Instant Ocean Reef Crystals

[racin2438]

First off, do not play with temperature with your RO/DI unit. The temperature is whatever the ambient temperature is of the raw water. Do not try to add hot water to raise the temperature.

As far as mixing saltwater, you are better off mixing with unheated water. It might be counter intuitive, but solubility is better at cooler temperatures. Once you are ready to add the new water to your tank is when you heat it up to match tank temp.

The IO, reef crystals tech guy says the recommend bring water up to temp then add salt to reduce the precipitation. Which worked for awhile until I saw/tested for ery low calcium readings with 3 different tests kits and 3 different people testing water.

 

[racin2438]

First off, do not play with temperature with your RO/DI unit. The temperature is whatever the ambient temperature is of the raw water. Do not try to add hot water to raise the temperature.

As far as mixing saltwater, you are better off mixing with unheated water. It might be counter intuitive, but solubility is better at cooler temperatures. Once you are ready to add the new water to your tank is when you heat it up to match tank temp.

The IO, reef crystals tech guy says the recommend bring water up to temp then add salt to reduce the precipitation. Which worked for awhile until I saw/tested for ery low calcium readings with 3 different tests kits and 3 different people testing water.

 

[CountrySideCoral]

The IO, reef crystals tech guy says the recommend bring water up to temp then add salt to reduce the precipitation. Which worked for awhile until I saw/tested for ery low calcium readings with 3 different tests kits and 3 different people testing water.

I personally do not like IO or RC. I have enjoyed this hobby for 7 years and only TM and RSCP have given me consistent growth and color without dosing. I run a 75 with 29 sump. I do a 5 gallon water change once a month and every three months I completely drain the sump, muriatic acid bath it and refill with a fresh 25 gallons or so.

IO and RC mix dirty and take too long to clear up. I can mix my RSCP in 30-60 minutes run simple Alk, calcium, and salinity test and be good to go. I do agree with you though I don't see a need to pre warm the water before mixing.

 

[rayn]

And I was thinking the residue was just trace elements coming out of the water.

I mix in a 32 brute can. Always heated, always powerhead running, always mixing. That wayang time I need to do a water change I can. I test for salinity before hand and adjust if needed, but water is always at temp. This thread is making me reconsider running the heater and just letting it be cold.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I personally do not like IO or RC. I have enjoyed this hobby for 7 years and only TM and RSCP have given me consistent growth and color without dosing.

Growth and color of what without dosing what?

No salt mix will be adequate to keep a tank with rapidly growing hard corals or coralline algae by water changes alone unless you are changing on the order of 30-50% daily. At the least, alkalinity will be needed, and unless the salt mix has excessive calcium in it, calcium too.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The IO, reef crystals tech guy says the recommend bring water up to temp then add salt to reduce the precipitation. Which worked for awhile until I saw/tested for ery low calcium readings with 3 different tests kits and 3 different people testing water.

That might be useful with Reef Crystals, where there is still a lot of uncertainty exactly what the brown residue is, but with normal IO, there is no brown residue and mixing cold reduces the precipitation of calcium carbonate relative to mixing in prewarmed water because calcium carbonate is more soluble in colder water.

 

[adestafi]

Im using RC and have consistently low alk and good calcium numbers. I don't mix any special way other than run the water into my brute can that has a heater and small power head going in it. Then just pour the salt in and let it mix overnight. Is there residue on the can? Yes. Do I think it's trace elements? No. Wouldn't all of our tanks show coral color and growth issues if the traces were stuck in the can?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Im using RC and have consistently low alk and good calcium numbers. ?

Low alkalinity in the aquarium, or in the new salt water?

How low?

 

[adestafi]

In the aquarium. Consistently tests at 6.1 after a water change. Calcium is always 450 and magnesium always 1500. I don't dose mg and rarely dose calcium. Trying to get alk up has always been a challenge.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In the aquarium. Consistently tests at 6.1 after a water change. Calcium is always 450 and magnesium always 1500. I don't dose mg and rarely dose calcium. Trying to get alk up has always been a challenge.

That would be normal if you are not supplementing. Low alk is the first sign that you need to begin supplementing both calcium and alkalinity.

Alk shows depletion first because there is so little of it in seawater relative to calcium, even though they are mostly depleted together at a fixed ratio.

 

[FishRForMe]

First off, do not play with temperature with your RO/DI unit. The temperature is whatever the ambient temperature is of the raw water. Do not try to add hot water to raise the temperature.

As far as mixing saltwater, you are better off mixing with unheated water. It might be counter intuitive, but solubility is better at cooler temperatures. Once you are ready to add the new water to your tank is when you heat it up to match tank temp.

My RODI unit doesn't have a temperature control, but you can adjust the temperature of the water going into the unit......

 

[FishRForMe]

In the aquarium. Consistently tests at 6.1 after a water change. Calcium is always 450 and magnesium always 1500. I don't dose mg and rarely dose calcium. Trying to get alk up has always been a challenge.

Do you mean ph of 6.1 in your DT? What is the ph of your water going into your RODI? I have a water well and use IO or Red Sea CoralPro. My PH is always 8.1-8.4, calcium about 440...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you mean ph of 6.1 in your DT? What is the ph of your water going into your RODI? I have a water well and use IO or Red Sea CoralPro. My PH is always 8.1-8.4, calcium about 440...

He said that in response to a question about alkalinity, not pH.