Ca/Alk/Mag Mess . . . How to fix?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

It is a new bag of salt. That makes me a bit nervous, as it could be quite different from the previous bucket.

Honestly, it's just salt. As long as it's the same brand as what you've been using, you're good. Mix it up for an hour, if it mixes clear, that's my sign that salt is good.
If you're still concerned, do a quick alk test. You don't need to knead the bag, or flip it, or mix for 24 hours. Mix it in RO, let it go clear and hit a close temp to what you need, and change water. It's just a water change.

[gregzz4]

Although I agree with most of everything said, I find that my salt does not mix to the proper Sg in an hour or so
I find it takes overnight for the Sg to stabilize, but that could be just me

It's also been pointed out to me that my testing of Ca over 500 from a bucket is not right, and I agree it was way too hi, which is why I started the thread I did

I tried my best to prove it wrong, but it came out that hi after multiple tests

I would like to think that the bucket I was just finishing, and the Elos test kit I was using at the time, were not getting along ..

But, I still get readings of 460 or higher with a brand new bucket of IO and a brand new Elos kit

[gregzz4]

Doing a 50% WC will not harm anything, as long as the new water is good

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Although I agree with most of everything said, I find that my salt does not mix to the proper Sg in an hour or so
I find it takes overnight for the Sg to stabilize, but that could be just me

Ya, gonna have to go with "it's just you". I mix mine up an hour ahead of time and it's fine. Once the salt is dissolved to the point that the water is clear, it isn't going to get more dissolved. I do have a large pump mixing it, but I do 50g at a time. In emergencies, I've mixed 5g buckets of new water in 10 minutes. While there's nothing at all wrong waiting 24 hours, it just isn't necessary.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Ya, gonna have to go with "it's just you

Probably has something to do with a maxijet 600 in a 20g
I'd love to get NSW ready in an hour or 2, but I've found refractometer readings change as the day/night goes on, so I just wait 'till the next day

Back to Shelley's original question, shall we ???

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Back to Shelley's original question, shall we ???

I'm enjoying the banter. Don't stop on my account.

Seachem Reef Status Carbonate test shows that total alkalinity is 3.2 meq/L (9 dKh).

This test confuses me. I assume that total alkalinity is what the API test tests for. But, there is a second part to this Seachem test: which tests for borate alkalinity. Subtract the borate alkalinity from the total alkalinity to get the carbonate alkalinity.

But, since the API test is so simple a trained monkey could do it, I assume it is total Alk.