What do you do when sw mix is mixing much higher alk then tank and tank is already @ 9.5. Anyone know of a 9.5 alk salt mix?

[nano reef]

So My last 2 batches of Fritz blue did the same thing! Mixed at 11.5. or higher. They came in separate bags too! THis new one is one giant bag of messed up salt! Going to call them but in the meantime I am not sure if I should do a series of small water changes or what.

I dont want to slowly up my alk to match because I dont want it that high!

I am also looking for another brand that isnt to expensive that mixes right. I go with Fritz because supposedly they guarantee and not that expensive but still 80 bucks and mixes clear in 20 minutes! ! . Last time I called them about high alk but I had thrown out the big box. So I didnt have the batch #.

Please recommend a salt mix and tell me what to do! I didint use to check all the time and no wonder my corals kind of freak out after water changes! I have introduced a lot of highends now until my frag tank is ready!

Please help!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can easily lower the alk in new salt water with sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid.

 

[Garf]

So My last 2 batches of Fritz blue did the same thing! Mixed at 11.5. or higher. They came in separate bags too! THis new one is one giant bag of messed up salt! Going to call them but in the meantime I am not sure if I should do a series of small water changes or what.

I dont want to slowly up my alk to match because I dont want it that high!

I am also looking for another brand that isnt to expensive that mixes right. I go with Fritz because supposedly they guarantee and not that expensive but still 80 bucks and mixes clear in 20 minutes! ! . Last time I called them about high alk but I had thrown out the big box. So I didnt have the batch #.

Please recommend a salt mix and tell me what to do! I didint use to check all the time and no wonder my corals kind of freak out after water changes! I have introduced a lot of highends now until my frag tank is ready!

Please help!

You definitely got the salinity right? Calibrated somehow?

 

[homer1475]

You can easily lower the alk in new salt water with sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid.

+1

Been doing it for many years to purple box IO.

 

[Freenow54]

So My last 2 batches of Fritz blue did the same thing! Mixed at 11.5. or higher. They came in separate bags too! THis new one is one giant bag of messed up salt! Going to call them but in the meantime I am not sure if I should do a series of small water changes or what.

I dont want to slowly up my alk to match because I dont want it that high!

I am also looking for another brand that isnt to expensive that mixes right. I go with Fritz because supposedly they guarantee and not that expensive but still 80 bucks and mixes clear in 20 minutes! ! . Last time I called them about high alk but I had thrown out the big box. So I didnt have the batch #.

Please recommend a salt mix and tell me what to do! I didint use to check all the time and no wonder my corals kind of freak out after water changes! I have introduced a lot of highends now until my frag tank is ready!

Please help!

The Fritz blue box says 8-9 The red is 10-11.5

 

[nano reef]

You can easily lower the alk in new salt water with sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid.

Seriously? With out lowering other parameters'? Does this cause any ill effects at all?

So since I am getting elevated alk should I test the calcium and mag or just test my tank from time to time. Last time I tested calcium it was 500 and mag was normal range. Cant remember the exact # and I hate testing calcium and mag the worse of all! lol

Is 500 ok with mag normal? I dont know that I want to keep lowering the alk every time so what is a good salt that I can get about 9.5 alk and normal sea levels of calcium and mag ect. I have looked before and seemed hard to find!

fritz claim @1026 8.5 alk 1425 mag and 440 calcium. If only it were true and I made the mIstake of buying a big bag instead of separate but probably wont matter! Just harder to deal with since so heavy!

Fritz claims to be 8 to 9 I have read lots of people claiming high alk readings though. I dont know if thats as common with other salts because I only googled high alk with Fritz!

 

[JayM]

I use the same salt. Single bag big box. I usually test the first batch from each new box out of curiosity more than anything. It’s never been out of range for me when mixed at 35ppt.

 

[nano reef]

You can easily lower the alk in new salt water with sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid.

+1

Been doing it for many years to purple box IO.

I used a hanna checker and tested several times and it was mixed at 1024 which is lower then I usualy mix at 1025 so hate to think how it would be at that salinity!. @homer1475 what do you mean by +1? I used to use reef crystals but after trying Fritz I just dont know that I can go back to the water taking for ever to clear. Is it the same with the regular? What alk do you get with IO? It used to cost 37 bucks for IOcrystals and now about same price as Fritz! I dont get why the price more then doubled in less then 2 years!

@ Randy Holmes-Farley Do you know the ratio? Is one more preferred then the other and does it only change alk? Any other ill effects?

 

[nano reef]

I use the same salt. Single bag big box. I usually test the first batch from each new box out of curiosity more than anything. It’s never been out of range for me when mixed at 35ppt.

I cant imagine what I could be doing wrong! I used to store box in garage and I live in hot humid fl. I had one singe bag left so I decided not to use it and ordered a fresh batch! Same thing again.

I used to store rodi in garage and now I make it fresh or keep stored bottles in house So Its between 65 to 75 like directions say but closer to 75! I add Salt pretty slowly and never dump it in. I use a plastic measuring cup with a spout and just wave it back and forth slowly! I only use a wave maker to mix though but I am only mixing up less then 20 gallons. I just read where they say to use an airstone. Do you do that?

I always make sure there are no accumulated pockets of salt though.I let water clear at least a few hours then check it before I heat it. The only thing different I can do is add an airstone, do you use one?

I love the salt and love what the parameters say and how fast it mixes clear. My lfs used to use it and she switched to red sea because of alk issues but she said it was low alk!

Last two boxes same rhing! I was hoping it was from being stored in garage and sometimes I would forget to tie the bags closed but wasnt those reason!

What a dang share. Tomorrow I am going to whip out my old refractometer! My hanna is recently calibrated though but maybe its faulty or something! I have had it about the same amount of time I have been using fritz!

 

[JayM]

I cant imagine what I could be doing wrong! I used to store box in garage and I live in hot humid fl. I had one singe bag left so I decided not to use it and ordered a fresh batch! Same thing again.

I used to store rodi in garage and now I make it fresh or keep stored bottles in house So Its between 65 to 75 like directions say but closer to 75! I add Salt pretty slowly and never dump it in. I use a plastic measuring cup with a spout and just wave it back and forth slowly! I only use a wave maker to mix though but I am only mixing up less then 20 gallons. I just read where they say to use an airstone. Do you do that?

I always make sure there are no accumulated pockets of salt though.I let water clear at least a few hours then check it before I heat it. The only thing different I can do is add an airstone, do you use one?

I love the salt and love what the parameters say and how fast it mixes clear. My lfs used to use it and she switched to red sea because of alk issues but she said it was low alk!

Last two boxes same rhing! I was hoping it was from being stored in garage and sometimes I would forget to tie the bags closed but wasnt those reason!

What a dang share. Tomorrow I am going to whip out my old refractometer! My hanna is recently calibrated though but maybe its faulty or something! I have had it about the same amount of time I have been using fritz!

I usually mix between 20 and 30 gallons at a time. I don’t check temperature, but my RODI water is stored in the garage where I do my mixing so it could be anywhere between 60° and 80° depending on the time of year and time of day. I just use a cheap $20 return pump with some silicone tubing on the outlet for mixing. No airstone. Sounds like our methods are pretty much the same, but I always shoot for 1.026. I don’t know that 24 or 25 would make a difference.

Is your alk reagent expired maybe?

Maybe take a sample to your LFS and have them test to verify?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Seriously? With out lowering other parameters'? Does this cause any ill effects at all?

So since I am getting elevated alk should I test the calcium and mag or just test my tank from time to time. Last time I tested calcium it was 500 and mag was normal range. Cant remember the exact # and I hate testing calcium and mag the worse of all! lol

Is 500 ok with mag normal? I dont know that I want to keep lowering the alk every time so what is a good salt that I can get about 9.5 alk and normal sea levels of calcium and mag ect. I have looked before and seemed hard to find!

fritz claim @1026 8.5 alk 1425 mag and 440 calcium. If only it were true and I made the mIstake of buying a big bag instead of separate but probably wont matter! Just harder to deal with since so heavy!

Fritz claims to be 8 to 9 I have read lots of people claiming high alk readings though. I dont know if thats as common with other salts because I only googled high alk with Fritz!

Here's a thread detailing what to do:

Sodium Bisulfate to Reduce Alkalinity in New Salt Water or in Display Tanks

I just want to record these calculations in their own thread to refer back to in other threads. When alkalinity is too high in new salt water or in a display tank, acid can be used to lower the alkalinity. You can easily use muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), or sodium bifulfate (e.g...

www.reef2reef.com

500 ppm calcium is always fine.

 

[Garf]

Tomorrow I am going to whip out my old refractometer

There's a link to Randy's DIY calibration solution in my sig, if interested.

 

[nano reef]

There's a link to Randy's DIY calibration solution in my sig, if interested.

Thanks. Might have to use that if mine is expired. i have used a refractometer in probably 4 years so it more then likely is!

 

[nano reef]

Here's a thread detailing what to do:

Sodium Bisulfate to Reduce Alkalinity in New Salt Water or in Display Tanks

I just want to record these calculations in their own thread to refer back to in other threads. When alkalinity is too high in new salt water or in a display tank, acid can be used to lower the alkalinity. You can easily use muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), or sodium bifulfate (e.g...

www.reef2reef.com

500 ppm calcium is always fine.

Problem is neither of those will be delivered for a week and I need to do a WC asap as its been slightly more then 2 weeks plus I have corals coming in on Tuesday.

I think I read somewhere you said that seachem acid buffer is the same or also does the trick and it will be here tomorrow!

Is that a good product to use? Do I raise ph by aerating the water longer? I only have api test kit for ph since my hanna probe is broken. Will that suffice?

I also like the directions are on the bottle so seems easier to use and not in the metric system lol.

What are you thoughts on using seachem and following their directions?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Seachem acid buffer is sodium bisulfate and will work, although I do not know its purity.

Yes, raise the pH by aeration.

 

[nano reef]

Seachem acid buffer is sodium bisulfate and will work, although I do not know its purity.

Yes, raise the pH by aeration.

I cant believe what I found out today! The hanna checker is wrong! I have some calibration vials (sort of) that tella you if hanna checker alk is in the right range! I have had then so long I figured they were expired!

After I got a reading out of the range I called hanna and tech support said he never heard of one being off that much!

Its been off more then likely since I bought it two years ago so I have been running higher alk trying to keep up but I let it drop since I was ordering a new batch and didnt like keeping it over 11!

God only know how high my alk has been all along!

My advise to everyone is to buy those! Especially if something seems off! I ordered a new hanna checker That will be here very late tomorrow evening!

Now I am thinking I should up alk a tiny bit because I really need to do this water change and my high end zoas and my new amazeballs arent doing to well! Many zoas have melted! UGGGHHH

My reading in one is 8.6 and other 9.4. But proably under 6 in the one with the amazeballs and zoas! The zoas and amazeballs are pretty new but older zoas and gonis seem fine.

I am also going to order the Sea chem because good to have on hand incase I need it. I have read quite a few people that have good luck and mostly use if for IO salt! The hanna isnt suppose to come until 10 pm or later tomorrow. so I dont think it can hurt! I wish it were in the am and my luck with amazon it may not come for a few days!

Thanks for you help! I should have searched for those first! At least I learned some things too and will be prepared! Upping it is easy but lowering is the harder part! lol

 

[nano reef]

Best 13 bucks ever spent

 

[Pod_01]

The hanna checker is wrong! I have some calibration vials (sort of)

Interesting, just an aside I have 4 different tools. Hanna, FM Alk titration test, Salifert alk test and GHL KH Director.
Fun times when I use them all and I get 4 different results, retest 3 times and I usually end up with 12 different results. At that point I just average them all….

On a serious note so far they are all within 1dKh. But on few occasions I did catch measurements mistake by using few of them.
From my experience it is good idea to have at least one additional test kit around for sanity check.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Best 13 bucks ever spent

As I noted in the other thread, I’m not a fan of these, and the fact that the Hanna tech never heard of one off that much is an indication of how they are not that useful.

Checking the test with an actual water sample is far more useful.

 

[nano reef]

As I noted in the other thread, I’m not a fan of these, and the fact that the Hanna tech never heard of one off that much is an indication of how they are not that useful.

Checking the test with an actual water sample is far more useful