Don't understand Kent Salt

B

blide

I want to use a replacement bucket I was sent from Kent a while back and the ALK is 8.0 Kdh and I run my tank 10 - 11. So I added baked baking soda to raise the ALK and it just won't rise. I have done this twice and now my make up water is cloudy, so the ALK had to raise to create the calcium carbonate right?

I have used my Salifert test kit to test ALK and Calcium and they remain the same 8.0kdh and 400 Cal.

Does anyone know what I might be doing wrong?
 
I think he's trying to adjust the new salt being added. Dunno why it wouldn't go up if you are adding the baking soda. It might be precipitating out with the Ca.
I just adjust the whole tank after large water changes.
 
When you mix it up, how long does it mix (salt & water only)? I'd let it mix 24 hours, then add the baked baking soda. Typically, I'll mix up a few spoonfuls in a cup of RO water, and then pour it in while watching my pH meter. Once it reached 8.1 to 8.3 that would be good enough.

I've never tried to match alkalinity when doing water changes. Just temp, salinity, and pH. You can always buffer the entire tank if the alk isn't high enough. FYI, 11 dKH is considered the upper limit of normal parameters (8 to 11 dkH)
 
OK, I will make up another batch and just do the water change. I always let it setup for 24hrs, but I just can't figure out why the ALK wouldn't rise. The trash can looks like it's full of snow now so something happened and the ALK never changed.
 
I have a feeling that water will have rather low calcium at this point. It probably precipitated out of the water due to the additional buffer.
 
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