att: ESV salt user- need advice

Jakef150

New member
I filled 5 gal in a bucket RODI.

I followed instruction for 5 gal to mix it.

it reads 1.020 w/ Refractometer.

Which part do i need to raise it to 1.025?

Im a bit lost here to figure out how to raise 1.025 from 1.020 :)

tips?

Thanks!
Jake
 
I filled 5 gal in a bucket RODI.

I followed instruction for 5 gal to mix it.

it reads 1.020 w/ Refractometer.

Which part do i need to raise it to 1.025?

Im a bit lost here to figure out how to raise 1.025 from 1.020 :)

tips?

Thanks!
Jake

add more salt
 
which part :eek: ?

please help me out here..

sodium chloride - salt ??

Magnesium Sulfate - flake that i know LOL!

liquid components - A and B ->whats A and B ?

Thanks!
jake
 
I would add more of all the parts in the same ratio, but adding just sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate in an appropriate ratio could be OK.
 
Are you using a scale? You can get a kitchen scale pretty cheap at any kitchen supply store. Best to get one that reads to 0.1 gram.

Anyway you need to add each in the same ratio that they are to NaCl

they are:
25g mag sulfate/91 g NaCl = 0.275 g mag sulfate per g NaCl

49 g A/91 g NaCl = 0.538 g A per g NaCl

21 g B/91 g NaCl = 0.231 g b per g NaCl

So if you add 100 g NaCl
then add 27.5 g mag sulfate
add 53.8 g A
add 23.1 g B

If you add enough to go over 1.025 then you can dilute it.

Here is my formula for 3 gallons. This amount added to 3 gallons of water makes exactly 1.025 SG.

279 g NaCl
76.6 g mag sulfate
150.2 g A
64.4 g B

You could take this formula and calculate the weights to add to 5 gallons by multiplying each weight by 5/3.
 
I still need some more practice with all measure...kind of losing patience :) .

i tested it with API kit

5 gal RO DI at 78*

PH- 8.2

Cal- 520 thats way to high!

ALK - 11

mag 1380-1410

Ok Cal is way too high.. i dislike it.. so what did i do wrong? too much comp A or comp B ?

ALK- i want stay around 9 ALK.

what is Comp A and comp B ??

thanks
Jake
 
I just received the 200 gal mix of ESV and very carefully mixed a 1 gal batch. Salinity measured 1.021! I had to add 2 more teaspoonfuls of the salt part. I did not add any more of the magnesium or A and B parts because I did not know if it was necessary or how much to add. I did read that another guy was having the same low salinty issue and never did figure out why. Anyone else have input on the ESV mix?
Thanks
 
I've always used the scoops that come with it and haven't run into any troubles. Is your refractometer calibrated correctly?
 
i had the same idea as greg 45 but did not know if you made the mix with a little less water if any other problems would develop? This seems like the smart way to go, any points against doing it that way?
 
See my earlier post above. You really need to use a scale with this salt, I think.
Here is what I copied from my spreadsheet where I calculated the amounts in grams to add to 3 gallons to make seawater at the SG listed.

NaCl Mag sulfate Liquid A Liquid B
ESV instructions: 91 25 49 21

ESV inst. X 3 273 75 147 63



SG NaCl MgSO4 A B
3 gallons 1.025 279 76.6 150.2 64.4


3 gallons 1.026 291 79.9 156.7 67.2


3 gallons 1.027 294 80.8 158.3 67.8

So you can see it takes a little more than ESV says to get to 1.025. Note that this is the amount added to 3 gallons of water. So the actual volume of seawater after mixing will be slightly more than 3 gallons.
 
i had the same idea as greg 45 but did not know if you made the mix with a little less water if any other problems would develop? This seems like the smart way to go, any points against doing it that way?

That's a good point. It would be smarter to do that then just QS to the final 5 gallon mark like it says in the instructions. Another thing to check is that your 5gallon jug/bucket is actually 5 gallons or not at the point you are filling to by using a scale or something with a more accurate volume then marking the level to fill to.
 
I did check it with the calibration fluid and it was right on. I used a knife edge to scrape the scoops perfectly level also. There were no clumps or anything that might have effected the volume in the soopers. I used a 1 gal bottle of distilled water and removed a little to get the .98 called for. I actually thought it might mix up on the high side. Any other ideas would be appreciated. I am about to fill a 12gal long so I thought I would try mixing a 1 gal water change for my 3 gal Picotope. Little nervous about this salt now.
Thanks
 
Maybe I'll try the less initial water/ add water to adjust method tomorrow. Sounds a lot easier! It sure does mix up clear though.
 
take a quart of water out of the gallon container mix in the salt and add back water from the quart until its perfecto. JMO
 
I use this salt and love it so far (I have a 14ish gallon nano and a 90ish cube) I would also suggest using scales and not the measuring cups...I weighed out how many gallons I always make and marked it on my salt mix tub, to measure the rest I use a 1kg (1000 grams) digital pocket scale...any self respecting stoner store has digitals and they're cheap and easy to use too...wouldn't use this salt without it IMO...I'm also a bit of a perfectionist, so consider the source.
 
People thinking this salt makes a mix at a salinity lower than what ESV's instructions say you should find only shows you are doing something right. IMO this stuff mixes consistently WAY lower than ESV claims.

That said, I'm really happy with the salt. But ESV's credibility does take a big hit for promoting this salt as being more than it is. By that I mean that what they sell as 200g worth of mix at 1.0256 when in fact it comes to something less than 1.023 is just deceptive (dishonest) marketing, plain and simple.

Your results bear witness to what others have found. My own thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852499&highlight=esv+salt - provides a bit of evidence to this point.

But I love the salt. Too bad ESV does not market it for what it really is... a quality salt that mixes to lower mixed volumes than what they apparently want to market it at.
 
Well, I just mixed up my 2nd gallon of ESV and removed about 1.5 to 2 cups of water first. Guess what? Mixed to 1.025! I will let this batch mix overnight and do another water change in the morning. I will also check ph and alk (need to get calcium and magnesium test kits). Hammer and Torch closed up for about a half hour after todays water change but candy cane,zoas and ricordias didn't even blink. Mixed salt doesn't look like mixed salt anymore. Looks like crystal clear water which I suppose is a good thing. Besides, mixing this stuff satisfies my Mad Scientist instinct and impresses the wife!!!
 
Wait EVS salt mox is not pre mixed you have to add in mag?? Thats is lame, I want to add water, add salt mixed, add power head and that is it.
 
interested....things is now a bit different # of parameter after I let it running overnight (5 gal bucket)

after i raised it to 1.025 i only added salt/ mag yesterday evening and decided to let it running and see whats happen till this morning.

I m surprised w/ test result.

SG - 1025
temp *76.5
ALK 9
cal - 480
mg 1410-1440 <--Salifert test kit

its dropping from high to nice # since yesterday

I will re test again at 12pm to see if its steady before do the water change..

Jake
 
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