NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 So I lost some SPS this week and I do regular weekly water changes in my tanks so I figured my parameters were just fine. Low and behold I brought some of my water over to Reefits house yesterday and found that most everything was fine.............but..... My Calcium tested around 580-600 and my Mag was about 1700!!! My Alk was at 8.5 I haven't tested it yet today but am a little confused since I don't dose in my tank as to what is going on. Robert and I are both thinking it could be a bad batch of salt so I wanted to see if anyone else here has ran into this on the boards. Im currently using Kent salt but I'm pretty sure I will be switching to something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Kent salt is pretty high on calcium. There is an article somewhere where somebody was comparing most of the salt mixes, but I can't find it. If you don't have a high load of calcium demanding corals it is possible that your values will go up. But I also feel it could have been a very "strong" batch on kent. Do you see any sort of precipitation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeFit Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 As per your other comment, there is no need to switch to a different salt like H2O ocean pro for a few weeks then go to something different. it will take several water changes over a few months to get the tank dialed in to a different salt, so if you choose to change, make sure your not trying 10 different salts in a few weeks time frame because it will stress your tank inhabitants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeFit Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Kent salt is pretty high on calcium. There is an article somewhere where somebody was comparing most of the salt mixes, but I can't find it. If you don't have a high load of calcium demanding corals it is possible that your values will go up. But I also feel it could have been a very "strong" batch on kent. Do you see any sort of precipitation? theoretically if you remove, 10 gallons of water with calcium, you put 10 gallons back in of the same type of water it should replace what you took out and add whatever was depleted, so logic would say the salt was mixed with higher levels than what he had previously mixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 As per your other comment' date=' there is no need to switch to a different salt like H2O ocean pro for a few weeks then go to something different. it will take several water changes over a few months to get the tank dialed in to a different salt, so if you choose to change, make sure your not trying 10 different salts in a few weeks time frame because it will stress your tank inhabitants.[/quote'] I was just figuring that it would be worth spending the money from now on with what ever salt I go with. I know your having good luck with Reef Crystals so that may be what I end up doing. Just wasn't sure if I should get a salt that is supposedly more stable and has had more tests done on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 I'm going to head down to SWF in a little while and see what his kits test out my tank water at as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 theoretically if you remove' date=' 10 gallons of water with calcium, you put 10 gallons back in of the same type of water it should replace what you took out and add whatever was depleted, so logic would say the salt was mixed with higher levels than what he had previously mixed.[/quote'] If your tank is 10g yes. But if your tank consume more ca than the concentration in your mix, then you go low, so reactors, dosing and so on. More ca then necessary it is just gonna precipitate with no harm for corals. Reef Cristal is low on ca, kenk is relatively high. Both are great mixes. I suggest you to go with kent if you plan frequent water changes and are not planning to have a ca reactor. I didn't find the article, just an image: Kent is mostly equivalent to sea water plus some trace elements. It is also low on phosphates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeFit Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I was just figuring that it would be worth spending the money from now on with what ever salt I go with. I know your having good luck with Reef Crystals so that may be what I end up doing. Just wasn't sure if I should get a salt that is supposedly more stable and has had more tests done on it. The idea is that your not switching things up to much. kent marine is not a bad salt, you may just have a bad batch and i would test that and look into getting your money back. If you switch salts, i recommend staying with the new brand for several months before trying a different one again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 The idea is that your not switching things up to much. kent marine is not a bad salt' date=' you may just have a bad batch and i would test that and look into getting your money back. If you switch salts, i recommend staying with the new brand for several months before trying a different one again.[/quote'] I think I'm going to go ahead and shoot them an email and see what I can do. Just sucks that I've lost quite a few pieces this week alone from salt! I guess it's my fault for not testing daily but still sucks none the less. If your tank is 10g yes. But if your tank consume more ca than the concentration in your mix, then you go low, so reactors, dosing and so on. More ca then necessary it is just gonna precipitate with no harm for corals. Reef Cristal is low on ca, kenk is relatively high. Both are great mixes. I suggest you to go with kent if you plan frequent water changes and are not planning to have a ca reactor. I didn't find the article, just an image: Kent is mostly equivalent to sea water plus some trace elements. It is also low on phosphates. Thanks for getting that. I was just looking for something like that online but you beat me to it. I'm hoping Robert's right and that I just got a bad batch of salt. I've been using Kent for 4 months or so now and haven't had any issues up until now, but with that being said everything I've lost for the most part was SPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Is that the results from your tank or freshly made SW? I'd start by testing a fresh batch of SW. If the params are that far off from NSW, i'd switch salts. Or you could just add some calcium everytime you do a WC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 what other additives are you putting in your tank??? purple up? any other products like that? Also, where do you get your water? If you think it's your salt, test a fresh batch of SW...like impur said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 Is that the results from your tank or freshly made SW? I'd start by testing a fresh batch of SW. If the params are that far off from NSW, i'd switch salts. Or you could just add some calcium everytime you do a WC. Dumb question but shouldn't I be trying to lower my calcium levels? what other additives are you putting in your tank??? purple up? any other products like that? Also, where do you get your water? I haven't used any additives in well over a month probably closer to two months now. I don't dose with anything other than what's in the salt mix. Water was from SWF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 I plan on taking some fresh saltwater mixed down to SWF today and see what's up. I just tried to call KENT and got a voicemail. So I guess I will just wait and see what to do from here. Just sucks I lost quite a few corals and it sounds like I've been poisoning them with the salt mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 With high ca and mg you are not gonna kill your corals. Impur is right, test a fresh made sw. Mix and keep it moving for a day, then test and let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 What else could cause all of this die off then? The only non SPS coral I lost was a Ric I got from Beth and Kim that I really liked.(sad) All my other corals seem happy. I bought a couple of SPS pieces last week from Westside one which has died now (red milli) and I took the other over to Reefits just so I didn't loose the purple with blue tipped milli. The day after I bought a Orange Digi from OIAB but that seems to be doing just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrcrain Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 How many corals was it? I thought you decided it was the anemone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 How many corals was it? I thought you decided it was the anemone. I was positive it was the nem but now I'm having second thoughts on it after these tests and more corals that the nem couldn't have touched are dying off as well now. I've lost a total of 5 pieces since Friday.(flame) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 What is your alk? I mean the unit? Meq? I can tell you for sure that ricordea florida do like high mg What is your ph? Did you guys tested Reefit water too that day? What brand of test did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 What is your alk? I mean the unit? Meq? I can tell you for sure that ricordea florida do like high mg What is your ph? Did you guys tested Reefit water too that day? What brand of test did you use? Alk: 8.5 PH: 8.2 NO3: 1-2ppm Amnonia: .5 Calcium: 580-600 Mag: 43/9 1700 ppm This was all done on an ELOS kit. I have an elos alk kit here but nothing else. I plan on buying those in the next day or so as well. At least just the mag and calcium levels. But with the calcium being so high this would be the perfect time to get a clam!!(nutty) Just kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 need to test for phosphates. do you have ample flow in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 need to test for phosphates. do you have ample flow in the tank? Phosphates were at 8.5 I should have plenty of flow in the tank. I'm running one 1050 and 1400 koralia powerhead plus a 690 gph return pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topher Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 what is the correct calcium level? i thou ght it should be 400 to 460ish.???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 what is the correct calcium level? i thou ght it should be 400 to 460ish.???? That is the ideal calcium level from my understanding as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 Can either of these cause Red Slime Algae as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 looks like my lighting could be part of the cause of the algae. This sucks getting all of these problems all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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