Red Sea coral pro salt

[chrisjj625]

Just purchased some of this salt in order to try it out. I mixed up about 10 gallons to 1.026 and my lvls are 9 alk and 350 cal. What the heck is going on here. Have tried mixing it two different times and I am getting the same results. I mix with ro/di water with a power head and a heater. I contacted red sea and have still not heard back. Also these tests are preformed with a refractormeter and salifert test kits. Thanks in advance for any help.

[markalot]

What test kits?

[chrisjj625]

Salifert as stated above

[Veng]

Really odd. My guess is you have a bad test kit(s). 9 dKH and 350 Ca shouldn't be possible, balanced Ca for 9dKH is 425 Ca, 350 is MUCH lower.

[metrokat]

How long did you wait while the salt mixed before you tested?

[Lauras nanos]

Did you take the dry bag of salt out of the bucket and mix it up? Did you let the water sit for a few days?

 

I had many complaints about RSCSP, but low ALK and CA were never among them.

What complaints did you have and what salt do you use now? I ask because I am using Red Sea as well.

[chrisjj625]

So which one do you think is bad

 

Mixed for about two days

[Veng]

Well Ca and dKH don't match. So at least one of those test kits is bad. It's probable both are bad.

 

There are a few possibilities:

1) Red Sea is bad and defies chemistry

2) You didn't wait long enough to measure. (an hour+ should be enough)

3) Red sea is bad and your salinity measurement is wrong. (Refractometer not calibrated)

4) One of the test kits is bad and the salinity is wrong.

5) One of the test kits is bad and the Red Sea is bad.

6) Both of the test kits are bad.

 

My guess would be #6 since the Ca / dKH is so far out of balance. I'd guess you bought both test kits at the same time. But it's hard to say. Do you have any other salt you can mix up and call a "known good"? Do you have calibration fluid you can check the refractometer against?

[markalot]

Again, I asked a question that was answered in the first post. Salifert test kits.

 

I need to go back to reading class.

[Putt]

Lotsa discussions on Red Sea Coral Pro. Red Sea claims that you must roll the bucket to mix the salt because the light ends are on top and the heavy ends on the bottom of the bucket do to shipping.

Nine days ago, I mixed 25 gallons from a new 55 gallon size bucket of RSCP salt. I thoroughly mixed the dry salt in the plastic bag before mixing with cold RO/DI water; it dissolved quickly to crystal clarity. The #’s were comparable with what Red Sea claims. Two days ago I mixed the remainder of the bucket exactly as last week. This time the water turned very cloudy after bringing it up to DT temperature. I kept the pump and heater running for 24 hours, the water is still cloudy. All the #’s were good so I made the water change; it cleared in the DT within one hour. My mixing container now has a dry white film on the interior side and bottom that easily wipes with a damp rag.

I have bounced back and forth between Coral Pro and Reef Crystal’s. My tank seems better with Coral Pro. May be I should try another brand in the future!

[chrisjj625]

I'm sorry I am officially a dumb*** I just tested refractometer with calibration solution spot. Then tank = low. Then salt = oh **** 1.020. Added salt and will retest. I really don't know what happened must have been drunk last time I was reading salinity. Very sorry for the bother.

[1reefluvr2]

I been using rscps since it hit the market, never had any isues . I had better spa growth then any other brand of salt and I used to use trooic marin

[malady]

I like the high alk and CA in rscp I barely dose anything and I have plenty of sps the levels drop drop nicely to around 7-8 alk anyways

[chrisjj625]

So now it is alk12 and cal435

[Griever]

I'm sorry I am officially a dumb*** I just tested refractometer with calibration solution spot. Then tank = low. Then salt = oh **** 1.020. Added salt and will retest. I really don't know what happened must have been drunk last time I was reading salinity. Very sorry for the bother.

 

Sounds like you ran into the same issue I did! It's important to calibrate your refractometer to the levels you're testing, not 0, like the instructions say. 161 mL of water and 1 tbsp of salt will produce a 1.0266 reference solution.

[chrisjj625]

I actually have test solution that came with it too

[Spirofucci]

I'm sorry I am officially a dumb*** I just tested refractometer with calibration solution spot. Then tank = low. Then salt = oh **** 1.020. Added salt and will retest. I really don't know what happened must have been drunk last time I was reading salinity. Very sorry for the bother.

Lol, too funny. Thanks for admitting you are a dumbasss. I am one myself at times.......

 

Seriously, I think we trust are test kits way too much at times. If something is way off, it's alsways a good idea to verify it with another test kit that you trust or make sure you performed the test correctly.

 

After a few beers, I always wonder was that 8 drops, 10 drops, oh crap.

[fishbait26]

This video is my review