Problem with mixing salt

[Rickyrooz]

I mixed Red Sea Pro Coral reef salt into a 30 gallon trash can filled with RO water. I use two Maxi-Jet 900's for circulation and a 200 watt heater. After 24 hours of mixing I added some kalkwasser to raise the Ca level but noticed the alkalinity dropped to 6.0 dKH the next day. So I added Kent Marine Super-buffer which is suppose to raise alk. (contains bicarbonate). The next morning the water was white! I suppose the calcium reacted with the carbonate and formed crystals. Any opinions on what happened? I did not add the powder form of calcium hydroxide. I mixed the powder in a separate bucket and after 24 hours I used a little bit of the water on the top of the bucket.

 

[surfn]

I mixed Red Sea Pro Coral reef salt into a 30 gallon trash can filled with RO water. I use two Maxi-Jet 900's for circulation and a 200 watt heater. After 24 hours of mixing I added some kalkwasser to raise the Ca level but noticed the alkalinity dropped to 6.0 dKH the next day. So I added Kent Marine Super-buffer which is suppose to raise alk. (contains bicarbonate). The next morning the water was white! I suppose the calcium reacted with the carbonate and formed crystals. Any opinions on what happened? I did not add the powder form of calcium hydroxide. I mixed the powder in a separate bucket and after 24 hours I used a little bit of the water on the top of the bucket.

yup, sounds like you had a reaction. or you added too much kalk...

do you know what the dkH of the water was before you added the kalk? personally, i wouldn't add kalk to spike your new saltwater. i'd just use food grade baking soda.

and if you need to raise calcium, get some kent turbo calcium (dry anhydrous), or other form of calcium chloride (dowflake, prestone driveway heat). both of these ingredients are VERY cheap. you should only need to use kalk in your top off water to maintain your levels in your tank.

once you test your numbers, plug them into a calculator that will tell you how much of each ingredient to add to a certain amount of water. i don't have the link at the moment, i'll try to post it tonight.

 

[Azurel]

You don't need to adjust Red sea pro when making new water......Every batch I have made of it has tested out within the realm of the proper parameters. Sounds like you had Ca precipitate out of solution......I have been using RSP for about a year now and have had no issues from batch to batch. The LFS that I get it from has also had no issues from batch to batch and all parameters have tested out in the proper measurements......That is one of the reasons I switched to RSP, I didn't have to supplement the new water. A fresh batch of water should test out at 480ppm CA at 1.025 so when you added the kalk you really threw it all off....JMHO

 

[Weetabix7]

I just got a bucket of RSP today and plan on mixing tomorrow.
The bucket says the water mixes to 2-2.5 meq/l on Alk., which is a little low.
I had planned on adding some Reef Builder to bring this up before making a WC.
Anyone using RSP have any thoughts on this?
Azurel, you say yours mixes to good enough parameters. What has the Alk been for you on newly mixed SW?

 

[Azurel]

I don't test any more after the first 2 150 gallon buckets.....Here are the average parameters that I got from it. Mind you the LFS I deal with alot was also getting around the same from what I believe.

All parameters were measured at 80 degrees w/ a specific gravity of 1.025.

Ca 460+/- (small variations but all around that mark)
Alk 2.5/2.8 average (2.5 being the low end of proper)
Mag 1280/1300 average (this was constant as well around that mark)
Nitrate 0
phos 0
nitrite 0
silica 0

All in all it has been the best salt I have used, the big difference is that it is made for the processed water where as most if not all manufactured salts are made for the use of well or tap water. This is the reason why most salts are low in some numbers depending on if you are using RO/DI or tap/well water. From my research on the net and having someone talk to a rep for RSP that these manufactured salts are made in such away that the tap water or well water is figured into the final parameters of the mix. So if you use the salts in RO/DI which is more pure and has less minerals it will end up short in parameters. Now if you were to use them in tap or well water which here in Michigan has a real high PH and alk cause of the limestone deposits your parameters would mix higher.....Not sure if that is clear or not I just got home from working all night......

 

[Weetabix7]

I totally understand what you're saying Azurel, and I appreciate your posting the params you got, it really helps
BUT
I still need to know whether I should boost the Alk a bit before adding the freshly mixed water to my tank. It was my understanding that it was best to have an Alk that was 4.0 meq/l or higher.
Thoughts?

 

[Rickyrooz]

I totally understand what you're saying Azurel, and I appreciate your posting the params you got, it really helps
BUT
I still need to know whether I should boost the Alk a bit before adding the freshly mixed water to my tank. It was my understanding that it was best to have an Alk that was 4.0 meq/l or higher.
Thoughts?

The alkalinity of natural seawater is 2.5 meg/L. Keep it between 2.5 and 4.0 meg/L.

 

[Azurel]

I would go with what Ricky posted, I would think anything higher might be a problem......This isn't the chart I go by but it is pretty basic in it's calculations. I usually try and stay between 8 dkh and 10 dkh.
http://ozreef.org/library/tables/alkalinity_conversion.html

 

[Rickyrooz]

New water change parameters. This time I let the water age 5 days before using it and had much better parameters.
Temp. - 62.5 (no heater)
pH - 8.28
Salinity - 1.025
dKH - 9.0
Phosphate - 0.00
Calcium - 412
Magnesium - 1080