kH tear took 28drops!!!

[LayT27]

Set up a brand new saltwater tank. I used my LFS RO/DI and was dumb, didn’t check it before hand. I added Reef Pro Mix straight to the sump to let the sump and pump mix for me. It tested 1.025 and the calcium is 440 but the hardness drops on the Reef Master Test kit took 28 drops before it went from blue to yellow. My kH on my tap water is an 8. Does the salt mix naturally raise the hardness that much, or could their RO/DI water be that contaminated? I ordered my own but it won’t be in for a few weeks.
I was wanting to get a fish to help with the cycle but I’m worried my water is too hard. This is for a FOWLR tank.

 

[ndrwater]

Salt mix usually contains some sort of a buffer for alkalinity. I would be more concerned with using tap water that has the possibility of chlorine or chloramine in it. Not to mention any other number of nasty said we tried to avoid in our tanks. Using RODI from the local fish store is probably a better bet no matter what.
Depending on the salt mix you are using they can mix anywhere from 7 to 12 dkh

 

[LayT27]

Salt mix usually contains some sort of a buffer for alkalinity. I would be more concerned with using tap water that has the possibility of chlorine or chloramine in it. Not to mention any other number of nasty said we tried to avoid in our tanks. Using RODI from the local fish store is probably a better bet no matter what.
Depending on the salt mix you are using they can mix anywhere from 7 to 12 dkh

I’m not using my tap, I was just saying it for reference.
My reef mast kit stops at 12 drops. So it’s over that. The issue is that I did use my LFS RODI water and the hardness is still that high. So their RODI water is contaminated or just dirty? The salt mix is Fritz Reef Pro (Blue)

 

[ndrwater]

Probably neither. What salt are you using? What test kit are you using? there are a variety of titration type test kits out there, and it is important to know which one we're talking about.

 

[LayT27]

Probably neither. What salt are you using? What test kit are you using? there are a variety of titration type test kits out there, and it is important to know which one we're talking about.

Using Fritz RPM (blue box) and then the API Reef Master Kit

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Is the test kit expired?

 

[ndrwater]

Fritz has been shown to mix very high in alkalinity.
Couple that with a " less than accurate" API test kit and I don't doubt your confusion.
if I were to recommend a good test kit for alkalinity, I would start with Red Sea, then Nyos. then Salifert
I personally use the Hanna alkalinity tester. Simple and accurate.
All that being said, I would mix the water and then retest in the morning. Freshly mixed saltwater can sometimes have numbers that bounce around

 

[LayT27]

Is the test kit expired?

It’s brand new

 

[Copingwithpods]

Just to clarify you are testing dkh correct? I suspect a testing error as based on that kit your Alkalinity would be at 28dkh and that is highly unlikely. Test your Salinity, dkh and pH one more time to confirm.

 

[LayT27]

So I did some more research and Im wondering if adding almost 60oz of Fritzyme 9 bacteria to the tank caused it to be high because even my pH was super high. So it was a ton of salt and then a ton of bacteria all added at once. I checked the dkH this morning and it came in at about a 12dkH, salinity is 1.025. will wait till the end of day today and test again.

 

[LayT27]

Just to clarify you are testing dkh correct? I suspect a testing error as based on that kit your Alkalinity would be at 28dkh and that is highly unlikely. Test your Salinity, dkh and pH one more time to confirm.

So my pH and dkH has stabilized at a 12dkH but my TDS is 2148...that’s not a typo. I emailed my LFS to ask what their TDS is cause my tap is 180. So 2148 tds from their RODI should not be possible. I did add some frrizyme 9 but still

 

[Copingwithpods]

So my pH and dkH has stabilized at a 12dkH but my TDS is 2148...that’s not a typo. I emailed my LFS to ask what their TDS is cause my tap is 180. So 2148 tds from their RODI should not be possible. I did add some frrizyme 9 but still

Not understanding. Are you testing rodi (freshwater with no additives?) or are you testing rodi + salt mix? Also did you add bacteria to freshwater?

 

[LayT27]

Not understanding. Are you testing rodi (freshwater with no additives?) or are you testing rodi + salt mix? Also did you add bacteria to freshwater?

It was LFS RODI water that I added salt and fritzyme to

 

[Copingwithpods]

It was LFS RODI water that I added salt and fritzyme to

OH OK, tds meters specially off the shelf units are not really ment to test saltwater as it will be about 53,000ppm,besides tds meters measure conductivity and saltwater being cunductive will give you a false reading. Forget about testing saltwater for tds just focus on newly made rodi with nothing in it.

Chances are your lfs water is fine. And lol 2000+ tds water is a reading you'd see in rivers in India or downstream from textile factories and refineries, not safe to drink probably not even safe to touch.

 

[LayT27]

OH OK, tds meters specially off the shelf units are not really ment to test saltwater as it will be about 53,000ppm,besides tds meters measure conductivity and saltwater being cunductive will give you a false reading. Forget about testing saltwater for tds just focus on newly made rodi with nothing in it.

Chances are your lfs water is fine. And lol 2000+ tds water is a reading you'd see in rivers in India or downstream from textile factories and refineries, not safe to drink probably not even safe to touch.

Well now I feel dumb but I learned something new

 

[Copingwithpods]

No need, we all learn new stuff everyday.

 

[dohc97]

I would say for sure but a different test kit, API are not known for accuracy, I would say red Sea, salifert or nyos.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Everything under control now?

 

[LayT27]

Everything under control now?

Other then the water being super cloudy still (tank was set up Sunday morning), it seems to have stabilized. I was planning to get a clownfish today to help the cycle but i may wait a little with water being as cloudy as it is still. I added some polyfill to the sump to see what it can do.