Reef Crystals and Alk

[psykobowler]

All the shops get their salt from the same wholesaler and RC is made by IO. I can't find any logic with buying the same salt from a different store and getting a different result. Might be better to just switch to a different brand. FYI, I never blamed salt. Check your rodi source. I use 3 different carbon stages and 2 di units to get clean water.

 

[Jet Black]

I wouldn't think that the place it was purchased from would make a difference but I did buy the last two boxes from Exotic.

I don't think that the water would be able to lower dKH, I'm not exactly sure how dKH could go down without a cause anyway. I don't have as nice of a RODI system but TDS comes out at 0.

What is an economical alternative to Reef Crystals? I used the Coralife salt when I first started reef keeping but I don't think that its any better.

 

[Saltwaternooby]

I never test my made up water but based on this thread i went and did anyway. I use ro/di made at home with 0 tds, @ 1.025 my dkh was 10.5 and 11(bought it at your reef 2 weeks ago). Nitrates were also at 0 if anyone cares.

I cant say that a different store would make a difference either, but someone else should test their salt from YR to get a better picture.

 

[greenhead]

Just tested batch from your reef. Dkh was 11 at 1.026. The stuff from AD was 6. My rodi is working perfectly. All new filters with a booster pump. 6 stages. And No they don't all buy from same place. That was told to me by owner of AD himself. Not bashing anyone here Glenn. Just stating facts. Slow you're roll bud.

 

[Jet Black]

I'm going to test the box I just got from Exotic, number printed on the side of the box is 4092. The new box is 3241.

 

[psykobowler]

It's cool. I am intrigue with that oceanic salt.

 

[lynchmob3000]

1.025 and 11 dkh from o st

 

[greenhead]

I am not thinking it matters where it comes as I spoke with John over at Your Reef and even he said with Reef Crystals/instant ocean there are strict quality control measures and no matter who it comes from as long as it's in retail packaging you can be assured the chemically it's good and the only variable you can add that can change the balance is time and heat. So i went and did some research. And found quite a few forum posts about older bags of RC having more brown sludge when mixed and lower KH.

One good tidbit I found when talking with John and verified through anecdotal stories is of our mixing containers. At least of those of us using brute trash cans. It has been found that those of us using older trash can can see very drastic coral loss and overall tank issues. Especially if we let it mix longer than 24 hours. Which sounds very true since I saw the biggest difference in this last batch I mixed up for over a week. Was told it actually poisons our coral. Since doing this last water change I have burnt tips and torts that seem to slime randomly. Which I have not been able to explain until now. I did a ton of testing last night and could find no indication of any elements out of whack.

John said he has actually seen this a couple times in the past few weeks and all have been caused by brute cans leaching something very bad into our water. So to those people having any issues, try mixing a small batch in a good 5 gal bucket and then test. I plan to do this tonight since last night's results are from a batch with a 8 day mix and another batch with a 3 hour mix. I should know better of posting results with 0 control factor. Will re post results after proper control measures are taken.

 

[FoothillCorals]

FWIW I just mixed 20 gallons of lot# 4092 from AD. mixed for 12 hrs. at 1.024 in a 32g Brute Trash can. results are 174 PPM or 9.74 Dkh. Verified with a Hanna checker and a Veegee refractometer.

 

[psykobowler]

Ever since Copps went and did the seminar in MARS I started rinsing the frozen mysis and brine shrimp prior to feeding to get rid of the excess nutrients going in my system. That is probably the best thing I took in from the seminar. What I realized is that I also do not have to change too much water in my system weekly to keep it clean to remove those unnecessary nutrients. I basically just use the python hose to suck all the crud off my sump and overflow and replace the water I remove with Reef Crystals. I only add maybe 20 gallons max a week in a 700+ system. I do let the saltwater sit in the brute trash can but adding only 20 gallons weekly does not change much of the water chemistry or add too much "poison" if you will in the tank. It also saves water since I do not have to change hundreds of gallons of water regularly. The overdriven calcium reactor and kalkwasser reactor pretty much take care of any discrepancy with alkalinity. Maybe it is just a matter of stability in the system. Since Roseville had switched source from the folsom dam to well water, it is possible too that there are heavy metals in the tap water that are not filtered correctly. I might just be having changes slowly so the salt thing does not have much of an impact on my system. Things are growing faster these days.

 

[greenhead]

Tried to find some poly filter today to no avail. I am also looking at heavy metals from well water. Any way to tell when the carbon blocks on your RODI are expired. Mine has 2 carbon blocks and 2 di resin chambers. I get 3 tds out of membrane since I added the booster pump although it was only 4 to 5 tds when the water was at 45 psi. 0 tds after first DI and of course 0 after 2nd DI.

I dunno. I am getting really frustrated with my corals slimming and dying at the tips. Luckily it's only effecting torts and smooth skin colonies right now...

 

[Saltwaternooby]

Polyfilter is at lees feed, or they usually have it.

 

[psykobowler]

FYI, I added an additional canister chamber in my rodi pre filter. I put in the BRS lignite small particle carbon to remove any excess chloramines. I think roseville water has chloramines now that they switched to well water. Basically my rodi system has these separate chambers - 5micron sediment, Brs lignite carbon, BRS catalytic carbon, 5micron carbon block and 1micron carbon block then split to 2 ro membranes and converge to 2 stages of BRS di resin. My water comes out super clean. I know it might be overkill but I have not have any water quality issues since then. I change the pre filter every 3 months and also one of the di resin.