A General Guide to Salt Mixes
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Billybeau1
Premium Member
I'd say you are pretty close kc. At least you can be sure your s.g is on the money.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
dfstan, I have tested every salt for PO<sub>4</sub> as well but do not post it because every salt I've tested shows zero.
I do not want to get into a debate about the brown stuff some occasionally see in different salt mixes, but I do know I've seen it on occasion and it is harmless as far as I know.
If the salt mix works for you, I would not hesitate to use it.
I do not want to get into a debate about the brown stuff some occasionally see in different salt mixes, but I do know I've seen it on occasion and it is harmless as far as I know.
If the salt mix works for you, I would not hesitate to use it.
kc350twin
New member
dfstan- No brown Rezzi seen in my 10g mix bucket. I have notice what I think you are reffering to when I used Oceanic salt.
As for Phos. all I have is a Salifert kit and from what I'm told they are not accurate. I have tried it many times when I have had algae out breaks and it has no visable color in the test. Maybe Santa will bring me some equipment?
I can't for the life of me remember where I put that paper that has the batch number. I was going to dump the salt out of the bag because the bag is a pain to me. I lifted the bag a little then thought it may be a bad idea. I think the paper may have slid down in the bucket. I'll try and find it.
Billybeau1- O.T. How do you get the little "4" on PO4.
Kc3
As for Phos. all I have is a Salifert kit and from what I'm told they are not accurate. I have tried it many times when I have had algae out breaks and it has no visable color in the test. Maybe Santa will bring me some equipment?
I can't for the life of me remember where I put that paper that has the batch number. I was going to dump the salt out of the bag because the bag is a pain to me. I lifted the bag a little then thought it may be a bad idea. I think the paper may have slid down in the bucket. I'll try and find it.
Billybeau1- O.T. How do you get the little "4" on PO4.
Kc3
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Billybeau1
Premium Member
Well first, kc, who ever told you Saliferts phosphate kit wasn't accurate is full of beans. Mine is quite satisfactory and always has been. I recommend it over all other titration type kits.
As for the little 4, I set up macros on my keyboard but basically you surround the character you want shrunk with "left arrow" sub "right arrow" then after the number you type "left arrow" /sub "right arrow"
I tried to show it to you but it keeps shrinking my text. :lol:
As for the little 4, I set up macros on my keyboard but basically you surround the character you want shrunk with "left arrow" sub "right arrow" then after the number you type "left arrow" /sub "right arrow"
I tried to show it to you but it keeps shrinking my text. :lol:
Hey Billy!
Hey Billy!
Tested a fresh batch of Seachem Reef Salt, My alk tested much lower. New Elos kit: salt mixed to 35 ppt or 1.0264 , refract calibrated with Pinpoint solution.
I came up with 8.5. And if you subtract 2.5 per Seachem, i end up with a Alk of 6!
I used to use Tropic Marin Pro Reef, and since the switch, my coraline has taken a large hit! That's funny since the Seachem is supposed to be so much higher in Alk/Mag/Cal!
I've had to add much more Bionic since the switch as well! Looks like I'm going back to Tropic Marin Pro Reef.
-Wolfgang
Hey Billy!
Tested a fresh batch of Seachem Reef Salt, My alk tested much lower. New Elos kit: salt mixed to 35 ppt or 1.0264 , refract calibrated with Pinpoint solution.
I came up with 8.5. And if you subtract 2.5 per Seachem, i end up with a Alk of 6!
I used to use Tropic Marin Pro Reef, and since the switch, my coraline has taken a large hit! That's funny since the Seachem is supposed to be so much higher in Alk/Mag/Cal!
I've had to add much more Bionic since the switch as well! Looks like I'm going back to Tropic Marin Pro Reef.
-Wolfgang
Billybeau1
Premium Member
You got it gdm.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Wolf, not sure what you mean by subtracting per Seachem. If you are talking about the Borate issue, it has changed somewhat over the last year or so.
There surely can be a little difference in titration kits between users. I'm not sure we are that far off.
There surely can be a little difference in titration kits between users. I'm not sure we are that far off.
The only other salt mix I've seen that also sometimes produced that silty like brown residue was Red Sea and Red Sea Coral Pro Salt, and interestingly enough both Red Sea salt mixes are also produced using a solar evaporation process from the Red Sea and then both also add certain chemicals to bring up a few params. The D&D and Red Sea interestingly enough also mix up to very similar params. from my tests.
Billy:
See this thread Per Seachem you still need to subtract 2.5
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1499329
Wolfgang
See this thread Per Seachem you still need to subtract 2.5
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1499329
Wolfgang
Billybeau1
Premium Member
The problem is Wolf, we do not talk about carbonate alkalinity. We deal in total alkalinity for our testing purposes, so no subtraction is needed.
That Seachem statement is nothing but marketing hype.
That Seachem statement is nothing but marketing hype.
Well, the Seachem statement is an inaccurate way to try to account for the excessive borate that they have in their salt mix. If you really did want to focus on the carbonate alkalinity only (as naturally happens in most other salt mixes without excessive borate), you'd need to subtract something from the measured total alkalinity. But to give a fixed value that you subtract is simply wrong.
If the borate alkalinity is 2.5 dKH at pH 7.9, it will be a whopping 5.3 dKH at pH 8.4. It is disappointing that a company that presumably knows this perpetuates such an oversimplification.
If the borate alkalinity is 2.5 dKH at pH 7.9, it will be a whopping 5.3 dKH at pH 8.4. It is disappointing that a company that presumably knows this perpetuates such an oversimplification.
Randy I have a somewhat hypothetical question for you..............I know the elevated borate levels in Seachem salt has been a topic of concern for many for some time, even now that it's been lowered to about 3-4X NSW levels. If Seachem reduced their borate level more in line with NSW, would you consider that a vast improvement to their mix or would your opinion of their salt remain unchanged?
Hi Randy:
Thanks for your input. It seems if I want to focus on carbonate alkalinity , this is the wrong mix for me!
As I said in my OP, My Coraline has suffered since the switch, even although this salt is supposed to have "Elevated" Mag/Cal/Alk compared to my original Mix (TP Pro Reef).
The only reason I switched was to save some $$$$. I thought, If i can use a salt with higher levels, and save some Coin, why not?
Happy Holidays to everyone!
-Wolfgang
Thanks for your input. It seems if I want to focus on carbonate alkalinity , this is the wrong mix for me!
As I said in my OP, My Coraline has suffered since the switch, even although this salt is supposed to have "Elevated" Mag/Cal/Alk compared to my original Mix (TP Pro Reef).
The only reason I switched was to save some $$$$. I thought, If i can use a salt with higher levels, and save some Coin, why not?
Happy Holidays to everyone!
-Wolfgang
VegasReefer
Premium Member
By deductive reasoning I would say that using the DDMMYYBBBB<sup>*</sup> method of naming their batch this was produced July 13<sup>th</sup> 2008, and was the 118<sup>th</sup> batch.
<sup>*</sup>DD= Day, MM= Month, YY= Year, BBBB= batch, and alows for 9999 batches per day.
Of coarse I don'tknow for sure that is how they do it, but from looking at it I would have to assume it
If Seachem reduced their borate level more in line with NSW, would you consider that a vast improvement to their mix or would your opinion of their salt remain unchanged?
I'd consider it a substantial improvement in the borate/boric acid levels.
I'd consider it a substantial improvement in the borate/boric acid levels.
Thanks for your input. It seems if I want to focus on carbonate alkalinity , this is the wrong mix for me!
Some people using systems like zeovit seem to believe that precise control of alkalinity (and that being mostly carbonate alkalinity) near the 7-8 dKH range is important, and if so, then yes, I'd select a different mix.
You're welcome and Happy Reefing .
Some people using systems like zeovit seem to believe that precise control of alkalinity (and that being mostly carbonate alkalinity) near the 7-8 dKH range is important, and if so, then yes, I'd select a different mix.
You're welcome and Happy Reefing .
Canarygirl
New member
Randy, is it correct that the amount of usable alk (as a percentage of the total alk) in ones Seachem Reef Salt tank- water would change in direct correlation to the change in borate alkalinity? As the ph swings? It seems like this would be very bad for the animals, if not outright dangerous?
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