made a bucket and tested it so far
@ exactly 80 degrees
35 ppt via refractometer
alk 3.1 meq/l … 8.68 DKH
396 calcium
haven’t done the mag test, got tired of it for now
still wondering why this is the best salt?!?
still wondering why this is the best salt?!?im not sure anyone thinks its the best salt, but so far it does seem to enjoy a good reputation.
levels look perfect so far but im curious what the Mg will test. Mg seems to be the most notorious element lacking in most salt mixes.
Will comment more later, but how long was it mixing?
about 5 hours when i tested t.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:2, topic:745”]
still wondering why this is the best salt?!?im not sure anyone thinks its the best salt, but so far it does seem to enjoy a good reputation.
levels look perfect so far but im curious what the Mg will test. Mg seems to be the most notorious element lacking in most salt mixes.[/quote]
i like to think of perfect as 450 calcium, 10 dkh alk, and 1450 mg… thats just me…
levels dont make a good salt. hell if u want high levels get coralife, its calcium is around 500 and alk is around 12dkh and its CHEAP. there is a thread of reef centrals with all salts tested. most people look for a good base, similiar to what they keep there levels, so they dont get thrown off by waterchanges. also alk in some salt mixes is too high. when going on a bacterial driven system, such as brightwells neo zeo, or zeovit, prodibio, vsv dosing, etc… it is VERY important to have a alk around natural seawater levels. 8-9dkh, too high of a alk can haunt you. its a good salt, since calcium is moderate, and alk is natural. if i were to do a waterchange with that salt, my levels may drop by 1-2ppm in calcium and stay spot on in alk. i keep my calcium at 420, and alk at 8.5 dkh. when chosing a salt it is important to know what you can keep your levels STABLE at, depending on your method for keeping stable levels. also calcium, mag and alk arent all that make the salt. trace elements are just as important imho. hell i wouldnt mind adding calc/alk/mag myself as that would be MUCH easier. I use waterchanges mainly to replenish trace.
[quote=“addicted2reefin, post:6, topic:745”]
levels dont make a good salt. hell if u want high levels get coralife, its calcium is around 500 and alk is around 12dkh and its CHEAP. there is a thread of reef centrals with all salts tested. most people look for a good base, similiar to what they keep there levels, so they dont get thrown off by waterchanges. also alk in some salt mixes is too high. when going on a bacterial driven system, such as brightwells neo zeo, or zeovit, prodibio, vsv dosing, etc… it is VERY important to have a alk around natural seawater levels. 8-9dkh, too high of a alk can haunt you. its a good salt, since calcium is moderate, and alk is natural. if i were to do a waterchange with that salt, my levels may drop by 1-2ppm in calcium and stay spot on in alk. i keep my calcium at 420, and alk at 8.5 dkh. when chosing a salt it is important to know what you can keep your levels STABLE at, depending on your method for keeping stable levels. also calcium, mag and alk arent all that make the salt. trace elements are just as important imho. hell i wouldnt mind adding calc/alk/mag myself as that would be MUCH easier. I use waterchanges mainly to replenish trace. [/quote]
all good words of wisdom, i was just pointing out hte obvious but like you said, stable > levels
i like to think of perfect as 450 calcium, 10 dkh alk, and 1450 mg... thats just me....
I learned a long time ago not to shoot for levels like that. My salt consistently mixes up at around 400-440 Ca, 7-8dkh, and 1200-1300Mg which i could not be more happy with.
I agree with almost everything addicted said especially his point about the WC’s as it relates to parameters and trace.
i were to do a waterchange with that salt, my levels may drop by 1-2ppm in calcium
i really want to know what test kit your using! thats what i call precision! ;D im happy if my tests are ±20ppm >LOL<
Would you get a more accurate test reading after the mix is 24 hrs old?
I personally prefer to find a salt mix that I like and stay with that mix all the time. Looking for consistency.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:8, topic:745”]
i like to think of perfect as 450 calcium, 10 dkh alk, and 1450 mg... thats just me....
I learned a long time ago not to shoot for levels like that. My salt consistently mixes up at around 400-440 Ca, 7-8dkh, and 1200-1300Mg which i could not be more happy with.
I agree with almost everything addicted said especially his point about the WC’s as it relates to parameters and trace.
i were to do a waterchange with that salt, my levels may drop by 1-2ppm in calcium
i really want to know what test kit your using! thats what i call precision! ;D im happy if my tests are ±20ppm >LOL<[/quote]
salifert is accurate to 2 ppm
red sea is accurate in alk to .01 meq/l
i made another bucket, will test it tommorow again after 24 hours, im impressed with their measurements per gallon, exactly 5 leveled off 1/2 measuring cups in exactly 5 gallons made 35ppt on the dot.
red sea is junk, sorry to say, i used there alk test and it changed like my underpants. saliferts acurracy is ±10 ppm, since the scale is by 10ppm increments. dont confuse precision, with accuracy. when they say “Accurate to 10ppms” they should realy be saying “precise”. you can have a test kit that is in .01ppm increments. if it tests the same the whole time then its “precise”, but if the result is far from the rue value it is not “Accurate”. the only way to determine accuracy is by testing a “known standard” if u double the ammount of water in the sample, and double the reagent, u can make saliferts scale by 5ppms, making it more precise, but nothing about accuracy, which is true with most/all titration tests. almost all hobby grade tests, are pretty innacurate, as they leave a little/lot room for operator errors, and reagents are “lab” grade, but the answers we get are good enough for us. i use all salifert test kits, and may switch to elos. lammotte has great test kits, but there alk is junk.
also logans, i was saying that in a hypothetical situation, and not using a test kit to obtain the 1-2 ppm difference, i was just guestimating the variance in the final level, with the difference in the fresh salts levels, and my levels, and the ammount of water displaced. i dont know if ur response was sarcastic tho it could be, as no hobby grade test kit i know of measures in 1-2 ppm increments.
humor not sarcasm! >LOL<
i use salifert as well and have never had an issues. i almost always use the low resolution to conserve reagents. i generally agree with your distinction between precision and accuracy but keep in mind that the alk test kit comes with a control solution to determine accuracy. personally, ive always thought the salifert alk kit was awesome. probably the easiest test ever to do and always accurate for me. the key for me when testing is to have consistent and predictable results. not only are hobby grade test kits not super accurate to begin with, as you mentioned, but there are so many factors that can effect accuracy including the precision dosing of reagents and the subjectivity of determining color change. all that i can hope for is that my test results are repeatable and that i can use them to keep my tank parameters stable regardless of whether or not my results are accurate.
is there something out there i can test that should have a “certain” value (i guess thats how i want to put it)…same way we calibrate our refractometers at zero, is there something i can test that should always have a given value…
then i would see where the test kit landed?
the salifert Alk test kit comes with a “calibration” solution and i pinpoint sells a Ca calibration solution. Im not sure about Mg.
hmmm…maybe we could get a bunce of people to put up money for a couple bottles of whatever the solutions are…then we can bring our test kits to the next meeting and do a little demo…
are they expensive?
some standards you have to make. there not hard, but u need to know a little chemistry. heres and example in a nut shell, X ammt of calcium chloride at y molarity added to z ammount of pure h20 will always yield the same ppm. just need to know how to figure the equations out all u need is a accurate scale, such as a tripple beam, (innapropriate comment:edited by me:)
logans, u pretty much hit wat i was saying about test kits, pretty much as long as the kit is precise, we know our levels are stable, and thats better than a specific #. salifert test kits are great, but the alk test is kind of making me mad lately. i would like to try elos kits as they are getting good reviews, and there reagents are certified by "insert organization here(i forget). also with color comparing tests, there test cards are changed to the batch.
I switched to Brite well salt and have been very pleased. I was convinced when I went to Hidden Reef and spoke with Mr Britewell himself. I have been reading that experienced sps keepers are looking to keep their alk more in the 7-8 dkh range. More inline with natral sea water. I have noticed clearer water and a more stable and consistant levels of CA,MG and Alk. My corals look better and it helped when I picked it up for $39.00 a bucket at the Reef when they had their annaul sale last month.
yes, you can get good calc and alk readings on a variety of salts. but the proof is in the mix. the alk and Mg and Ca readings can come from a variety of chemicals. so the mix is important. to approach natural sea water levels. But i use the rot gut MEI salt and yes, i know its low in Ca and MG, but i can easily suppliment that with ice melt salts to bring it up to par. and that is what i do. but a better quality salt may also have better balance of other elements and compounds.
So its a shoppers market.
Buy what serves you best.