Tropic Marin levels?

[SCReef'n]

Mixed up my first batch of tropic Marin coral pro. Tested levels and got:
5.8 dkh
Ca @ 350
Mag @ 990

Thoughts on this? Anyone else have a similar experience. I switched from reef crystals but I’m not sure why I’m wishing I had some right now.

 

[Quietman]

Can I ask the salinity? And did you calibrate your refractometer?

 

[Ly78]

Never tested mg but my fresh mix always getting @7.4 alk and 450 cal at 35ppt.

 

[SCReef'n]

1.026 sg and I just double checked the calibration. Spot on

 

[SCReef'n]

So do people normally dose up you fresh mix or correct in the tank?

 

[Scurvy]

Thats a surprise to see... Been using now for a year and it always tests within a couple points of the advertised numbers. Haven’t swayed at all.

 

[Ly78]

If difference is too much, its better to dose up your fresh mix to match to prevent upsetting your display.

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Given that your numbers are all low, I'd strongly suspect that you really don't have 1.026 specific gravity when you're mixing it up. If a salt mix is old and/or has been exposed to humidity, that can cause the calcium chloride and sodium carbonate/bicarbonate in the mixture to react to form insoluble calcium carbonate, which will affect the final calcium and alkalinity concentration of the seawater. But that doesn't appear to be the case here.

 

[Scurvy]

TM Pro is known as one of the most consistent mixes... I would remove the bag from the bucket and give it a good hand mixing in case of separation and try testing again before I started dosing a fresh mix.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree the salinity is likely off. I'd triple check that before adding anything.

Otherwise, the salt has separated in the bucket, or a bad batch of salt, which IMO, is far, far less common than user measurement issues.

 

[Ly78]

Agreed TMP have been really mixing cocsistent for me too. Try checking your display sg if you are getting 1.026 too just to rule out refractometer error.

 

[SCReef'n]

The DT, fresh salt and calibration fluid all read 1.026 on my refractometer. I have no other means of checking salinity.

 

[SCReef'n]

I’ve rerun all my tests and they are within single digit ppm/dkh of the last tests. Using a Hanna checker for alk and salifert for mag and calcium

 

[Quietman]

Can you mix up a small volume you know is light or heavy?...make sure your refractometer can read something other than 1.026?

 

[SCReef'n]

I’m tempted to open a new bucket and test a gallon of that

 

[Quietman]

You take some out of display and add RODI to lower salinity. Save opening a new bucket.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The DT, fresh salt and calibration fluid all read 1.026 on my refractometer. I have no other means of checking salinity.

How did you calibrate the refractometer? I'd try a different calibration solution.

Not meaning to doubt you personally, but there are hundreds if not thousands of threads in this subforum alone where measurement issues are the cause of off numbers, rather than something odd in the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m tempted to open a new bucket and test a gallon of that

That's a decent plan, except the part of testing just a gallon.

What fraction of the bucket did the last measurement represent? Salt buckets can settle, and taking a gallon of mix of the top may not reflect the whole bucket.

 

[Zero1091]

I did mix once with a brand new bucket and got low levels similar to yours, alk around 5, cal around 390 I assumed the contents needed to be mixed inside the bucket. I poured the contents in and out of the bag a few times about 4 total and got my results a bit higher when I made another batch alk 7, cal 420, dont remember mag so much but it made a difference.
Also noticed a better difference when mixing it at my tank temp (78 degrees) vs it being colder than my tank temp.

 

[chris k.]

I was getting low ca with my batch and found i was mixing too fast.