batch water mixing???

[martym]

I am having problems with the crystal sea mix. In the process of setting up a new 20g tank. I mixed the water to a SG of 1.023, mixed it overnight, it was still cloudy. Tested the Ph it was off the hagen scale (8.6 is their top reading). Took a sample of water to Pauls aquarium, he tested it to be 8.8. He gave me a new bag of salt. I mixed up a 5g batch, circulated over night. The water was clear PH still over 8.6, alk=2.6 meg/l which is on the low side. This could have been what lead to the brown water problem I was having with the batch mixing. I'll be going back to see him today with more water so he can test the calibration of my Sg reader, alk, and Ph. Didn't take a very large sample last time. Contacted Crystal Sea Robert Spellman will get back to me tomorrow. I'll let you know what he says.