Reef Crystals bad batches?

[Nevvy]

Hey guys,

 

So i've been testing CA,ALK,MG using Salifert test kits and noticed that with my first bag of Reef Crystals my water parameters were roughly  8.6 ALK and my CA and MG were off the charts...

 

However, everything in the tank was doing good and happy. Now after that bag ran out I purchased another and did a 5 Gallon water change and now CA is reading at 370 and KH is 6.7 and MG is really low <900ppm.

 

Some of the corals are still okay, but others are reluctant to show their polyps. Should I ditch Reef Crystals and invest in higher quality salts or is there something I'm doing wrong...

Any suggestions going forward?

 

 

[haks]

Are you mixing the salt up, stratification is an issue. Bucket to bucket parameters will vary but shouldn't be too different, at least nothing too difficult to adjust.

[Nevvy]

1 hour ago, haks said:

Are you mixing the salt up, stratification is an issue. Bucket to bucket parameters will vary but shouldn't be too different, at least nothing too difficult to adjust.

Ah welp that explains why i have been reading those numbers...Thanks for the advice i actually just got the bag of RC this time in a bucket will make for easier mixing before making the SW.

 

Thanks a bunch...still learning as I go.

[mcarroll]

On 9/2/2019 at 8:55 AM, Nevvy said:

Hey guys,

 

So i've been testing CA,ALK,MG using Salifert test kits and noticed that with my first bag of Reef Crystals my water parameters were roughly  8.6 ALK and my CA and MG were off the charts...

 

However, everything in the tank was doing good and happy. Now after that bag ran out I purchased another and did a 5 Gallon water change and now CA is reading at 370 and KH is 6.7 and MG is really low <900ppm.

 

Some of the corals are still okay, but others are reluctant to show their polyps. Should I ditch Reef Crystals and invest in higher quality salts or is there something I'm doing wrong...

Any suggestions going forward?

 

 

The intention is that each bag of salt mix be used all at once.

 

That's why they sell 10 Gallon, 25 Gallon, 50 gallon, 160 Gallon and 200 gallon sizes:

http://www.instantocean.com/Products/Sea-Salt-Mixes/reef-crystals-sea-salt.aspx

 

If you're only using small amounts of salt (say you have a small tank or only do small water changes) then you should consider getting smaller portions of salt.  Chewy.com and Amazon both list the 10 Gallon size for just over $4, so it seems reasonable from a cost standpoint.

Folks buy the huge boxes and buckets by default with the idea that they're getting a better deal.....maybe true, but then you deal with consistency issues because you're using it wrong, scooping out and using little bits at a time, which are subject to the effects of settling. 

 

You can roll your bucket on the ground to minimize this effect, but using the whole 10 or 25 gallon bag or 160 gallon bucket of salt at once is the best solution.

 

Set up your salt mixing station accordingly....get a 10+ or 25+ or 160+ gallon container to mix in.

 

Use the mixed salt as-needed, of course. 

 

Once mixed (which shouldn't take much more than 5 minutes), saltwater is stable and doesn't require aerating, heating or any continued mixing.  (extras like vitamins and amino acids may break down, but shouldn't change the chemistry)

[Tired]

I did not know that about salt sizes. That's good to know. Will violently shaking a mostly-full bag do the job of mixing it back up okay? 

[BioCube Newb]

BRS did a video series on this very subject.  Check it out if you got the time, i found it quite informative.

[DSA65PRO]

Do you find you are having to use more Salt to get the ppt up enough, than what the instructions say? 

 

[BioCube Newb]

If i remember correctly in that video all but one or two exaggerated on how much water each bucket makes