ddouglass July 4, 2017 Share July 4, 2017 After 2 year of my tank being up and running I slowly did the bad thing and get lazy. I know this wasn't the smartest thing in the world. Well my tank ended up crashing. I decided to start from scratch. I cleaned the sump and tank and added new sand and rock. I re-did the plumbing and got the system up and running. No fish have been added as they are in the QT. My tank is cycled and now started testing the Mag, Cal, and Alk levels because I would like to have corals back in the tank at some point in the future. While I was testing I noticed that my Mag, Cal, and Alk levels are so low that they are unable to give a reading using my red sea test kits. I have tested multiple times of the day and multiple days. I want to raise my levels up, but my question is....if I have no fish or corals in the tank could I dose more than the 100ppm dose? or do I still have raise the levels slowly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddouglass July 4, 2017 Author Share July 4, 2017 Wrong Word for the title >< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smh254 July 4, 2017 Share July 4, 2017 I would test a fresh batch of saltwater to make sure testing is on point. If it is then I don't see a problem dosing all at once with no coral and fish. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar July 4, 2017 Share July 4, 2017 Definitely check your test kits by testing a fresh batch of seawater. But is it possible that your levels are too high, not too low? I'm not familiar with Red Sea test kits. But the Salifert alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium tests are titration test where you add drops until there's a color change. If your alk, Ca, or Mg are too high (dKH 15.7+, Ca 500+, Mg 1500+) and you're using a Salifert test kit, the 1 ml reagent dropper will be empty before you get your color change. (That's not a problem though; you just fill it up again and keep track of how much reagent you use in total.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddouglass July 4, 2017 Author Share July 4, 2017 I haven't tested the salt yet and will later today hopefully as long as things go well here at home being the 4th and all. The Red Sea test is similar but the more drops you use the less your numbers are Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smh254 July 4, 2017 Share July 4, 2017 Make sure you're reading it properly. Red Sea goes by how much fluid was used and salifert goes by how much fluid is left in the syringe. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 parameters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 After 2 year of my tank being up and running I slowly did the bad thing and get lazy. I know this wasn't the smartest thing in the world. Well my tank ended up crashing. I decided to start from scratch. I cleaned the sump and tank and added new sand and rock. I re-did the plumbing and got the system up and running. No fish have been added as they are in the QT. My tank is cycled and now started testing the Mag, Cal, and Alk levels because I would like to have corals back in the tank at some point in the future. While I was testing I noticed that my Mag, Cal, and Alk levels are so low that they are unable to give a reading using my red sea test kits. I have tested multiple times of the day and multiple days. I want to raise my levels up, but my question is....if I have no fish or corals in the tank could I dose more than the 100ppm dose? or do I still have raise the levels slowly? Title fixed. If there's nothing in the tank yet, you can adjust those parameters with little risk to anything (since you don't have anything). A couple of things to note: 1. Salinity is an important measure when you're comparing "recommended" parameter levels with measurement. If you're running a tank at 1.0264 (specific gravity), then many salt mixes will put you "in the neighborhood" of the desired numbers. If you're running it at 1.023, then the numbers will often be lower. 2. Using a reliable (quality) test kit that you can trust is an important thing if you're going to make adjustments based upon those measurements. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Red Sea's lower end test kits. Red Sea Pro is OK. But the other stuff that you normally find on the shelf at a big-box pet store has been unreliable in my experience. Salifert has been a reliable standard in the hobby. Hach is another. Seachem makes a few good ones, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddouglass July 5, 2017 Author Share July 5, 2017 Title fixed. If there's nothing in the tank yet, you can adjust those parameters with little risk to anything (since you don't have anything). A couple of things to note: 1. Salinity is an important measure when you're comparing "recommended" parameter levels with measurement. If you're running a tank at 1.0264 (specific gravity), then many salt mixes will put you "in the neighborhood" of the desired numbers. If you're running it at 1.023, then the numbers will often be lower. 2. Using a reliable (quality) test kit that you can trust is an important thing if you're going to make adjustments based upon those measurements. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Red Sea's lower end test kits. Red Sea Pro is OK. But the other stuff that you normally find on the shelf at a big-box pet store has been unreliable in my experience. Salifert has been a reliable standard in the hobby. Hach is another. Seachem makes a few good ones, too. I am starting to agree with you on the test kits. I have purchased Salifert test kits from brs and hopefully will be here this week to check the testing. I never have had any problems with Red Sea Pro Salt, is there a better salt mix out there. I have always thought it was what works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 I've heard of but never used RSP salt. It's probably fine. The two most prevalent salts used in the hobby are probably Reef Crystals and Instant Ocean - both are by Marineland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 (edited) Salt mixes are pretty much personal preference. I use Reef Crystals but that is simply because it has been on sale when I've needed salt but I'll generally stick with plain old Instant Ocean. I used RSP years ago and had good results with it too. Edited July 5, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 (edited) It may be possible your test kits have expired? I used to see the same things with expired Salifert kits. As for dosing more than the 100 ppm, If there is no livestock in the tank. Go for it. But I would look into a fresh salt batch first. All reef salts should come in at the range of calc (380-450), alk(7-15 dkh), mag (1200-1500). If your salt is not reading in those I guarantee it's an expired test kit. Salt mixes are pretty much personal preference. I use Reef Crystals but that is simply because it has been on sale when I've needed salt but I'll generally stick with plain old Instant Ocean. I used RSP years ago and had good results with it too. As for salt, they are defenetly not created equal. I have tried many different salts over the years and had several good salts and several bad salts. Here is a list and my thoughts of using it. Kent: $30 per 200g box, quickly mixes, but high in copper and aluminum. Used for 6 months Oceanic: $65 a bucket, took about an hour with pump to mix clear, no problems found. Used for 1 year before trying Salinity Salinity: $95 per 210g bucket, quick mix, stable mix up parameters as long as you roll the bucket for 5 min before getting salt out. Used for 1 year but stopped due to having to constantly mix up the salt before adding it to water and was expensive Red sea pro: $74 per bucket, alk was way too high on a fresh mix mixed up at 12-15 on average. only used for 2 months because it was causing too large of alk swings in my 120g so i stopped using it. Fritz RPM: $40 a box out in CO, $65 a box online, extremely stable parameters, mixes quick, used it the last 4 years in CO before moving out here. And since it showed up by online vendors, I use it currently. My favorite salt I have used. Instant Ocean Reef crystals: cheap out here on the east coast, extremly available, alk mixes up in the 11-12 range which is why I swapped to IO purple after the first box of RC. Instant Ocean Purple: cheap, takes a few hours to mix clear, leaves a nasty residue on the container you mix it up in, but mixes up very consistently with proper NSW levels. I used this up until Nov/2016 when I found Fritz online. Edited July 5, 2017 by sethsolomon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 Instant Ocean Reef crystals: cheap out here on the east coast, extremly available, alk mixes up in the 11-12 range which is why I swapped to IO purple after the first box of RC. Instant Ocean Purple: cheap, takes a few hours to mix clear, leaves a nasty residue on the container you mix it up in, but mixes up very consistently with proper NSW levels. I used this up until Nov/2016 when I found Fritz online. Just a quick comment: The nasty residue is thought to be clay which is used as a drying/anti clumping agent in the mix. The residue is not a problem (meaning, it's not a health risk for your tank), but it is ugly. It seems to be more prevalent in your mixing container when you agitate it continuously (as I once did) - today, I mix for 30 minutes per day). I've used IO and RC both. I've experienced the brown residue firsthand. Over the years, I think that Marineland has changed IO's formulation as it used to mix up to about 8 dKH. Today, it mixes up higher, I think. I remember seeing Fritz Aquatics' salt at MACNA in Denver. I've never used it myself, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 (edited) I remember seeing Fritz Aquatics' salt at MACNA in Denver. I've never used it myself, though. Its pretty fantastic I have tested across fresh batches of salt and very little difference between different batches. This is the salt that I imagine IO used to be like. Mixes up at 8-8.2 dkh, 420-425 calc, 1390-1400 mag, 0 Nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia Edited July 5, 2017 by sethsolomon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 Its pretty fantastic I have tested across fresh batches of salt and very little difference between different batches. This is the salt that I imagine IO used to be like. Mixes up at 8-8.2 dkh, 420-425 calc, 1390-1400 mag, 0 Nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia Except for the higher magnesium levels, it's right in the range of where IO used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 5, 2017 Share July 5, 2017 Reef Crystals mixes to 11.5 and 455 calcium for me which raises the tank dKH by .3 after a 15% water change and is insignificant to me. The Fritz looks to be right around where I like to keep my tank so I might look into that when the time comes to buy more salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddouglass July 7, 2017 Author Share July 7, 2017 What have you all heard about aquaforest? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddouglass July 9, 2017 Author Share July 9, 2017 Used a friend's Red Sea Test kit and it showed normal levels for my tank and salt mix. I guess I had a bad test kit? Ordering a new one tonight Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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