Water Chemistry Frustration

[gregzz4]

Just to clarify; you today tested 4.5dKH, not 4.5meq/L, yes?

First thing I'd recommend is you have your LFS test your Alk with their kit.

If this shows your test kits are OK then I'd suspect your salt mixes have settled.
If you don't use a whole bucket in one go, you've likely heard to roll each new bucket before opening.
Hopefully it turns out you have 2 bad tests as I've not yet heard of a salt mix being so low.

Other thoughts are possibly leaving your new water sit for too long. Apparently AF recommends using their brands within 48hours/5days respectively dependent upon which product you use. After this the minerals may/will precipitate out/bond together and there come your low readings.
If this is the case, put the AF aside for emergencies and use the RS Blue going forward.

[marineman41]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Just to clarify; you today tested 4.5dKH, not 4.5meq/L, yes?

First thing I'd recommend is you have your LFS test your Alk with their kit.

If this shows your test kits are OK then I'd suspect your salt mixes have settled.
If you don't use a whole bucket in one go, you've likely heard to roll each new bucket before opening.
Hopefully it turns out you have 2 bad tests as I've not yet heard of a salt mix being so low.

Other thoughts are possibly leaving your new water sit for too long. Apparently AF recommends using their brands within 48hours/5days respectively dependent upon which product you use. After this the minerals may/will precipitate out/bond together and there come your low readings.
If this is the case, put the AF aside for emergencies and use the RS Blue going forward.

Correct - 4.5dkh.
Thank you for the advice. I will have my LFS test my water.

[gregzz4]

Plz keep us updated

[gregzz4]

Update??

[marineman41]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Update??

I am getting my water tested this weekend. Will know more then.

[marineman41]

I never made it in to get my water tested at my LFS... however, I bought a new Hanna alkalinity reagent today and I made the switch to Red Sea blue bucket salt a couple weeks ago. After my normal 15 gallon water change every Sunday, my DKH was 8.2 and my PH was 8.3. I think the new filters on my RODI unit are helping with the diatoms as well.

I think that all my issues are due to tampering too much with the aquarium, trying to get the right number when I needed to step back and let things happen naturally.

Maybe it was a bad batch of reagent that brought on all my frustrations.

Thanks for listening and your feed back.

[gregzz4]

Well I guess as long as things are going well ...
I don't like Blue Bucket prices but really like their Big3 parameters.

If you want to be as anal as myself and many others, test your new water and tank water before each WC.
It's good to know where you're at before and after

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by marineman41

I never made it in to get my water tested at my LFS... however, I bought a new Hanna alkalinity reagent today and I made the switch to Red Sea blue bucket salt a couple weeks ago. After my normal 15 gallon water change every Sunday, my DKH was 8.2 and my PH was 8.3. I think the new filters on my RODI unit are helping with the diatoms as well.

I think that all my issues are due to tampering too much with the aquarium, trying to get the right number when I needed to step back and let things happen naturally.

Maybe it was a bad batch of reagent that brought on all my frustrations.

Thanks for listening and your feed back.

I made the switch from RS blue to Brightwell NeoMarine, I did the first 20g water change this weekend. I wish I had stayed Red Sea but will give the NeoMarine a fair try with the 2 buckets I have. If I don't see any benefit for the extra work I am going back to the Blue Bucket.