AquaVitro Salinity Reef Salt
 

Anyone else running this at the moment? Would like to see if anyone else is getting different tested values compared to their independent lab analysis.

It's telling me that their calcium level for 1.026 is 407ppm, two separate test kits of mine have now confirmed the level to be well over 540ppm.

Lot number 56369.00.

In addition to this I'm getting an insoluble material that floats on the surface, very small white crystals that have yet to dissolve after 36 hours of mixing...

Time to swap back to Reef Crystals me thinks?

I use salinity. My mix is always pinpoint at what the label claims (I test for calc and alk only). Takes around 24hours to dissolve clearly. No suspended matter though.

You don't have the lot # of your last batch by any chance?

There you go :)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...1-12222446.jpg

This is what they told me when I talked to them


So I asked should I remove the powerhead and heater from my set up......

And this. Don't know why you shouldn't mix for more than 24hrs. My cubes been mixing since march.

I don't use heater. I dissolve mine in a bit warm water (possibly around 85). The solution itself is exothermic and produces excess heat. I just use a maxijet 400 to dissolve 2-3gallon of saltmix for 24hours.

The statement made by Aquavitro, in addition to these values scares me enough to swap back to RC.

Under normal circumstances a salt mix should never be concentrated enough to allow for calcium bicarbonate precipitation (@NSW 1.026 values). The only way to do this would be vastly increasing ambient CO2 levels or altering internal water chemistry AWAY from NSW values. The levels of excess calcium being detected could very well be the source of super saturation and conversely the precipitate/ cloudiness.

As you stated why would I add a salt to my tank that doesn't work well when heated, mixed thoroughly or exposed to CO2? These are all key components in my reef aquarium...

That's what I got out of their comments as well. Awesome salt, just don't add water to it :)

Yap this salt is possibly the most controversial salt out there in market. People mainly leave this salt because of the precipitation but people who stayed with this salt always admired it.

I am sticking with this is because I don't need to buy any test kit other than nitrate and phosphate. Atleast for this batch :D