Reef Crystals - The results are in...

[rbursek]

Yes, Oct of 07.
Bob

[speeddemonlsr]

Yeah your salt could be effective. Does anyone know if Instant Ocean will replace the salt if its bad?

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by speeddemonlsr
Yeah your salt could be effective. Does anyone know if Instant Ocean will replace the salt if its bad?

Just from reading the threads, if you feel yours is not up to par, you need to mail a small sample to Instant ocean to test and they will replace the whole bucket. The contact info is in one of these threads.

[rbursek]

Just mailed my 3 samples in to IO, and talked with Dr's F&S CS, not to get anything from them but since they advertize that they use RC at there facility in there coral tanks what there up take was. He was aware of the situationand informative," Our personel found it coming up short too when they tested the water change solutions." Forums like this sure make companies customer orientated to keep there business and reputation. Bob

[rbursek]

I could not understand why my Ca would go down from 425-450 after a 20% water change to about 350-375, I do one every 2-3 weeks, 30 gal. Drip Kalk, add 2 Fishes C Balance, and Turbo Calc. I do a water change and back to low Ca, Lets all give bDare a big ATA BOY!!!!!!!!
Bob

[bdare]

Hey Bob,

Unfortunately, I can not take credit for these findings. There is another thread started by someone else who first posted the problems with RC. In that other thread I mentioned I would send in some salt. I simply started this thread so people could more easily see the results of the testing done by Aquarium Systems.

I am however glad you are more at ease!!

Ben

[rbursek]

JUst came up from the lower levers were my sump/fuge are, did the water change yesterday, tonight, Ca 375, went from 425 to 375 with this bad RC, added C Balance and Turbo boost and Mag.
But as I said, we put are faith in these companies products and promises/specs, I own my own business, and I am acountable for all aspecs, I tell my employees, "if we have to go back to do it right, it is a double lose, we are there for free, and not on a new job making money"!!!! Good thing, they got the concept real fast.
Bob

[rbursek]

JUst came up from the lower levers were my sump/fuge are, did the water change yesterday, tonight, Ca 375, went from 425 to 375 with this bad RC, added C Balance and Turbo boost and Mag.
But as I said, we put are faith in these companies products and promises/specs, I own my own business, and I am acountable for all aspecs, I tell my employees, "if we have to go back to do it right, it is a double lose, we are there for free, and not on a new job making money"!!!! Good thing, they got the concept real fast.
Bob

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by rbursek
JUst came up from the lower levers were my sump/fuge are, did the water change yesterday, tonight, Ca 375, went from 425 to 375 with this bad RC, added C Balance and Turbo boost and Mag.
But as I said, we put are faith in these companies products and promises/specs, I own my own business, and I am acountable for all aspecs, I tell my employees, "if we have to go back to do it right, it is a double lose, we are there for free, and not on a new job making money"!!!! Good thing, they got the concept real fast.
Bob

Hey Bob,

That's wierd that DFs told you that as they posted in their forum that it was testing out ok. Also, wondering what size waterchanges you are doing? If your calcium is dropping from 425 to 375 in your display tank, the calcium in the new water would have to be significantly low. I'm no mathemetician or chemist, so maybe one one of the mods here can comment. For example, if you are doing a 20% change on your 120 gallon tank, or 24 gallons and you are testing your freshly made RC water at 320ppm, would that really drop your display by 50ppm? Not doubting your findings at all, just that if that's the case, I am seriously going to spend a lot more time doing tests myself That's a big drop in the display.

[Mr. Ugly]

.8*425+.2*320=404

also

375=y*320+(1-y)*425

y=48% water change to get to 375

[Mr. Ugly]

I first noticed the problem when my Mg was lower after water change. Makes for unhappy LPS.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Mr. Ugly
.8*425+.2*320=404

also

375=y*320+(1-y)*425

y=48% water change to get to 375

Thanks, Mr.Ugly! I am sure I learned this in high school but that was a LONG time ago!! So, check my math here. If using the example above, you have a 120 gallon tank that is measuring 420 calcium and you do a 20% water change that causes your display calcium to go down to 375, the water change water would have to be approximately only 200ppm calcium?? Wow!

RBursek- It looks like you should double check your tests man just to be safe, or you got a REALLY bad batch of salt.

Can the same formula you supplied, Mr Ugly, be used with other parameters, like mag?

[Aquatic Noggin]

Can someone please post the link to the original thread when this problem was first discovered?

TIA- AN

[Billybeau1]

I believe this was it.

www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1270094

[StrategicReef]

Hello I started that other threaad, as it stands I use a seachem test kit for calcium it test 320 I know some do not like this test kit so it may be like 360-380 for another kit. But, low is low..

Seachem magnesium test also shows 1100 MG at best.

Just wanted to say for those worried about other params.. the salt seems OK after I boost CA with turbo calcium by 100PPM to about 425 ppm and MG by 200+PPM to about 1300PPM before water change.

I keep a 80 gallon SPS only tank and since correcting the params the corals grow for me.. The is no browning, IMO browning of SPS would be caused by something else.

Prolonged low calcium, as in, using the reef crystals without amending the CA and MG, (which I did for a while) will have a hard time growing coraline and SPS will likely STN.

I don't want to bother Dr Foster and Smith, I have 2 more buckets, they have refunded some of my money years ago when I complained, but really it's not their fault.. Simply amending the salt works.. as you needed to with IO also. But Dr F&S say they use these in their coral farm in thousand gallon reservoir in their catalog, they have amazing SPS.. Ha, I do not think they use the RC bucket without amendment.

I think I will continue to buy RC and test each bucket (not a big deal) and amend as needed. Cost of these amendment is a small cost compare to everything else in this hobby, no?

[abark]

Well, I have noticed this problem for a couple years now. Two years ago when I really started getting into SPS I could not keep up my calcium even though I did 15% water changes weekly, and this was with maybe 5 small frags. When I finally ordered a mag test kit and tested my tank it was at about 1100. After correcting my levels in the tank I noticed my tank was back down to these levels after about a month. I finally suspected the salt and tested a batch of freshly mixed salt and found that the RC was the problem. Since then I test every new bucket and in two years I have had two buckets of RC that tested to 425-450 Ca and 1300+ Mg. Not a big deal as I buy Mg and Ca in bulk now and adjust accordingly. I don't necessarily want anything from anybody but having to buy 5 gallon buckets of mag gets a little annoying. I only buy salt when it is on sale at Drs Foster and at that price I am willing to spend a little extra to get the right levels.

[scubadoo2]

What brand do you buy Mag. by the bucket?

[bertoni]

TwoPartSolutions.com and BuckeyeFieldSupply.com both carry bulk magnesium.

[abark]

Originally posted by scubadoo2
What brand do you buy Mag. by the bucket?

As Bertoni said I use twopartsolutions which is now bulkreefsupply.com.