Homemade Saltwater

[Lilgrieves]

Hey guys! i'm wanting to make my own saltwater with the Coralife marine salt, i have well water and these are my WELL WATER test results without the salt added
Nitrate- 20ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Total Hardness (GH) 75ppm
Chlorine- 0ppm
Alkalinity- 80ppm
PH- 7.2

Is there anything i need to add with this salt for my water changes?

 

[Lilgrieves]

Hey guys! i'm wanting to make my own saltwater with the Coralife marine salt, i have well water and these are my WELL WATER test results without the salt added
Nitrate- 20ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Total Hardness (GH) 75ppm
Chlorine- 0ppm
Alkalinity- 80ppm
PH- 7.2

Is there anything i need to add with this salt for my water changes?

My current tank parameters are
Nitrate-40
Nitrite-3.0
Alkalinity-180
ph-8
(yes i know, about to do a water change)

 

[ndrwater]

How old is this tank?
3ppm Nitrite is not ideal at all..
If the tank is new, let it cook for a while until Nitrite is zero.. if not a new tank, you need to check Ammonia, because that Nitrite is coming from somewhere...

 

[Lilgrieves]

How old is this tank?
3ppm Nitrite is not ideal at all..
If the tank is new, let it cool for a while until Nitrite is zero.. if not a new tank, you need to check Ammonia, because that Nitrite is coming from somewhere...

It's a month old

 

[ndrwater]

Let it sit... You aren't cycled yet ..
Ammonia AND Nitrite should be zero before doing any water changes.
You will only prolong the cycle by doing water changes now.
You need to establish your biological filtration before moving to the next step..

 

[ndrwater]

You can add "bacteria in a bottle" to help things along, but at 3ppm Nitrite you are not close to being ready for water changes

 

[iannarelli]

Add FritzZyme TurboStart 900 and this time tomorrow you'll be pretty much cycled.

 

[HARDY CORALS]

I use well water, depending on where you are at, I would consider testing it. As for now, I would not add anything with your salt.

 

[mmorrison55]

Hey guys! i'm wanting to make my own saltwater with the Coralife marine salt, i have well water and these are my WELL WATER test results without the salt added
Nitrate- 20ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Total Hardness (GH) 75ppm
Chlorine- 0ppm
Alkalinity- 80ppm
PH- 7.2

Is there anything i need to add with this salt for my water changes?

The reported test results are from your well water or your display tank during your initial cycle?

I was under the impression you were asking about making saltwater for a new tank using well water, and the posted results were from your well water.

If you are not running your well water through rodi filters, have you tested your well water to see what all is in it and if it’s safe for making saltwater out of?

 

[Lilgrieves]

Hey guys! i'm wanting to make my own saltwater with the Coralife marine salt, i have well water and these are my WELL WATER test results without the salt added
Nitrate- 20ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Total Hardness (GH) 75ppm
Chlorine- 0ppm
Alkalinity- 80ppm
PH- 7.2

Is there anything i need to add with this salt for my water changes?

The reported test results are from your well water or your display tank during your initial cycle?

I was under the impression you were asking about making saltwater for a new tank using well water, and the posted results were from your well water.

If you are not running your well water through rodi filters, have you tested your well water to see what all is in it and if it’s safe for making saltwater out of?

the numbers in the main post are my well water, the numbers i subbed are my current tank parameters

 

[Lilgrieves]

Add FritzZyme TurboStart 900 and this time tomorrow you'll be pretty much cycled.

I added that about 3 weeks ago with two clowns

 

[Lilgrieves]

Add FritzZyme TurboStart 900 and this time tomorrow you'll be pretty much cycled.

I added that about 3 weeks ago with two clowns

i still have more turbo start should i add more?

 

[ndrwater]

i still have more turbo start should i add more?

Definitely won't hurt ..

 

[mmorrison55]

Curious… what test kit are you using for alkalinity? It’s not really important until you add corals, but most of the time, Alk is reported in dkh and it needs to be in the 7-12 range. You are in range btw, but I was just pointing it out that you might want to either get a test kit that reports in dkh, or use a conversion calculator like the one below.

Alkalinity Conversion Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Convert alkalinity between milliequivalents-per-liter (meq/L, meql), carbonate hardness (dKH, KH), and parts-per-million (ppm).

www.hamzasreef.com

That site is a good one to bookmark. They have many other reef tank useful calculators. Especially the salinity ones for water changes etc.

 

[Lilgrieves]

Update!
after using my master kit to retest my current No2 and No3
Nitrate is 5ppm
Nitrite is 1.5ppm

 

[ndrwater]

Better!!!, but still not done.
Definitely closer..

Make aure you are consistent with your testing methods. Understanding and repeating your methods will allow you to better understand whats going on... Kind of the whole point of testing.
Being consistent, even if incorrect, will give you a better idea what's going on because your results will be consistent. If you are off 5ppm Nitrate, but consistent with your methods, you can see the trend up or down.
That said, knowing how to properly use whatever test you are using is almost as important as the test itself.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally would not use that well water without passing it through an RO/DI. Even not knowing all of the trace metals that may well be in it, I see issues with the few numbers you know.

The main issue is the alkalinity. That starting water is going to add 4.5 dKH to the existing alkalinity in the salt mix. That may drive the alk too high and make even a low alk salt mix into a high alk mix that may be unstable with respect to precipitation of calcium carbonate. Start at 8 dKH, you are instantly at 12.5 dKH. That's maybe OK (I use a high alk salt mix), but realize that you are changing things a lot.

Starting with a nitrate of 20 ppm may be OK, but it is higher than most folks would be comfortable with.

If that hardness is calcium, its a fair boost to calcium. If its mostly magnesium, its insignificant.

Moreover, every time you replace evaporated water, you will be adding alkalinity and maybe calcium. In a low demand tank, these may rise over time.

 

[BryanM]

I would also not use that well water without it going through a RODI system.