I agree with @PatW, BRS has a lot of great information regarding salt mixes. Just research the salt you are thinking about switching to and make sure it aligns with your parameter goals. I personally use Tropic Marin Pro, its on the more expensive side of salts. Though in my experience it mixes clean and has the parameters I like.
LFS Water
- Thread starter LeftFootedJedi
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
LeftFootedJedi
Active Member
The saga continues, wanted to fill you guys in on the happenings this weekend.
On Friday, I went to my aforementioned LFS and told them what readings I got from their saltwater last week. They could not explain, checked their storage tanks and all was good. We spoke about other possibilities, but ultimately could not figure out how there was nitrates in the water that had not been introduced to my tank yet. They speculated that maybe leaving it in the garage for 2 wks caused it? I said not sure how, weather has been pleasant, I haven’t touched them in any fashion. I’ve always left it in there, including June/July/August when it’s really hot w/o issue. So left it at that & bought 10 gallons of saltwater.
Yesterday I tested the saltwater I just bought on Friday& the left over RO I got from them 2 wks ago.. (see 1st & 3rd pics below). Both showed nitrates!
I took two more samples from my jugs went back to LFS & had them test the both, sure enough both had nitrates. Employee A says, let me test ours again, while he is doing that Employee B at the register says they just changed their RO filters yesterday, maybe the filters were a 2-3 wks overdue?? When Employee A came back & said both of his reservoirs tested zero, he dismissed the idea.. pretty quickly. Nope, not possible. But I thought, if they make salt water w/their RO.. how is that not the most likely source? I’m literally bringing back water that is 2 days old?
So we went round & round again, they could not explain it.. how water less than 2 days old already had nitrates. I said, ok, they guy already brought me more RO.. can you test it? Sure.. zero. I said ok, I’ll test it when I get home. See my 2nd pic.. nitrates again!!! what the heck??
I’m saving to upgrade my tank to a 90 gal, any day now actually, so I can’t afford an RO system at the moment. But how is this possible? Somehow between the store and my house or in the garage I develop nitrates?? As I said before, I’ve had very good service w/the LFS to date, very nice.. always willing to answer questions, give good trade in value.. but bad water for God knows how long?
I was initially resigned to the fact I’d get RO from them but would start making my own salt.. cheaper anyway. But I can’t even trust the RO either?
Any more thoughts on this?
On Friday, I went to my aforementioned LFS and told them what readings I got from their saltwater last week. They could not explain, checked their storage tanks and all was good. We spoke about other possibilities, but ultimately could not figure out how there was nitrates in the water that had not been introduced to my tank yet. They speculated that maybe leaving it in the garage for 2 wks caused it? I said not sure how, weather has been pleasant, I haven’t touched them in any fashion. I’ve always left it in there, including June/July/August when it’s really hot w/o issue. So left it at that & bought 10 gallons of saltwater.
Yesterday I tested the saltwater I just bought on Friday& the left over RO I got from them 2 wks ago.. (see 1st & 3rd pics below). Both showed nitrates!
I took two more samples from my jugs went back to LFS & had them test the both, sure enough both had nitrates. Employee A says, let me test ours again, while he is doing that Employee B at the register says they just changed their RO filters yesterday, maybe the filters were a 2-3 wks overdue?? When Employee A came back & said both of his reservoirs tested zero, he dismissed the idea.. pretty quickly. Nope, not possible. But I thought, if they make salt water w/their RO.. how is that not the most likely source? I’m literally bringing back water that is 2 days old?
So we went round & round again, they could not explain it.. how water less than 2 days old already had nitrates. I said, ok, they guy already brought me more RO.. can you test it? Sure.. zero. I said ok, I’ll test it when I get home. See my 2nd pic.. nitrates again!!! what the heck??
I’m saving to upgrade my tank to a 90 gal, any day now actually, so I can’t afford an RO system at the moment. But how is this possible? Somehow between the store and my house or in the garage I develop nitrates?? As I said before, I’ve had very good service w/the LFS to date, very nice.. always willing to answer questions, give good trade in value.. but bad water for God knows how long?
I was initially resigned to the fact I’d get RO from them but would start making my own salt.. cheaper anyway. But I can’t even trust the RO either?
Any more thoughts on this?
Last edited:
FlexingFishSticks
Valuable Member
I used to buy rodi water from a LFS. I had red cyano then green algae then Dinos for months. I bought a rodi unit and after weekly water changes for 4 weeks using my rodi unit the Dinos disappeared. I never tested LFS water but I suspect that was my problem. You should def invest in rodi basically what I’m tryin to say haha
first i'd bring my kit to the store and test the water there to see the results to verify your kit agrees with theirs ....if it starts out ok there and tests bad later at home i think i'd try different jugs...maybe some kind of organic slime on the jug surface that s breaking down later?....my tank was under 40 gal so it got set up with tapwater....topped off with distilled water from grocery store and water changes with nutri seawater....tried to save money and bought water from lfs and voila...brown cyano...went back to what i was doing originally and cyano disappeared immediately with no other changes....no i never tested their water so it could have been a coincidence
Last edited:
OP
OP
LeftFootedJedi
Active Member
So.. brief update on this topic.
I went out of town this weekend & needed some RO in a pinch.. figured why not once more. Went to aforementioned LFS... came home & water test 40 PPM nitrates, 0 ammonia & 0 nitrites.
My API kit is good.. matches Red Sea kit numbers.
Not fooling me for a 4th time!!
I went out of town this weekend & needed some RO in a pinch.. figured why not once more. Went to aforementioned LFS... came home & water test 40 PPM nitrates, 0 ammonia & 0 nitrites.
My API kit is good.. matches Red Sea kit numbers.
Not fooling me for a 4th time!!
