (cold source water)
Ken

Ahh...Cool. You should have been fine then. I guess Boomer will chime in soon. Good luck!

I had similar results with OP. I got a replacement package and at SG 1.025. The second package had Ca of 560 ppm. Mg 900. Alk. 4.5. pH was 9.2 two hours after mixing with RO water. After 24 hours of airation the pH dropped to 7.7. I tossed it. No more China made salts for me.

Back to BIO-SEA.

Welcome to RF!!

 

[Kshack]

Question...Can you calibrate refractometer with RO/DI water? Could my refractometer be that far off? Just checked with RO/DI and it registered 0.02, so it is close. My LFS calibrated it for me when I bought it, but not sure what he used

Ken

 

[Aquarium Scienc]

Best to use distilled water to calibrate your refractometer.

Check the product water from your RO/DI unit with a digital TDS or conductivity meter to be assured your membrains do not need replacing.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I have been told that most salt mixes including IO is light on calcium.

 

[Kshack]

RO/DI unit is 1 year old. Just replaced all the filters prior to making the large batch.
Digital TDS:
Tap=78
After membrane=4
After DI=0

 

[Brenden]

I have been told that most salt mixes including IO is light on calcium.

I go through a 160 gal bucket about every 10-14 days. It says pretty stead at 360 CA at 1.025

 

[IAP Brian]

There is a whole Thread on the calibration of refract. in this forum
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19518

RO/DI, gets you close enough but the calibration solution is the only way to be sure. I still believe that stability and consistency are more important than rushing to attain a specific value.

 

[Kshack]

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.

 

[MikeS]

No need to dump it...you can easily adjust Ca, alk, Mg, ect....pH will follow....

Add some lime water and see what you get. By no means dump it.

With that much of a change in Ca and Alk in a new tank, don't even bother wasting your time with kalkwasser (limewater), it's very slow to raise these levels, especially if you are that low to start with. You will be better off using a Calcium Chloride additive and an alkalinity additive like baking soda...here is a calculator to help you figure dosage...

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html

MikeS

 

[Kshack]

Checked the numbers at 1.024.
Alk 5.1
Ca. 270
Not much better. I will try to return this batch and adjust with buffer and calcium.

 

[Brenden]

Sounds like you found the problem.

 

[Aquarium Scienc]

After you have determined the honest specific gravity and you have adjusted to 1.024-1.026, @77F you could add:

Ca to bring up to 400-425 ppm. Ca chloride prefered over Ca So4. However some forms of Ca Cl2 have phoshphate.

Mg to bring to 1325-1350 ppm. Mg chloride prefered over Mg So4. However most forms of Mg Cl2 have some ammonia contaminate.

K to adjust to 380 ppm.

So4 to bring to 2500-2600 ppm.

Using sodium bicarbonate will increse alk. However it will not bring or maintan pH to 8.3 - 8.4.

Filter to clear possibly hazy or milky water due to contaminantes that result in a slime or film when the mixed solution is allowed to sit in the mixing container over night or days.

Use some form of chemical filter to remove possible phoshpate or silicate found in some salts. However chemical filters remove other ions that may be essential to benefirical biogical development and growth of the filter and captive tank inhabitance.

Or, you could use a marine salt that is properly balanced initally. One that does not require unnecessary procedures prior to use.

 

[Kshack]

OK. How about Seachem marine salt. I was going to go with that, but the LFS was coutious about the high borate thing.
We tested a fresh batch (Ocean Pure) with my bag and the numbers still came out bad. Ca and Alk down, but the Mg was OK.
We opened a new bag (same lot number) and the Ca and Alk were much higher, but the Mg was lower.
How about Red Sea Coarl Pro..any better?
300 gal system, so I will be going through a bucket of salt per month.
Thanks for all the help

 

[wrightme43]

This is the best advice I can give you, If you are just setting up your tank for the cycle the CA and all Alk are really not that important right now. I would stop using a cheap salt. Instant Ocean is the largest manufacturer of salt for a reason. Its used by the most people. It pretty simple. Reef Crystals by Instant Ocean works wonderful, and oddly enough it is very inexpensive for what you get. I order buckets and buckets and buckets of it from drsfostersmith.com With NO ADDED SHIPPING charges. Hook on up, be happy. I do water changes and maintence for a living. I use it cause it works. I really really really like simple. I dont have time for anything that doesnt work. Thats really all I can tell you. Hope it helps you in some way.
Well that and use the search feature, salt has been beaten like a dead horse on this and every other reefkeeping site in the world.
Hope you have a great day.
Steve