What is up with this salt!

[starboard]

I have to agree with Alton, I use Oceanic, and dose Kalk. SPS and clams grow like crazy! PH stays a solid 8.2-8.3 day or night.

[z28pwr]

You dropped your Ca by adding all the buffer. I would suggest doing some water changes to bring things back in line. Use IO or IO/Oceanic mix.

Try aerating a cup of water outdoors for 15-20 minutes and then check the ph. That will tell you if there is a CO2 issue. In theory, it should be a excess CO2 problem as the article talks about but as I said things get weird once you start precipitating out CA, Mg and other elements.

Thanks Richard, I'll give that a try.

[TexasTodd]

Z28power. These threads are all opinions and what people have pieced together. I made an opening statement because I believe it's the root of your problems. But, I also gave you advice to follow on checking parameters and how ca and alk can "play" with each other. I'm glad you checked with Alex on the alk kit. Is he the ONLY place in town that might have one? If I was having this problem I'd make it a point to find a kit or borrow one.

I agree with Donny, most problems I've heard of are associated with sps corals. "ression from the tips down" among other problems and the brown film on sand.

If your ph is at 8.1 that is not a problem given a normal reading on CA. If your finally up to 8.1 and your CA is at 700 you probably want to do something.

I use IO. It's cheap, consistent, and works for my set up.

I've read the threads and posts also on Oceanic. I don't see multiple threads doubting IO.

Z28 please get someone over with alk and ca test kits. The cardinal rule is "Don't does ANYTHING without a test kit to read the tank level on it".

Where are you located?

Todd

[TexasTodd]

Oops, posted from the first page!

Z28, what is your Mag level?

How big is your tank?

What are you keeping in it?

While you try to fix this problem you can try a longer photo period and keep any refigium lights on 24hrs. This will at least help keep the ph up some.

Was a new bucket of salt used for the last large water change?

Todd

[TexasTodd]

I filled up my tank with Oceanic Salt------------was this a brand new set up?

Just trying to look at all possibilities. Did you put the salt in and then add water?

I'm sure you probably didn't but wanted to check.

Todd

[z28pwr]

Todd, It's a brand new setup and the tank is a 380 gallon tank. Both buckets of Oceanic were brand new. I did find my Salifert Alkalinity test kit which showed 16+ DKH, I later bought another test kit from Alamo that showed over 16 DKH aswell therefore I'm going to do a massive water change (150 gallon) since I don't have any fish in there at the moment, just 200+ lbs of LR.

These are the parameters:

Temp 79.4 F
SG 1.021
CA 330
PH 8.0
AK 16+ DKH Went off the Salifert Scale.

[NaCl_H2O]

"Weird" is a chemistry term for I don't know WTF is going on but I don't like it ;)

lol, probably the only 100% factual statement in this thread

[Dozer]

I agree. Since Oceanic is high in Calcium and low in Alk., a large water change without adding any buffer seems to make sense.

[TexasTodd]

Now I'm really confused. "Both buckets of IO were brand new. " ?

I think you used Oceanic...yes?

Sounds like a good plan! IMO if you are going to have some sps in there you will want your SG up to around .024-.025 area. I'm not sure on softies.

Todd

[z28pwr]

Now I'm really confused. "Both buckets of IO were brand new. " ?

I think you used Oceanic...yes?

Sounds like a good plan! IMO if you are going to have some sps in there you will want your SG up to around .024-.025 area. I'm not sure on softies.

Todd

Yeah, I meant to say Oceanic. The tank will mostly be a FOWLR with the exception of a few Mushrooms and Zoanthids which I've kept before at 1.022 without a problem.