Bringing down hardness

[izzyzs_]

Conducted an experiment due to 20-24(GH) (General Hardness) being extremely high , used API aquarium salt. Most people don’t recommend this due to it not having calcium , and other beneficial minerals but it is perfect for bringing down hardness without bringing down your salinity, we were very nervous about doing this because of the very little amount of forums that have done this.

75 GAL tank , took out 20GALS and replaced with API aquarium salt water , do not mix with mineral salt mix. Hardness has dropped by 10-11 and were currently sitting at 14GH which were going to drop after more API salt arrives.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think there are some chemical misunderstandings here, and I'm concerned that what you are doing is not ever a suitable treatment for a reef aquarium.

General hardness is a measure of calcium plus magnesium (and strontium) in a weird mixed and essentially useless unit of measure for reefing.

I do not recommend measuring it, and I'm not sure what units of measure you are reporting, but normal general hardness is...


GH (general hardness)

Hardness is a characteristic of water due to the presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is responsible for most scale formation in pipes and water heaters (calcium and magnesium carbonates, typically), and forms insoluble solids when it reacts with soaps. Hardness is often expressed in grains per gallon, parts per million or milligrams per liter, all as calcium carbonate equivalents. It is a measure often used in freshwater aquarium systems, but not often in marine systems, where its values are very large. Seawater has a total (general) hardness of about 6.3 g/L (6,300 ppm) of calcium carbonate equivalents. These linked articles detail aspects of magnesium and calcium in seawater.

 

[MnFish1]

I think there are some chemical misunderstandings here, and I'm concerned that what you are doing is not ever a suitable treatment for a reef aquarium.

General hardness is a measure of calcium plus magnesium (and strontium) in a weird mixed and essentially useless unit of measure for reefing.

I do not recommend measuring it, and I'm not sure what units of measure you are reporting, but normal general hardness is...


GH (general hardness)

Hardness is a characteristic of water due to the presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is responsible for most scale formation in pipes and water heaters (calcium and magnesium carbonates, typically), and forms insoluble solids when it reacts with soaps. Hardness is often expressed in grains per gallon, parts per million or milligrams per liter, all as calcium carbonate equivalents. It is a measure often used in freshwater aquarium systems, but not often in marine systems, where its values are very large. Seawater has a total (general) hardness of about 6.3 g/L (6,300 ppm) of calcium carbonate equivalents. These linked articles detail aspects of magnesium and calcium in seawater.

I was assuming he has a freshwater tank perhaps? However - to the OP - can you explain better what you're trying to do? API salt wouldn't be used normally in a marine/saltwater aquarium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was assuming he has a freshwater tank perhaps? However - to the OP - can you explain better what you're trying to do? API salt wouldn't be used normally in a marine/saltwater aquarium.

He might well, in which case this is not an appropriate forum to post it without being super clear that it does not apply to reef tanks.

 

[MnFish1]

He might well, in which case this is not an appropriate forum to post it without being super clear that it does not apply to reef tanks.

Agreed.

 

[gbroadbridge]

He might well, in which case this is not an appropriate forum to post it without being super clear that it does not apply to reef tanks.

He did say "bringing down hardness without bringing down your salinity" so I'm puzzled by the post.

 

[izzyzs_]

I was assuming he has a freshwater tank perhaps? However - to the OP - can you explain better what you're trying to do? API salt wouldn't be used normally in a marine/saltwater aquarium.

This is a reef tank , used api to get rid of the extra elements from instant ocean reef salt , we were getting too much of the extra elements that caused the hardness to spiral , the api depletes the elements that were raising the hardness while keeping the salinity from dropping , we are switching to red sea salt now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is a reef tank , used api to get rid of the extra elements from instant ocean reef salt , we were getting too much of the extra elements that caused the hardness to spiral , the api depletes the elements that were raising the hardness while keeping the salinity from dropping , we are switching to red sea salt now.

What extra elements?

IMO, that sounds like truly terrible advice.

What elements were you getting rid of? Sounds like all of them, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc. Being replaced with sodium chloride.

I suggest reading up in both seawater and general hardness.

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is a reef tank , used api to get rid of the extra elements from instant ocean reef salt , we were getting too much of the extra elements that caused the hardness to spiral , the api depletes the elements that were raising the hardness while keeping the salinity from dropping , we are switching to red sea salt now.

Did you set up the tank originally using tap water with very high mineral content rather then using RODI water?

I'm interested in what type of problem you are attempting to solve?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think he misunderstands what general hardness is in seawater.

 

[purpfish]

The api aquarium salt says it’s made from seawater evaporate so that would mean it has minerals, correct me if I’m wrong

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The api aquarium salt says it’s made from seawater evaporate so that would mean it has minerals, correct me if I’m wrong

The Api salt says it is pure sodium chloride in the safety data sheet,

 

[purpfish]

The Api salt says it is pure sodium chloride in the safety data sheet,

Thanks Randy chewy showed an image with text that said that

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

https://apifishcare.com/pdfs/products-us/aquarium-salt/api-aquarium-salt-safety-data-sheet.pdf

see section 3.

 

[purpfish]

lol wierd

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy chewy showed an image with text that said that

I don't duobt that. A lot of sodium chloride for human consumption comes from seawater evaporate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Morton Salt believes that creating the best tasting sea salt starts with sourcing only from naturally occurring saltwater lakes, oceans, and seas that are open to the sun and wind. Never mined or mechanically evaporated, Morton Sea Salt is always produced through natural solar evaporation. The Sea Salt production process begins by drawing ocean, sea, or saltwater lake water into large, shallow ponds. After the water is collected in these saltwater evaporation ponds, heat from the sun and exposure to the wind slowly evaporate away the water, allowing pure salt crystals to form naturally. The salt is then harvested, washed, crushed, and screened to the perfect size.

 

[purpfish]

Morton Salt believes that creating the best tasting sea salt starts with sourcing only from naturally occurring saltwater lakes, oceans, and seas that are open to the sun and wind. Never mined or mechanically evaporated, Morton Sea Salt is always produced through natural solar evaporation. The Sea Salt production process begins by drawing ocean, sea, or saltwater lake water into large, shallow ponds. After the water is collected in these saltwater evaporation ponds, heat from the sun and exposure to the wind slowly evaporate away the water, allowing pure salt crystals to form naturally. The salt is then harvested, washed, crushed, and screened to the perfect size.

Thanks for the explanation