Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt Alkalinity 5.2 dKH

Gaspipe · Dec 23, 2021

So update:

The salt is made in Germany as I stated before.

New Batch:
Salinity: 34.6
Temp: 71.5
Alkalinity: 5.3

Old Batch:
Salinity: 35.0
Temp: 70.5
Alkalinity: 5.1

**EDIT**

BTW, this would make sense why my alkalinity is so low. My tank was started end of June of 2021 and the first time I tested Alkalinity was Oct 30th with a reading of 5.4.

I started dosing kalkwasser perhaps 2 or 3 weeks ago when my levels were 4.5. I thought it was strange that my tank would have consumed so much alkalinity with such a small bio load of corals.

I'll need to dose my SW bin and use the kalkwasser to maintain my consumption. December 18th was the last time I tested all of the parameters that I test for.

		KH dKH	Ca ppm	NO3 ppm	PO4 ppm	S ppt	tº F
Dec 23	Thu	5.4	0.00	34.4	78.9
Dec 22	Wed	4.7	34.5	76.8
Dec 20	Mon	4.7	34.6	79.1
Dec 18	Sat	4.4	450	0.00	0.01	34.4	78.2

Gaspipe · Dec 23, 2021

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Yes. Better than OK. It's essentially ideal in this use.

Could you please link the most recent post/instructions on how to raise Alkalinity with A&H Baking Soda?

My SW reservoir is a 27 Gallon tub, I would assume there is something like 15 gallons.

Thank you in advance!

Gaspare

JNalley · Dec 23, 2021

Gaspipe said:
Could you please link the most recent post/instructions on how to raise Alkalinity with A&H Baking Soda?

My SW reservoir is a 27 Gallon tub, I would assume there is something like 15 gallons.

Thank you in advance!

Gaspare

Alkalinity supplement calculator

Calculator to work out the quantities of chemicals to increase alkalinity levels.

www.ultimatereef.net

Scroll to the bottom of that page it has a calculator.

This page also has one, and it has calc and mag calculators too. I have both bookmarked. I used this one more:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

JNalley · Dec 23, 2021

Gaspipe said:
So update:

The salt is made in Germany as I stated before.

New Batch:
Salinity: 34.6
Temp: 71.5
Alkalinity: 5.3

Old Batch:
Salinity: 35.0
Temp: 70.5
Alkalinity: 5.1

**EDIT**

BTW, this would make sense why my alkalinity is so low. My tank was started end of June of 2021 and the first time I tested Alkalinity was Oct 30th with a reading of 5.4.

I started dosing kalkwasser perhaps 2 or 3 weeks ago when my levels were 4.5. I thought it was strange that my tank would have consumed so much alkalinity with such a small bio load of corals.

I'll need to dose my SW bin and use the kalkwasser to maintain my consumption. December 18th was the last time I tested all of the parameters that I test for.

KH
dKH Ca
ppm NO3
ppm PO4
ppm S
ppt tº
F
Dec 23 Thu 5.4 0.00 34.4 78.9
Dec 22 Wed 4.7 34.5 76.8
Dec 20 Mon 4.7 34.6 79.1
Dec 18 Sat 4.4 450 0.00 0.01 34.4 78.2

Whoa whoa whoa... pump the breaks then...

Explain to me exactly how you're testing your Alkalinity and with which test. Walk me through the steps.

Edit: Nevermind, I see you're using a Hanna Checker... I would almost try a different reagent or try a different test kit before I started wholly increasing. Especially if yours has been low since you started testing...

Edit 2: When you add the 1mL of reagent, are you adding the whole syringe? Or the whole syringe with the bubble that's supposed to be there? (Most of the syringe itself should be empty when you extract 1mL if you're using the provided tip)

Gaspipe · Dec 23, 2021

JNalley said:
Whoa whoa whoa... pump the breaks then...

Explain to me exactly how you're testing your Alkalinity and with which test. Walk me through the steps.

OK

So yesterday I drained 99% of the SW I had in my bin.
I created new RODI water using BRS 4 Stage. TDS are 0.
1. The filters and the TP Pro Reef Salt bucket were purchased at same time, so the filters have not been through a single bucket yet. And TDS going into the RODI is 3 or 4, as mentioned a 0 exiting.
I leave the circulating pump on 24 hours, and add salt slowly.
Today I used my Hanna Salinity Tester Pen HI98319 and Hanna HI772 to measure Alkalinity.

This evening I tested both the old batch of SW that I had removed from the bin AND the NEW batch I made yesterday.

New SW Bin:
Salinity: 34.6
Temp 71.5
Alk: 5.3 dKH

Old SW Pail:
Salinity: 35.0
Temp: 70.5
Alk: 5.1 dKH

also on Wed Dec 22 I took measurements on my DT...

Alkalinity: 4.7
Salinity: 34.5
Temp: 78.2

AFTER taking these readings I performed a WC (with the "old" batch) 2 gallons aka 10% (22 gallons of water in tank)

Thur Dec 23 in the early afternoon I took readings of DT:
Alk: 5.4 (I believe this spike was from the 10% WC AND I am dosing kalkwasser)
NO3: 0.00
Salinity: 34.4
Temp: 78.9

So.. in order:
Dec 22nd I tested DT , did a 2 gallon WC, saved the old salt water in a pail, made a new batch of salt water.
Dec 23: tested DT, tested NEW salt water, tested New salt water (again), tested OLD salt water in pail.

Gaspipe · Dec 23, 2021

JNalley said:
Whoa whoa whoa... pump the breaks then...

Explain to me exactly how you're testing your Alkalinity and with which test. Walk me through the steps.

Edit: Nevermind, I see you're using a Hanna Checker... I would almost try a different reagent or try a different test kit before I started wholly increasing. Especially if yours has been low since you started testing...

too late

I posted lol

JNalley said:
Edit 2: When you add the 1mL of reagent, are you adding the whole syringe? Or the whole syringe with the bubble that's supposed to be there? (Most of the syringe itself should be empty when you extract 1mL if you're using the provided tip)

So what I do is use the tip. I pull the plunger all the way up load it w/ reagent... empty it all into the bottle and then pull it up passed the 1.0 mark. I then push the plunger to the 1.0 mark.

I then push the plunger all the way down into the cuvette and it leaves a very small amount of reagent in the tip. I then suck a small amount of the liquid from the cuvette and shoot it back into the cuvette allowing me to get more of the reagent into the cuvette.

I use a wipe cloth from my glasses as a cleaner. I always situate the 10 ML label on the cuvette to the front when testing both times. I store the cuvette with RODI water to the top.

JNalley · Dec 23, 2021

Gaspipe said:
too late I posted lol

So what I do is use the tip. I pull the plunger all the way up load it w/ reagent... empty it all into the bottle and then pull it up passed the 1.0 mark. I then push the plunger to the 1.0 mark.

I then push the plunger all the way down into the cuvette and it leaves a very small amount of reagent in the tip. I then suck a small amount of the liquid from the cuvette and shoot it back into the cuvette allowing me to get more of the reagent into the cuvette.

I use a wipe cloth from my glasses as a cleaner. I always situate the 10 ML label on the cuvette to the front when testing both times. I store the cuvette with RODI water to the top.

Sorry, I'm getting just a bit confused with the wording.

Syringe into reagent with tip on>pull plunger back all the way past the 1.0 mark>push pluger to 1.0 mark>expel into cuvette

^Is that correct? You don't try and fill up the extra bubble space that is created by the tip do you? For instance, in my redsea Alk test, I pull the plunger back to 1.0 and there is a bubble from 1.0->~0.8, that bubble is supposed to be there and it's important (because the tip holds the extra .2 in my case).

Gaspipe · Dec 23, 2021

JNalley said:
Sorry, I'm getting just a bit confused with the wording.

Syringe into reagent with tip on>pull plunger back all the way past the 1.0 mark>push pluger to 1.0 mark>expel into cuvette

^Is that correct? You don't try and fill up the extra bubble space that is created by the tip do you? For instance, in my redsea Alk test, I pull the plunger back to 1.0 and there is a bubble from 1.0->~0.8, that bubble is supposed to be there and it's important (because the tip holds the extra .2 in my case).

No problem, thank you for the effort to help! That is correct what you just described.
"Syringe into reagent with tip on>pull plunger back all the way past the 1.0 mark>push pluger to 1.0 mark>expel into cuvette"

I do not try and manipulate anything to fill in the bubble. As a matter of fact, using the tip the reagent never actually enters the syringe. It only stays in the tip.

JNalley · Dec 23, 2021

Gaspipe said:
No problem, thank you for the effort to help! That is correct what you just described.
"Syringe into reagent with tip on>pull plunger back all the way past the 1.0 mark>push pluger to 1.0 mark>expel into cuvette"

I do not try and manipulate anything to fill in the bubble. As a matter of fact, using the tip the reagent never actually enters the syringe. It only stays in the tip.

Ok, then before you start trying to dose higher alk, I would suggest getting a 2nd opinion. Bring a sample of your water to an LFS and have them test the alk. If they come up with the same low 5.* number, or 4.* numbers you've been seeing, then go ahead and dose, but definitely alert Tropic Marin to what you're experiencing. Lou seems awesome (though I've not had to deal with him directly) and I am sure he would like to know about your results, and would likely make it right. He is very active on these forums (for a vendor).

jcdeng · Dec 23, 2021

Alk in the 5s, I think it is better to use IO RC than this TM bs, are they trying to make a salt for fowlr tank?

JNalley · Dec 23, 2021

jcdeng said:
Alk in the 5s, I think it is better to use IO RC than this TM bs, are they trying to make a salt for fowlr tank?

I've used Tropic Marin for a really long time. This result is WAY outside the norm. Every batch I've ever mixed is nearly identical to what is described on the container. I am guessing that either his reagent is bad, or he got a bad batch, which TM will make right.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 24, 2021

Gaspipe said:
Could you please link the most recent post/instructions on how to raise Alkalinity with A&H Baking Soda?

My SW reservoir is a 27 Gallon tub, I would assume there is something like 15 gallons.

Thank you in advance!

Gaspare

As folks noted, use the calculator to determine how much is needed, dissolve it in RO/DI water, and then add it to a high flow area away from organisms.

Don't boost alk too fast in an aquarium. 0.5 dKH a dat is enough.

Boosting fast is fine in new salt water at 5 dKH. No need to go over 7-8 dKH in new salt water.

GoVols · Dec 24, 2021

FWIW:
Just opened a new bucket of TM Pro

At .35ppt, alk came in at 7.7 dKH / Red Sea Alk Pro kit.

Gaspipe · Dec 29, 2021

**UPDATE**

1. I haven't had the time to goto my LFS to have my water tested
2. I added 5g or .2oz of baking soda into the new batch of SW ran the pump 24 hours
3. Tested just now:

Date	12/23/2021	12/29/2021
Salinity	34.6	35.0
Temp	71.5	73.2
Alkalinity	5.3	6.9

JNalley · Dec 29, 2021

Gaspipe said:
**UPDATE**

1. I haven't had the time to goto my LFS to have my water tested
2. I added 5g or .2oz of baking soda into the new batch of SW ran the pump 24 hours
3. Tested just now:

Date 12/23/2021 12/29/2021
Salinity 34.6 35.0
Temp 71.5 73.2
Alkalinity 5.3 6.9

I would definitely reach out to @Lou Ekus via Tropic Marin's customer service line and let him know this experience. 4-5dKH is way low for a freshly mixed batch, and I know they will make it right.

Gaspipe · Dec 29, 2021

JNalley said:
I would definitely reach out to @Lou Ekus via Tropic Marin's customer service line and let him know this experience. 4-5dKH is way low for a freshly mixed batch, and I know they will make it right.

To be honest, I have used 1/2 of it already so I don't feel right about it lol.

Plus for the first 4 months I wasn't testing, no corals died. Sometimes ignorance is bliss

Gaspipe · Dec 29, 2021

Just added 2 grams more of baking soda. I am using the volume as 15 gallons, I know there is more than that in the bin.

So far 7 oz added.

JNalley · Dec 29, 2021

Gaspipe said:
To be honest, I have used 1/2 of it already so I don't feel right about it lol.

Plus for the first 4 months I wasn't testing, no corals died. Sometimes ignorance is bliss

You shouldn't feel bad about it, seriously... The other part to reporting the issue, even if you opt not to have them fix it for you, is giving them data points to check batches and see what went wrong and where so they can improve their process which allows them to have something like this happen less frequently. It's for them as much as it is for you and your future with their product.

GoVols · Dec 29, 2021

JNalley said:
You shouldn't feel bad about it, seriously... The other part to reporting the issue, even if you opt not to have them fix it for you, is giving them data points to check batches and see what went wrong and where so they can improve their process which allows them to have something like this happen less frequently. It's for them as much as it is for you and your future with their product.

Agree

Is the batch # the number below the bar code?