Calcium concentration of new sal****er mix.

When doing a calcium test on my tank, I decided to test the water that
I was using for water changes. (I have been struggling to keep
calcium in line, just covering all bases) The salt mix is Tropic
Marine and RO/DI from a SpectraPure 5 stage. Two hours after mixing I
tested Ca, it was 300 - 310 ppm. Temp 77 sg 1.025. Test kit is
Salifert. Tested with two diff kits, 1 old kit and a new one. Exact
same results. If Natural Sea water is 425-450 ppm, Shouldent a new
salt mix be the same as NSW? Was trying to do some water changes to
bring water parameters in line then it occurred to me to test what I
was putting in there. (after it wasn't working the way I expected)
Does this sound right or is something wrong here? Using these kits my
tank has been at 290-300ppm. I have been dosing the tank with Kalk
and B-ionic to bring the level up to 425 ppm but can't get there. Alk
is 10.5 and Mg was low, 1000ppm. Mg is on a dosing pump now to bring
level up, and is working as expected (15ppm a day). Any Ideas?

Thanks for any (good) responses-

-Mark

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a.../1/default.asp


kc


"SPD" wrote in message
...
When doing a calcium test on my tank, I decided to test the water that
I was using for water changes. (I have been struggling to keep
calcium in line, just covering all bases) The salt mix is Tropic
Marine and RO/DI from a SpectraPure 5 stage. Two hours after mixing I
tested Ca, it was 300 - 310 ppm. Temp 77 sg 1.025. Test kit is
Salifert. Tested with two diff kits, 1 old kit and a new one. Exact
same results. If Natural Sea water is 425-450 ppm, Shouldent a new
salt mix be the same as NSW? Was trying to do some water changes to
bring water parameters in line then it occurred to me to test what I
was putting in there. (after it wasn't working the way I expected)
Does this sound right or is something wrong here? Using these kits my
tank has been at 290-300ppm. I have been dosing the tank with Kalk
and B-ionic to bring the level up to 425 ppm but can't get there. Alk
is 10.5 and Mg was low, 1000ppm. Mg is on a dosing pump now to bring
level up, and is working as expected (15ppm a day). Any Ideas?

Thanks for any (good) responses-

-Mark

Hi Mark,

I've not tested my salt in some time, but I use Kent's Sea Salt and get 400ppm
Ca.

YMMV,

Marc


SPD wrote:

When doing a calcium test on my tank, I decided to test the water that
I was using for water changes. (I have been struggling to keep
calcium in line, just covering all bases) The salt mix is Tropic
Marine and RO/DI from a SpectraPure 5 stage. Two hours after mixing I
tested Ca, it was 300 - 310 ppm. Temp 77 sg 1.025. Test kit is
Salifert. Tested with two diff kits, 1 old kit and a new one. Exact
same results. If Natural Sea water is 425-450 ppm, Shouldent a new
salt mix be the same as NSW? Was trying to do some water changes to
bring water parameters in line then it occurred to me to test what I
was putting in there. (after it wasn't working the way I expected)
Does this sound right or is something wrong here? Using these kits my
tank has been at 290-300ppm. I have been dosing the tank with Kalk
and B-ionic to bring the level up to 425 ppm but can't get there. Alk
is 10.5 and Mg was low, 1000ppm. Mg is on a dosing pump now to bring
level up, and is working as expected (15ppm a day). Any Ideas?

Thanks for any (good) responses-

-Mark

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