100% waterchange

[angler man]

Is this possible with a new brand of salt? I got a bad batch of salt and it wreaked havoc on my tank and I have given up on the brand.

 

[9supratt4]

You want to do a complete waterchange?? Is there any Livestock in the tank?

 

[bang guy]

Anthony Calfo does 100% waterchanges regularly. The downsize is that you need to match PH and that can require some tweaking. Be sure the temperature is consistent as well.

 

[angler man]

Great! Thanks Bang Guy.
Edit: How far off should I expect the PH to be and what can I do to tweak it?
9supratt4,
Yes, I have a few fish and corals but I was planning on re-acclimating them like I would new livestock.

 

[9supratt4]

Yikes!! Sounds like a really BIG project!!
What did the old salt do to the tank?? Wouldn't it be easier to do 25% changs everyday for 4-5 days?
How big is the tank?

 

[bang guy]

If it were me I'd probably just do a 50% change.
That said, Washing soda will raise PH by removing CO2. Vinegar will lower PH but be careful as too much can cause a bacteria bloom.

 

[lilredwuck]

I'll go ahead as I am sure we would all like to know.........What brand???? BTW this is my own little question, but how do you get "bad" salt?? Impurities??

 

[angler man]

I mixed a brand new batch and did a 15% water change a couple of days later and my tank started to get furry. I thought maybe I wasn't doing enough of a water change even though the Nitrate/Nitrite/Ammonia were reading zero so I did a 40% change two weeks later and my tank looked like a dead Wookie shortly after. I tested the fresh mixed salt water and the DKH was reading 6 and there was a phosphate reading. I lost my starfish, and my corals looked something awful.
I then discovered that I was pretty much putting the crappiest salt in my tank as some new research came out that the salt I was using was one of the most poorly manufactured salts for consistency. My friend just stopped using the brand I have been using and his tank is now flourishing with Reef Crystals. He was having issues with corals especially.
I just ordered SeaChem as I have heard really good things about it and am excited to get my tank looking healthy again.

 

[angler man]

Originally Posted by lilredwuck
http:///forum/post/3181428
I'll go ahead as I am sure we would all like to know.........What brand???? BTW this is my own little question, but how do you get "bad" salt?? Impurities??
Crystal Sea Marine Mix,
It was highly touted when it came out as my friend and I were told it was amazing stuff. Yeah, just wonderful.
Bad salt doesn't happen from impurities. It happens when too much of something or too little of something comes out in a batch. I was talking with a guy(owns a saltwater related company)and I was asking about salts, he told me that one of his closest friends lost his entire tank over a bad batch of salt. He didn't believe it was the salt as first and felt his friend had faulty test kits, so he took his Salifert test kits over and he said he couldn't believe his eyes. I don't remember what he said was off in the water, but it was enough to kill the tank and it did.
Edit: the tank is a 92.

 

[angler man]

Hey Bang, something just occurred to me, if I did a 100% water change and put the LR back into the tank how long do you think it would take for the PH to balance out naturally? I could just keep my fish in a tote with a PH and a heater for a few days if its not a long process. I have a 20 long with some frags in that I could put the rest of my corals in with for now.

 

[bang guy]

It should only take 24 hours for PH to stabilize in new saltwater.
If you're going to take the fish out of the tank then you can drip acclimate them and put them back in after just an hour or so. Make sure you keep them warm.

 

[florida joe]

while 100% water changes may be practical for smaller tanks. IMO the logistics of reforming it on tanks over 50 gallons would be a nightmare. A true 100 % means tank, sump and refuge if using one