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Innovative Marine Aquariums

All the alk precipitated out of new saltwater


Bingo1213

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I have a quick question. What would cause almost all the alkalinity to precipitate out of a new batch if saltwater? I mixed up this batch a few days ago and went to use it and realized it was all cloudy and dusty. So I tested the alk and it was only 1.8 dkh. How can this be??? I used the same rodi filter I always use and my same trash can and mixing pump and heater. The only difference is that I used tropic Marin in stead of IO. Could it be bad salt? I'm making more rodi water now but I need to figure out how to not make this happen again.

 

Thanks!

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It seems to me that the most likely precipitate would be carbonates of Ca and Mg. This could easily happen if the pH gets high enough, since the hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate) ion becomes deprotonated and allows the carbonate ion to pair up with both Ca and Mg to form the quite insoluble carbonates. Any idea what the pH was of the water you made up?

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Markburns43

What salt are you using? I cant let my salt sit for that long unless i use a power head other wise it gets cloudy and tanish dust sits on the bottom assuming same thing happens. Red sea pro btw

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I used tropic Marin salt which this was the first time I used it. I usually just use instant ocean. The ph is only 8.2 which doesn't dxplain the low alk. I just used a test solution to make sure it wasn't my alk test kit and it's not. I'm gonna test calcium now. Also I always leave a power head or air stone in the trash can to keep it fresh.

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I just tested the water and here are all the results:

 

Ph 8.2

Alk 1.8dkh

Calcium 275

Magnesium 860

Salinity 1.025

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It was the boxed version I didn't buy much in case I didn't like it. I'll try my left over instant ocean today I guess. Any ideas why the alk was so low?

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Markburns43

Have you mixednsome freshbreally stir uo thenhox and then mix some and see again if itsnthe samenyou gotna badnbox that's a really good salt well exp anyways

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  • 2 weeks later...

Throw some epsom salt (Magnesium sulfate) or magnesium chloride in the water first (make sure it's dissolved), then add your salt. The magnesium being in there will prevent the precipitation. Sometimes the calcium and alk components dissolve and precipitate out before the magnesium is dissolved. Plus you get an extra boost of magnesium which is always nice :)

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