Red Sea salt blue bucket parameters?

[rtparty]

Red Sea blue bucket is roughly 149 grams per gallon of water to reach 35ppt.

Make up a fresh gallon of water and weigh out 149 grams. Let it mix for an hour or so and then test the salinity

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is the Milwaukee really lack support for calibration at a set point? Seems very limiting to me.

Yes, must be pure water.

 

[DanyL]

Yes, must be pure water.

What an oversight :face-with-rolling-eyes:

 

[dieselkeeper]

Found calibration solution

 

[dieselkeeper]

Calibration solution. WOW

 

[DanyL]

If this reference is old - I would reverify with a freshly made one, because these solutions are notoriously loosing accuracy over time.

A quick and easy test would be to do what rparty suggested - prepare 1 gallon (or 1 liter) of saltwater using a scale to measure the salt. The result will be 35 ppt.

The accuracy with this test will be depended on the accuracy of the scale you used to measure the salt with.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Found calibration solution

I have to say, that Naslow one comes up a fair amount in issue threads.

 

[rtparty]

If accurate, your Milwaukee is reading high. Meaning your 1.025 is closer to 1.020

Falls right in line with the big three being low when you tested a fresh batch

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If accurate, your Milwaukee is reading high. Meaning your 1.025 is closer to 1.020

Falls right in line with the big three being low when you tested a fresh batch

Yes, exactly. Even if it is not off that much, but just in that direction, it would explain it.

 

[dieselkeeper]

Since the calibration solution is old, very old. I'm gonna mix up salt solution as per @rtparty and see where it's at. And go from there. Also thought about bringing it to the LFS and see what they test the salinity.

Taxes got in the way from doing it last night.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Since the calibration solution is old, very old. I'm gonna mix up salt solution as per @rtparty and see where it's at. And go from there. Also thought about bringing it to the LFS and see what they test the salinity.

Taxes got in the way from doing it last night.

Just an fyi, while an lfs measurement would not hurt, assuming it is accurate may be a mistake. :)

 

[dieselkeeper]

Reading this thread someone had same situation as me
They state to use distilled water to calibrate instead of RO water. They stated using distilled water solved their difference with the reference fluid.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/milwaukee-ma887-salinity-tester-reading-off.887916/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Reading this thread someone had same situation as me
They state to use distilled water to calibrate instead of RO water. They stated using distilled water solved their difference with the reference fluid.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/milwaukee-ma887-salinity-tester-reading-off.887916/

That only matters if the ro/di water is significantly poor. To be off by 1 pot would imply the ro/di was 1 ppt. My tap water is below that.

 

[dieselkeeper]

 

[dieselkeeper]

Looks like I'm within accuracy of 0.002

 

[gbroadbridge]

You need to check that device against a reliable calibration solution such as Randys DIY recipe.

Mine reads 1.028 when the water is really 1.026. (i.e. mine reads 0.002 LOW).

The Red Sea salt is very reliable and I expect that your salinity is incorrect.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Found calibration solution

That calibration solution is junk. Toss it.

 

[dieselkeeper]

Tested the water, 1.025 to 1.028 made a difference

Alk 9.6
Calcium 425
Mag 1330

 

[rtparty]

Tested the water, 1.025 to 1.028 made a difference

Alk 9.6
Calcium 425
Mag 1330

I would guess your Milwaukee is reading high. Shoot for the 1.028 range with it and you should be set

This is why I always weigh salt as well. Don’t even have to check salinity afterwards if a good salt is used

 

[dieselkeeper]

I would guess your Milwaukee is reading high. Shoot for the 1.028 range with it and you should be set

This is why I always weigh salt as well. Don’t even have to check salinity afterwards if a good salt is used

I mix 50 gallon of saltwater at a time. So 149 grams of salt to make 1 gallon of saltwater, that's 7450 grams of salt to make 50 gallons of saltwater. Convert that to pounds, that's 16.4 pounds of salt. ESV salt is made this way. What scale do you use for this?