Got a Reef chemistry issue. Alk and Ca

[tmz]

I use a hanah,the old style full sized low range colorimeter 713.No calibration. I use it almost every day( compulsive about PO4) and have for about 3 yrs. All of the colorimeters and test kits have an accuracy standard of arguably around .04 +/- .1 . Never could distinguish shades of pink well enough to be confident with a Salifert test kit. Love the digital readout on the colorimeter. I think the new hanah checker may rate slightly better. I haven't used the new less expensive checkers but many do.

 

[Capt_Cully]

It's alway something..... I was saving for a 3rd vortech, but corals are growing just fine with a slow rolling gyre. Perhaps I should drop the cash on a Hanna.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Unfortunately it's sold, but Tom, is this the one you're using?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2109162&highlight=hanna+phosphate

 

[tmz]

Yes that's waht I have.
The checkers by Hanah have been out a little more than a year, run in the 50 to 60 dollar range, brand new.
I haven't seen any bad reports on the low range phosphate checker and they may be fine but haven't paid to much attention since I already have a meter.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I would have jumped on that one of it had not been sold. It was a really good price. I just picked up a lab quality refractometer as mine is pretty shot. The nice thing about new tanks is the specimens are much smaller and the volume of water is much larger. It makes them much more tolerant of these swings IMO/IME.

I've really only had one MAJOR problem with phosphates and that was in my last tank after it'd been running for a few years with huge colonies. Siphoning off a majority of the shallow sand bed and performing a 35% water change did the trick.

I currently siphon filter the shallow SB in this tank with every weekly water change. My TDS is reading zero on my RO/DI and nitrates are zero. I'm not overly concerned about phosphates at this time BUT I'll be watching for a decent price on a meter over the next several months.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Gary -have you had better consistency with the boxes?

much better. I use one whole bag at a time to prepare a new batch of ASW.

 

[pascal32]

much better. I use one whole bag at a time to prepare a new batch of ASW.

thanks, I didn't realize the bags were more consistent. I should get back in the habit of mixing the buckets since that is what we have available in town.

 

[block head]

i'd love to see "how it's made" for any of the major salt brands. my guess is that published numbers are more a avg ,than a hard and fast rule. i'm not buying the bag is better than a bucket arguement. most salt is most likely pkged as is. if they do tweek the salt. it's done in lg batches.

 

[tmz]

Obviously, the safest course is to test th mixed water but that is a chore. Personally, I only do that once in a while , but I do very small water changes as a rule and test if I'm doing a big one for some reason. FWIW, I've not had cosistency issues with coralife salt in 8 years of use ,which I beleive is made by the same manufacturer as Reef Crystals but comes 3 bags in a bucket.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

if Tim can work it out... boxes of RC cost little more than a bucket. Why pay extra for packaging that works against consistency of product?

 

[Capt_Cully]

They've had boxes in the past. I believe the supplier that allows them to keep the customers cost @$40/ bucket is the reason they don't get boxes. It's worth inquiring. Lord knows I don't need any more RC buckets at my house.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Hey Mark hope all is well now with what you had going on.I was about to do a water change and just happened to remember this thread and decided to test my batch of RC whitch Ive had premixing since sunday night in a typical brute can.

Fresh recalibration set on my refractometer reads 1.025
Using salifert kits
dkh 8 on the button
Ca. 500ppm perhaps slightly over as it took the entire syringe to turn blue.
I preformed duplicate tests and the numbers seem to be mirroring one another.

My alk normally runs @ dkh 9.6 using limewater the past few months now.It looks like Im going to have to adjust either the limewater or bump the kh before doing a water change.

 

[Capt_Cully]

My current bucket tested at 480 for Ca and dkh was 10.8 if I recall correctly. There were some remnants from the previous bucket in the mix so I'll probably recheck the next batch too. You could sprinkle in a little BRS alk powder to raise it to where you want It.

That's how I raised up the last batch's Ca. The tank is thankfully back on track. Really starting to see some stff sprout.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Actually I was just thinking on raising it with baking soda like you mentioned.I 've definately taken more comfort with an alk in the midlevel range so thats what Im going with.I think I have better sps growth than I did when I ran 8.3-6.

Nice to hear stuff is taken off for you,goodluck with everything.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Mark by chance did you get an opportunity to test a new mix?

I just ran an alk test on a fresh pail.

Salinity is reading 35ppt ,very near 1.026 for sg
(yes freshly calibrated refractometer cal.solution )

Salifert kits for alk read exactly even on the syringe between 0,2 and 0,3. So apparently its mixing up between 11.8-12.2 dkh........seems ...high,is this what your getting?Can you test yours if you get a chance.Its just such a huge difference from my last bucket im not sure I believe it.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Just finished running a Ca.test ,again using salifert the syringe reads almost exactly even between 0,1 & 0,2.

According to the reference sheet this gives a reading of 420-430 ppm

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

fwiw

fwiw

when I prepare a new batch of ASW with one bag of Reef Crystals out of a 200/box it usually mixes up to aprox. 11dKH and 430-450ppm Ca @ S.G. 1.026

IMO/IME this is good and I wish that I could afford larger and more frequent water changes with this salt mix!

 

[Gravesj1s]

Ok,thanks for jumping in Gary I feel a whole lot better hearing that from you.

I guess I was hesitant to do a water change with my dt @9.6 dkh with the new salt mixing up @ 11-ish.
I never really bothered to test new seawater until I saw this thread,so just a little paranoid,I guess.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I tested my bucked @ SG 1.026 to have a Ca of 450, dkh/alk of 10.4/3.7.

That buckets almost gone. Grabbing a new one tomorrow. Still no boxes @ ABC Reefs. I'll inquire.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Well as embarrassing as it is I got to admit either user error or not premixing the bucket.After using the alk checker and mixing the dry salt with a plastic whip I ended up with these numbers.

Dkh-10.2- & Ca. 450ppm. whitch seems to be close enough to what you got Mark.

Just did a water change and from a dt of 9.6 dkh ,I didnt notice any change to the alk after changing 25 gal on a total 90 volume.
Sorry for the apparent screw up.