Check your Reef Crystals Salt!

[Mr. Ugly]

Manufacturer has confirmed low Ca and Mg levels.

I'll contact them and DF&S to see if there are any other problems with the salt.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1285879

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1270094

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1265348

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1274357

[northbay-reefer]

Thanks Norman, now I have to get those containers replaced

[Thales]

I don't think it is worth it replacing the containers. Just use it and adjust the values. DrF&S will send you free supplements to make up for the difference. Lets save the planet and not ship even more heavy stuff across the country.

[northbay-reefer]

Thales you are a true hippy speak for yourself am getting my new bucket

[Thales]

You've seen my house, I ain't no hippy!

Have you tested your buckets? What were the levels?

Norm, what did AS say the low levels actually were? Some were reporting 200 Ca which is problematic, but most are reporting 350-380 which seems like not the biggest deal.

[northbay-reefer]

Rich, yeah, I tested it and its about half empty Actually its pretty low like 350 cal and 1100 mag. So I asked for seachem reef salt to try out. If that works out I'll stick with that

[Mr. Ugly]

Originally posted by Thales
Norm, what did AS say the low levels actually were?

Per email from AS:

"What we produce daily comes up at 420- 430 Ca++ with Mg at 1200-1300 at 32ppt (1.023-24 Specific Gravity). At NSW you should see higher levels of Ca++ and Mg"

They did test at least one sample that looked low as a result of a refractometer error.

And they found actual readings on another batch as:

Mg: 1150
Ca: 380

I saw Ca at 350-360(Seachem) and Mg at 1150(Salifert) on 8 of my buckets.

I think Mg may be even lower than 1150 in some batches.

The Salifert kit assumes a particular level of Ca, and the titrant actually takes up both Mg and Ca.

I picked up a Seachem Reefstatus Mg kit to test my RC after my Salifert ran out.

The Seachem kit is pretty nice if you're comfortable with chemistry procedures. The kit precipitates out the Ca prior to Mg titration, so you have a truer reading of Mg levels.

It has decent resolution/precision compared to the "count the drops"(100ppm, yuck!) type kits.

The testing vials are small, so you have to know how to do the one handed hold and finger flick trick for mixing during titration.

Anyway, with the Seachem kit, I showed 900ppm Mg on a quick and dirty test, if I remember correctly.

Originally posted by Thales
Some were reporting 200 Ca which is problematic, but most are reporting 350-380 which seems like not the biggest deal.

I'd guess that 200ppm Ca is a testing error, but who knows!

I still haven't mailed my salt samples. I have a tendency to want to quadruple check myself when I see questionable results. I'll run one more set of tests this weekend with the new kits, then mail in the salt.

I'd like for ASI and DF&s to run some other tests aside from Ca and Mg. It's reasonable to expect other parameters to be off with the salt.

I may be able to get access to an ICP, and hope to get some good info to compare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICP-MS

[northbay-reefer]

Well, drforster and smith are good with their word, they will be shipping me a new bucket of salt to try out free of charge. Thanks again Norman for the info

[Thales]

You better find out what that new salt is supposed to test out to, or you'll have to get that replaced as well.

[northbay-reefer]

well if it doesn't test out right then I'll just have to buy other salt myself and test them. I think DR forster and Smith are more than accommodating to do this for me, they will get more bussiness from me in the future

[Thales]

Whats the new salt supposed to test to?

[northbay-reefer]

I am not sure but seachem has two types, one for regular salt water tank and one for reef, I got the reef one. I'll post the reading once I receive it. But I did another batch of 55 gal of reef crystal last night and cal is 360 and mag was only 1080 so I had to add a bunch of stuff to bring it up to par

[Thales]

How will you know if the seachem is testing out to the levels its supposed to test to if you don't know what levels its supposed to test to? What was the salinity of the RC you tested and what were you testing with?

[Ebn]

The seachem stuff is the reefsalt. I've got a bucket sitting here that I've been using. Gotta test the Reef Crystals stuff now...

[northbay-reefer]

Originally posted by Thales
How will you know if the seachem is testing out to the levels its supposed to test to if you don't know what levels its supposed to test to? What was the salinity of the RC you tested and what were you testing with?

Thats why I want to try it out my salinity is 1.026

[fishsoldseprtly]

the only thing I can say is " RED SEA CORAL PRO!"