Useful salt mix calculator

Cory

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If you ever wonder if your using enough salt, or if your device is broken and you need to weigh the salt, this calculator was nearly perfect!

 

Brandon Smith

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If you ever wonder if your using enough salt, or if your device is broken and you need to weigh the salt, this calculator was nearly perfect!

The only issue I see with it is that you can't select what brand or version of slat mix you are using.
 
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The only issue I see with it is that you can't select what brand or version of slat mix you are using.
Im not sure the brand matters much. I used instant ocean. Worked like a charm!
 

Fernthereefer

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Im not sure the brand matters much. I used instant ocean. Worked like a charm!

I don't think it matters, as long as you keep the same salt mix your paramseter must be adjusted to them. Of course, if you chose to adjust parameters higher from what your salt provides, that's another story....
 
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I was just thinking that some salt mixes saying it makes so many gallons at like 1.023 and don't others advertise they make so many gallons at 1.025?
Yes your right. Iirc its just because of how much water is in the salts. Thus causing weights to be different. But most salt mixes likely use the same ingredients to make theirs, perhaps just different purities.
 

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I use instant ocean reef crystals and it's recommended to add 1/2 cup per gallon. I'm at 1.026 with that amount, once I tested 1.025. I then added a 1/2 cup and it was enough to raise it to 1.026. I also bought the Milwaukee digital refractometer and I'm very pleased with the accuracy and digital readout. I'll spend the extra to make the hobby easier. Good Luck!
 
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I use instant ocean reef crystals and it's recommended to add 1/2 cup per gallon. I'm at 1.026 with that amount, once I tested 1.025. I then added a 1/2 cup and it was enough to raise it to 1.026. I also bought the Milwaukee digital refractometer and I'm very pleased with the accuracy and digital readout. I'll spend the extra to make the hobby easier. Good Luck!
Its accurate but not precise. I have it and think its not very useful for making salt water.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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It won't be accurate for salt mixes that use anhydrous ingredients. Brightwell, for example:

" NēoMarine may have a slight sulfurous odor when the container is first opened; this is a result of the use of anhydrous magnesium chloride and sulfate and will dissipate. "

 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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Is there any way to know?

Only by looking at the box for the comments or directions, or possible by whether the water gets warm when mixing the salt into it.
 
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Only by looking at the box for the comments or directions, or possible by whether the water gets warm when mixing the salt into it.
Im sorry but what would the comments or directions likely say? What does io use?
 

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I have a faulty (to some degree, it's within the MOE but it has been calibrated) Milwaukee unit that is reading about 2ppt too high. Thus making my tank about 2 PPT too low. Shame on me for not verifying... ICP tests (33.2 PPT) originally brought it to my attention. Subsequent comparisons and reference solution checks confirmed it. I even went to far as to reactivate and calibrate my Apex salinity probe and it reads 33.2 PPT as well, matching the ICP.

However, the calculator does not seem to be working for me. I'm going slow with the process of raising it, so I guess it doesn't matter. My ATO res is about 4 gallons and I go through about 1.5 gallons per day.

However, the linked calculator and the BRS one both indicate it will take about 3 pounds of salt to bring my tank to 35ppt from 33PPT. I've added around 2.5 pounds to my top off water and it's barely budged in two days. Going from 33.2 to 33.7.

BRS calculator indicates that they are basing their numbers on the red sea coral pro salt. I use the red sea blue bucket, but it should be close.

I think this is going to take about double what they are suggesting... Should I take the calculators with a grain of salt? Pun intended :)
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I have a faulty (to some degree, it's within the MOE but it has been calibrated) Milwaukee unit that is reading about 2ppt too high. Thus making my tank about 2 PPT too low. Shame on me for not verifying... ICP tests (33.2 PPT) originally brought it to my attention. Subsequent comparisons and reference solution checks confirmed it. I even went to far as to reactivate and calibrate my Apex salinity probe and it reads 33.2 PPT as well, matching the ICP.

However, the calculator does not seem to be working for me. I'm going slow with the process of raising it, so I guess it doesn't matter. My ATO res is about 4 gallons and I go through about 1.5 gallons per day.

However, the linked calculator and the BRS one both indicate it will take about 3 pounds of salt to bring my tank to 35ppt from 33PPT. I've added around 2.5 pounds to my top off water and it's barely budged in two days. Going from 33.2 to 33.7.

BRS calculator indicates that they are basing their numbers on the red sea coral pro salt. I use the red sea blue bucket, but it should be close.

I think this is going to take about double what they are suggesting... Should I take the calculators with a grain of salt? Pun intended :)

I'd just top off for evaporation with 35 ppt seawater, and stop when you get where you want to be, rather than calculating the dry amount and adding that somehow.

That said, calculators will not be off by as much as the salinity devices that hobbyists use. :)
 

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