Strange result with Salty Shrimp GH KH

[rawprawn]

Hi All,

I'm really getting a strange result with Saltyshrimp GH KH mixed with rainwater from my farm.

I put 20L in a food grade plastic jerry can and add 2 level spoons as per the instructions, then fill with rainwater.

The rainwater is absolutely pristine, and stored in modern plastic storage tanks (45000L) that are less than 2 years old. Tests at 5.6PH, 5ppm. If you google it, you'll see pure rainwater is meant to be slightly acid due to some sort of reaction as it falls or something.

When I add the salty shrimp, the ph runs straight up to 8.4ph and about 130ppm.

Thing is, if I add only one scoop (half dose) it still goes to 8.4ph and 70ppm.

I've calibrated my meter using the proper solution, and storage solution etc. 

I also test with an ADI kit as a back up.

Seems weird....shouldn't it be buffering to 7.5ph?

Can anyone offer some advice on this? 

 

[perplex]

anyone able to answer this? i was kinda interested why, but no one has replyed yet. maybe @jayc or @Disciple can help

i dont use this myself, but i know mine lowers the ph, so for yours to make it higher is werid. but you use the GH/KH mixture. re check your rain water ph maybe

Edited February 4, 2016 by perplex

[shrimpaholich]

not sure if it has anyhting to do with it, but how old is you Salty Shrimp? does it go "bad" per se?

[jayc]

Sounds about right to me.

rawprawn is using "Salty Shrimp Shrimp mineral GH/KH+"

On 03/02/2016 at 6:11 PM, rawprawn said:

I'm really getting a strange result with Saltyshrimp GH KH mixed

Don't confuse this with "Salty Shrimp Bee shrimp mineral GH+".

I've used it's full name to show that there is a difference in the two.

 

Salty Shrimp Shrimp mineral GH/KH+ contains what I believe is, Sodium bicarbonate, which raises KH and also pH. The Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Sulphate in SS will raise GH. Oops did I just give away SS's secret recipe. 

How much it raises pH, I don't know since I don't use this product.

However, it would make sense that the product could raise pH up to 8.4. When you add this to a mature tank with a mature filter, the natural process of breaking down ammonia by the bacteria will cause pH to drop. So a starting pH of 8.4 can drop & stabilise to somewhere around 7.something over a couple of days.

[inverted]

Where did you get the idea that it would buffer to 7.5ph?

 

[rawprawn]

Not sure where I got the idea of 7.5ph....on the internet somewhere.

Yes, it's the GH KH, specifically for cherries.

While it would mean that both my meter and API kit were wrong in the same way, which I would have thought unlikely, I've ordered new calibration solution and will take samples down to the LFS (breeds a lot of shrimp himself) and get it tested there as well.

I'm really considering just putting the rainwater in a container, adding the prescribed amount of SS and stopping looking at all these things.

They are cherries after all, none are dying and they look happy enough.

[Mikemm]

If you add Epson salt and calcium chloride (ratio 1:4) that should raise the GH w/o affecting KH or PH.  Calcium chloride used in spas, swim pools, ice melter.  After getting GH where you want it chech the TDS.  If you want to raise PH and buffer add baking soda, however this will also affect the 1:4  mg to CA ratio.

[revolutionhope]

Fwiw my ro water (6.4) with ss gh/kh+ always went up to about 7.5 pH