water Change Issue....

meowzer

Moderator
I mixed up 10g's with IO salt
and 25G's with IO and IO reef (I was short so I mixed them)
The 10G's is crystal clear
the 25G's is cloudy
.....I did add too much sale, and am awaiting some more ro/di to dilute it.....could that be it....or could it be mixing the 2???? ANY IDEAS??
I doubt I will use it if it doesn't clear up....remember the saying
IF IN DOUBT...THROW IT OUT LOL
 

section143

Member
I recently purchased the IO reef crystals and have had nothing but problems with my tank. Corals dont look as healthy and im getting hair algae blooms since i started using it. It mixes to a lower SG than IO does and does come cloudy when mixed with the IO. I wanted to use the crystals for the calcium upgrade but i think im going back to the IO salt and continue dosing.
 

meowzer

Moderator
HMMM....Well this was the last of the salt from a 200LB box...I have never had any other issues....
So you actullay mixed some before???? did you toss it?
 

section143

Member
The first time i used it i mixed it as i would my IO... when i tested the SG was 1.021 and cloudy a day later.... added some salt to raise to .025...did my water change... day later my digita was looking horrible...montipora caps had no polyps.... acans shriveled up and favites showing no meaty flesh... You get the point.. went back to just the IO and LPS is recovering but SPS is shot to say the least. And my coral growth seems to be stunted. Dont know if ill ever try crystals again
 

meowzer

Moderator
Well I'm about to dump out all 25G's.......sigh.....I'm not using cloudy water in my tanks
at least I got the 10G qt, 29G and 54G tanks changed with nice clear water :)
 

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3257223
Was the 25gs mixed with salt that was the "end of the barrel"?
End and beginning of a bag.....I buy the box, so they come in 50g bags...
I'm glad I tossed it....there was a slimey white substance in the bottom
 

flower

Well-Known Member

I just purchased Instant Ocean Reef Crystals, I only mixed 4 gallons up so far from the bucket, but it was clear almost instantly...I am a little worried. I bought it because the Magnesium is higher. The regular Instant Ocean salt mix had too low of magnesium, and calcium…LPS corals all died on me…..What’s up, is Instant Ocean just bad salt?
 

cranberry

Active Member
Sometimes the bottom of the bag contains a bunch of the additives that settled out.
The IO isn't bad because the 10gs mixed up prior were fine.
I too use IO salt in the 200g boxes/bags.... I have about 10 boxes.
 

meowzer

Moderator
Flower I have used nothing but IO since the beginning....this is only the first time this ever happened to me....ANd I used all but the last today of a box of the IO reef crystals....
I think this may have just been an issue with this batch......my other w/c's were fine with the regular IO I used today...
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3257230
Flower I have used nothing but IO since the beginning....this is only the first time this ever happened to me....ANd I used all but the last today of a box of the IO reef crystals....
I think this may have just been an issue with this batch......my other w/c's were fine with the regular IO I used today...

Whew...what a relief thanks.
 

section143

Member
I think when i get my nanocube im gonna start it with the crystals and see what the results are... i think the moral of this thread is not to mix the IO and the IO crystals together. And Flower make sure you check the SG on the 4 gallons you mixed. the crystals ended up with a lower SG than i was used to.
 

cranberry

Active Member
I mixed the 2 just last week.... I had one of those 5 gallon portions of Reef Crystals. Mixing the 2 is not the issue.
I have gotten cloudy water when mixing the last of the portions. Something settled out. It can easily happen. That's not just salt in the bag but a bunch of different particulates that make up your mag etc etc. They are different sizes, different weights etc etc and can easily settle out. That's precipitate in the bottom of the bucket... also confirming the "settling out" theory.
 

section143

Member
So what do you think contributed to my sps dying and lps closing up not to mention my hair algae bloom right after my first batch of the mixed IOs? I went right back to IO along with my dosing recipe and things are getting back to normal.
 

cranberry

Active Member
I wasn't even speculating on your case..... I would have no idea. I've mixed the two on numerous occasions because I had a bunch of the little 5 gallon boxes of Reef Crystals from a trade show. So I've mixed them together about 15 times now.
 

meowzer

Moderator
I just have to say it was one of those things I guess.....I have used IO since August 2008...no problems....and this has never happened before....
I'm just not sure if I really need the reef crystals or not
 

cranberry

Active Member
I had this one that gave me some gray cloudy water.......it's not sold here in the US but is suppose to be higher grade. I think it happened twice out of the bucket and not the rest of the time. I figure I must have grabbed a clump of some "element" when mixing up these smaller batches. They really are meant to be mixed in their entirety in one sitting.
 

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3257255
How do y'all seal your unused portions of salt? Does it ever clump on you?
I have never had it clump....I have some of the plastic containers from previous 160G salt purchases....I open it a bag at a time, and put it in the plastic container, and then seal the top
 
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