Help mixing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef Powder

[Boomski]

Should the AFR powered mix clear/yellow/blue (or varied)? Is there a recommended amount of time I should leave it (magnetic stirrer)?

 

[Lou Ekus]

Should the AFR powered mix clear/yellow/blue (or varied)? Is there a recommended amount of time I should leave it (magnetic stirrer)?

Due to raw material batches, the AFR powder will sometimes mix with tints of any of these colors. It is of no concern whether it looks a little yellow or blue or even a little pinkish. As soon as it ids fully dissolved it can be used and does not need any further stirring.

 

[ukgeoff]

Hi, I aim to get my powdered all-for-reef mix as pure as possible and have made my first batch of it by adding 80g a-f-r powder mix to 500ml of pure deionized distilled water (not rodi - 100% pure distilled with all minerals removed).

I haven't used my mix yet, will the distilled water suck out any extra minerals from my mix to balance out the distilled water? Does using distilled water instead of RODI have any effect on the dilution ratio? I know it's not recommended to use deionized water to fill a tank but as I only dose 6ml of a-f-r daily in my 100-litre tank, I'm hoping for a more pure form of my all-for-reef mix.

 

[Hans-Werner]

I haven't used my mix yet, will the distilled water suck out any extra minerals from my mix to balance out the distilled water? Does using distilled water instead of RODI have any effect on the dilution ratio?

No, please don't worry! RODI as well as distilled water are both essentially just water. The traces of minerals that may remain in RODI do not play any role.

It is a myth or a strange expression at least that distilled water sucks up anything. Very pure water is just more keen or aggressive to dilute minerals. When RODI and distilled water have taken up minerals and have the same concentrations of minerals there is no difference any more.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi, I aim to get my powdered all-for-reef mix as pure as possible and have made my first batch of it by adding 80g a-f-r powder mix to 500ml of pure deionized distilled water (not rodi - 100% pure distilled with all minerals removed).

I haven't used my mix yet, will the distilled water suck out any extra minerals from my mix to balance out the distilled water? Does using distilled water instead of RODI have any effect on the dilution ratio? I know it's not recommended to use deionized water to fill a tank but as I only dose 6ml of a-f-r daily in my 100-litre tank, I'm hoping for a more pure form of my all-for-reef mix.

In addition to Hans-Werner's accurate comments, I would also not assume distilled water is purer than DI water. Distilled water typically contacts metal parts during the process and may have dissolved metals.

 

[ukgeoff]

Many thanks for your replies and glad I asked... it's a lesson learned to realise 100% pure distilled water contains dissolved metals and isn't as pure as I assumed.

I'll switch my a-f-r mix over to my standard rodi filtered water - thanks again for your help.

 

[linus.chan]

So i mixed my second batch of for 1L and i have quite a bit of powder left over that just won't dissolve. (I have shaken and stirred it for more than 90 minutes and the water i used was very hot (at least 100degrees fahrenheit). I am pretty sure i used the right measurements.

Is this a bad batch? What should i do with it? The left over powder settles to about 1/4"1/2" on the bottom of my bottle.

 

[linus.chan]

Here is a picture of the leftover sediment

 

[Poochaku]

how large is that jar? how much water is in it and why is it so green? It doesn't look like very much, did you pour off the liquid?

I personally havent had any trouble fully disolving afr even with room temp water. I put a paint mixer on a drill and go to town.

 

[brmc1985]

Got the powder, doing the mixing but it’s not the same tint of blue.. it’s more of a brown tint.. any ideas?

I have the same tint. I haven’t seen any adverse affects I am just assuming it’s because the original liquid had a blue tint and now it’s all powder and has a slightly different chemical makeup. I’ve gone through 5 of these on my 180.

 

[A Young Reefer]

I have the same tint. I haven’t seen any adverse affects I am just assuming it’s because the original liquid had a blue tint and now it’s all powder and has a slightly different chemical makeup. I’ve gone through 5 of these on my 180.

Nice so We can get blue, yellow, and green. Wonder what other colours we can get.

 

[linus.chan]

the bottle is 1.4 Liters. My prior batch was completely dissolved.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I used a cheap stir plate and a kitchen scale off Amazon when i was using AFR powder.

Set a 1000ml beaker on the scale and hit tare. Add 160g to beaker, add water to 1000ml mark and stir with rod a few times. Add magnet stir bar to beaker and set on stir plate. Turn on and go do something else for a little while.

 

[uhgster1]

I bought a magnetic stirrer just for this. It’s worth the investment. Got it off Amazon along with beakers. I let it stir until everything is dissolved. Going on ever since the powder became available.

 

[areefer01]

Any chance of a larger container being offered up down the road than the current 1600 gram? I'm at 100 ml per day so figured I would ask. 10000 ml / 100 ml day = 100 days Right now it seems that I'm starting to consume more calcium so the number may increase. I'm going to manually adjust Ca from 390 to 440 and see if it will hold steady.

I may have to go back to ESV 2 part or try TM's traditional balling of A, B, and C. Not a bad option but sort of got spoiled by All For Reef's single dosing head requirement.

 

[Reef.]

Here is a picture of the leftover sediment

Do the instructions say to heat the water? Room temp will probably be best, heating to 100 degrees is probably the reason.

 

[A Young Reefer]

Do the instructions say to heat the water? Room temp will probably be best, heating to 100 degrees is probably the reason.

By my basic knowledge of chemistry, heating increases the rate of dissolving and makes a saturated solution unsaturated (more solute can be dissolved in the solvent).

 

[areefer01]

I just mix mine at room temp. I've made up the DIY powder / liquid DIY and now the AFR powder. Powder is probably the quickest with it being ready in under 20 minutes.

It really is a great product. Simple to make. Easy to use. Single dosing head.

 

[Shirak]

the bottle is 1.4 Liters. My prior batch was completely dissolved.

So shouldn't the bottle be more than 2/3 full then? Did you add 160g to 1L of water? Looks like not enough water in the photo? And was the water very hot? 100f isn't very hot.. that's barely warm to the touch. I use a hot plate and it feels warm but I can keep my hand on the container.

Some of what you are saying is either incomplete on what you did or just doesn't make sense.

 

[linus.chan]

the bottle is 2/3 full (can't see the whole thing in the picture)