Mixing Reef Crystals

R

rjallen

New member
I went back & forth on where to post this and even if I am doing something wrong. I use Reef Cyrstals and am fine with the extra KH and CA. I have had years of mixing salts back to when IO was brand new.
My mixed reef has been established for almost 20 months and is fairly stable. I first noticed my issue about 2 months ago and first thought I was doing something wrong as I said.

I have a 65 gallon mixing station with a panworld external pump that does double duty pumping up from basement to DT and mixes my salt. I buy RC in the 200 gallon box. I find the 50 gallon bags perfect for mixing a batch of salt H2O. My mixing/ holding tank is calibrated in 5 gallon increments. I have double checked these measurements and they are spot on.
I note the level of old salt water then add 50 gallons of RODI water. Turn on my pump in recirculation mode. Then, use one bag of salt. The problem shows up when I check salinity. I use a temp. calibrated refractometer and I use a hydrometer for back up. The Hydrometer always reads low in comparison. I calibrate the refractometer with a commercial fresh solution. It is set at 1.026 or 35 ppt. My refractometer is dead on.

Long winded but written to avoid some questions. Thre problemi is my water is always found to be somewhere between 1.020 & 1.022. Instant Ocean states the mix should produce a solution at 1.026. It does not and I am forced to guess pouring more salt, retesting and doing again until I get 1.026. This means I must open a second bag of salt and waste a lot of time.

I borrowed a 2nd Refractometer and it calibrates the same as mine. Is OI going light of the mix? My salt comes from Foster & Smith so I believe it is fresh. I have not measured how many cups it takes to bring the salt up to 1.026 as I am always in a hurry to get it done at that point but it does take quite a bit RC to bring the salinity up.

Has anyone else noticed this? I am on my 3rd 200 gallon box with the same results. Before this I got good solutions. I have noticed there seems to be more binder/ filler in my mixing tank after even 24 hours of mixing. I took some of this material out and mixed up a jar of water with it and found it produced a solution with a really low salinity if I let it settle for 30 minutes after vigorously shaking it up so I don't think its salt but the often mention binder that IO is famous for.

Any ideas or suggestions. Is IO having QC problems?

Thanks in advance for your help.

RJ
 
I don't think this is anything new. My 50 gallon bags have never actually made 50 gallons at 1.026 I have always had to add more salt to get the SG up to correct levels. I use a tank that already has graduated levels in the mold of the tank so I know it is the correct amount of water as well.
 
Thanks for the quick response

I hope you are wrong as it means we are being shorted. I did not buy 150 gallons of mix and I am thinking I am using one entire bag to make up the short fall of the other 3 bags. If this is the case we are being cheated out of 25% of our purchase.

Maybe this is how Instant Ocean produces their salt at such a low price?

I am looking for additional input from IO users.....anyone?

RJ
 
It doesn't say anywhere on the box that it makes 200 gallons at 1.026 it states that 1.4 lbs makes 1.021 water which is what the entire bag will make in 50 gallons of water. I think the name reef crystals is a little misleading but they do not say that it makes 50 gallons at 1.026.
 
I have never had a 50g bag mix to 1.026.

NOTE: 1.4lbs of Reef Crystals is formulated to create 5 gallons of saltwater at a specific gravity of 1.021

Adjust salt level accordingly. If specific gravity is too low, add more Reef Crystals.
 
Scot

You are right. I did some looking and found several posts about the same thing. Funny, I could not find anything similar last night. Guess I didn't use the right terms.
It is misleading and maybe not scam as mentioned in those other posts but seems a little dated.
Some history, back in the old under gravel days a lot of us ran tanks with 1.018 to 1.022. It was supposed to better keep ick in check. Of those were fish only tanks but the snails and hermits didn't seem to mind.
Instant Ocean really made things better as it was the 1st widely available good reliable salt. Maybe that's how 1.022 came to be.
I am going to MACNA in August and I think it may come up with the IO reps.

Still, its enough for me to reevaluate my use of RC.

At least my methodology and refractometer are working right.

RC
 
There is som variation in mix. Iv been useing rc for years.i mix 20 gallons at a time. Withe the rc free scoop i use 7 scopes. Last bag i opened i have to use 8 scopes. Just open another bag and used 7 again. If they dont totaly mix it it will vary. Nothing is totaly perfect. I buy from the same place as you and df said it can vary batch to batch. Isnt this why we test test test.
 
Actually if you read carefully on the buckets it says 160gal @ 1.023SG so I would assume the 200 gallon box is the same.
 
I mix by the cup. IME one 1/2 cup will mix 1g of water to 1.026sg. I use a 32g brute and estimate how much water is in there, usually I make about 20-25g and in goes 20 1/2 cups and I add as needed. My method may be cumbersome but it works for me.
 
I use 11 cups of reef crystals in a 32 gallon brute can. I fill RO water up to the line which I think is about 20-25 gallons. My sg is usually very close to 1.026. My only issue that I'm having is a brown residue that is left in the can and on the pump and heater afterwards. I'm not sure what it is.
 
I have the brown residue also and thought it was algae but after cleaning the can with bleach and rinsing well it still comes back
 
Its either binding agents or precipitate from the higher alk and cal. I'm considering switching to plain IO which i hear mixes clear and is cheaper. I dont really need higher alk as my tank sits well at 7 and I dose 2 part anyway. Any feedback on that at all. And yeah the disclaimer says its a lower salinity at 200G
 
The residue is a filler material sometimes referred to as a bonding agent. It's harmless. Some say it comes out of solution if you mix your salt to long. Personally, I would rather it come out in the mixing tank than the DT. The stuff is mentioned in the first 2 or 3 posts in this thread.
RJ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
dosing question
Replies
1
Views
99
kharmaguru
kharmaguru
E
Setting up new 60 gallon tank. Mixing initial water question
Replies
7
Views
311
Elmareefer
E
P
New saltwater toxic?
Replies
8
Views
161
pelagic
P
Kona26
Aerate instant ocean reef crystals salt mix..?
Replies
3
Views
862
griss
griss
padi200
Which salt and 4 more things!
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
Billfishbrsin
B
Back
Top