Reef Crystals - The results are in...

[seagirl]

i just tested a bucket i have from last fall i ordered form DFS. here are my results.

35ppt
CA-395
AL-12d/kh
MG-1195

I use salifert test kits that i have had since early last year. Anybody elses alk this high?

[bdare]

Yup.

[seagirl]

Originally posted by bdare
Yup.

really, are you lowering it?

[Billybeau1]

bdare, the alk is not that high when you consider you are only changing 20 to 25 % of the total water volume as most do.

If your tank is at 9 dkh and you change 20% with a mix that is at 12, you will not see much of a difference.

This is by design.

IO has about the same alkalinity as RC, and I don't see Randy complaining of high alk levels in his tank.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I started a thread to discuss high alkalinity concerns in the SPS forum, but I've personally not seen any problem in my tank with alkalinity from 3-4.5 meq/L or so (8.4 to 12.6 dKH), which is where it typically ranges.

That said, in most established reef tanks, the alkalinity of the starting mix and that used for water changes is lost almost immediately into the ongoing demand and supplementation that takes place. Sort of like pushing a car to get it started. How hard you push has little bearing on the speed a half hour later when you are 15 miles down the road.

[Leafer]

I am relieved to see this thread. This was frustrating the hell out of me. I’ve been using a lot of additives to boost things up that I thought shouldn’t have been needed. Dam, I have three big buckets of this stuff. I was thinking about ordering some seachem mix and mixing it together. Seachem has much more CA.

[Phantom Phish]

Just to add my findings...

I had read in this, or the previous thread, that the low calcium readings of RC may be in buckets only, and didn't involve bags, and that it might be localized to Drs. Foster and Smith's supply of RC.

Well, this past weekend I bought a bag of RC salt at one of my LFSs (outside of Atlanta), mixed it to 1.026 / 35 ppt (measured with refractometer), and warmed to 78 dgrees F.

I measured calcium and alkalinity after aerating overnight, with following results:

Calcium 300-320 ppm
Alkalinity 11.2 dkH ; 4.00 meq/L

My Magnesium kit has expired, so I can't test that.

I'm going to send a sample to Aquarium Systems/ IO. If they confirm my findings, then it would seem that at least some bags might also be bad, and that it's not just Drs F&S's supply.

[Billybeau1]

Thats the first I've heard of bags having problems. I've got a bag that reads 420 on the button.

Let us know what they say.

[SPStoner]

Perhaps this should be in a different thread, but I am wondering how people are aerating their saltwater after mixing? The reason I ask is I noticed that after 24 hours of my typical method ( Mj1200 in a 32 gal Brute can) I would get one reading, and on my latest batch I added a lrge airstone with a strong air pump to really aerate things, and got calcium and alk readings that were higher on both. I tested this three times with three different kits to confirm. (Salifert, IO, and Elos) and was getting calcium reading 10-20% higher after adding the airstone.
On a seperate note, I discovered that my second refractometer was also not calibrated properly, like my first. It was off by .003! Tyhis one was only two weeks old. Using the 53ms solution from pinpoint gives very different results than the distilled water the unit came with for calibration. This in itself made a huge difference in calcium, mad, and alk readings..

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Aeration should not normally impact calcium or alkalinity readings, assuming you stirred it enough somehow to actually dissolve all of the solids that will dissolve. Maybe you dissolved a bit more off the bottom.

[rbursek]

Just mixed up a 30gal batch with RC from Dr.Fand S, Alk 12, Cal 350. SG 1.026.
Bob

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
Aeration should not normally impact calcium or alkalinity readings, assuming you stirred it enough somehow to actually dissolve all of the solids that will dissolve. Maybe you dissolved a bit more off the bottom.

Thanks, Randy. I wasn't sure what effect, if any, excess CO2 may have on calcium and alkalinity readings. I know I have a problem in my house with this which does effect pH in my system.

[HowardW]

I wonder if this issue with RC affects any other brands of salt, since I've heard in the past they also supply their base mix to others sold under other brand names.

[Mike O'Brien]

I'm expecting a new bucket tomorrow. I usually get more than one at a time, but I figured I'll get one and hopefully if it's not good, the next one will be.

Hopefully it's good, I've used up all my CaCl on the driveway.

[rbursek]

I sent my samples in almost 2 weeks now and have not heard anything, called the other day and just got Gerswins voice mail, how long does it usually take to get a responce?
Bob

[bdare]

It took about a week before I got a respose back. Have you sent emails?

Ben

[rbursek]

No, I have not sent emails, I do not have is email address but I put mine in the letter I wrote.
Bob

[rbursek]

Must be psychic, just got a call from Bob S. at Aqu. Sys. 2 of my buckets tested out at 390, and the other at 400 which he said is lower then it should but not as low as my Seachem test kit was reading about 350 at 1.026. Mag was fine, sending out 3 buckets and said they think they know what may have happened and is corrected, but that was all he said he could say. I will stay with RC as long as they stand by there product like they did this time. I will test the stuff I get to see if it is my test kit plus have an Elos coming his week, test with that and see if there is any discrepancies.
Bob

[bdare]

Glad to hear it worked out! He won't tell you when he mails it, but it will get there. I think it took 7-10 days before my bucket showed up.

Ben

[Billybeau1]

Originally posted by rbursek
Must be psychic, just got a call from Bob S. at Aqu. Sys. 2 of my buckets tested out at 390, and the other at 400 which he said is lower then it should but not as low as my Seachem test kit was reading about 350 at 1.026. Mag was fine, sending out 3 buckets and said they think they know what may have happened and is corrected, but that was all he said he could say. I will stay with RC as long as they stand by there product like they did this time. I will test the stuff I get to see if it is my test kit plus have an Elos coming his week, test with that and see if there is any discrepancies.
Bob

That is great news. I'm glad to see they are stepping up to the plate.

BTW - My Seachem calcium test reads consistently about 70 ppm lower than any other test kit. Always has. I would not trust it.

See my new thread about Elos testing.

[StrategicReef]

tested another bucket today Magnesium 950 ppm (Seachem)

[rbursek]

I got my new test kits yesterday, they read 40ppm higher on CAL. then the Seachem which would put my salt right at what it tested out at because it was 350 when I tested it with the SC and they got 390 when they tested it in the lab.
Bob

[StrategicReef]

that might explain why my return pump broke too much calcium from being misled seachem kit? I aim for 425 so if it's a 40-60ppm higher it's still ok.

BTW I think seachem kits are crap now, their total alkanity kit that comes with the Mg kit reads 1 Meg / ~3 dKH lower then their regular kit and ELOS kit. I almost damaged my tank by supplementing ALK.

I am slowly replacing all my seachem kits.

[EvilE]

anyone use API test kits to test the RC?

[Billybeau1]

Yes, I did. What specifically do you want to know ?