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DIY Remineralisation for RO or Rain Water


jayc

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You may have to be a bit patient and wait until a bit later until others in different time zones are on, but I'm sure someone will get back to you/this later on!

Simon

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also, the solution is milky white, do you guys have cloudy issue with the aquarium water after using this remineralisation technique?

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@Spidey, I don't have any certainty of your issue. Not without knowing exactly what ingredient you have purchased.

Are you sure you mixed 40g of Calcium sulphate? and not Calcium carbonate?

The end result of high pH you are getting would suggest it is 40gm of Calcium Carbonate not Calcium sulphate. There is a possibility that the seller mislabel the product. If you can, test the pH of the ingredients individually. Calcium sulphate should have a low pH and Calcium carbonate will have a high pH.

My mix is cloudy until added to the change water. It doesn't stay cloudy in the tank.

 

11 hours ago, Spidey said:

5. isn’t the TDS for NEOCARIDINA supposed to be 150-250? Why 140-160?

The original post recipe for the DIY mix is for Caridina. Hence the target of 140-160 TDS

I mix in calcium carbonate or calcium chloride separately for my neocaridina tanks until I get the desired pH/KH and TDS.

 

Not sure how you would salvage the remaining mix, if it could potentially be 40gm of Calcium carbonate instead of Calcium sulphate.

 

 

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I am certain I did mix in 40 g of calcium sulfate, and I don’t think the label is wrong. My calcium carbonate has slight yellow tint to it. I realised my RO water actually has a high pH, it’s TDS 3 but pH 8 before mixing!! That’s so weird. Anyway I think until I can get my hands on some calcium/gh/kh tester. I won’t be able to find out how to fix this....

1 thing still puzzle me though, how many litres of RO water would yours last because I seems to have to add a lot to raise my tds??

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Are you sure PH8 on RO water, NEVER come across that before? Try and test middle of the day always!

Simon

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1 hour ago, Spidey said:

I realised my RO water actually has a high pH, it’s TDS 3 but pH 8 before mixing!!

There's your problem. And that IS weird.

 

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

how many litres of RO water would yours last because I seems to have to add a lot to raise my tds??

I haven't measured it like that, so I wouldn't know.

I add my 106gm mix into a bottle and add 500ml water. So I turn the mix into a liquid. Then I use that concentrated liquid in my water changes. I use about 15ml per 10L to raise TDS up to about 160. 

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My mix is still cloudy even added to the change water, with precipitates at the bottom after sitting still. Could that be a very insoluble version of the CaSO4? I got it from a local brewery shop. Do the one you get from keg-king.com.au dissolves better? Thank you again for your time @jayc

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32 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Do the one you get from keg-king.com.au dissolves better

Yes, it dissolves when added to the tank.

But it's cloudy when in the concentrated form before I mix it into the change water.

Sounds like you got a dud batch.

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52 minutes ago, jayc said:

Yes, it dissolves when added to the tank.

But it's cloudy when in the concentrated form before I mix it into the change water.

Sounds like you got a dud batch.

thx @jayc, I just tested my RO water again, straight from the machine. It’s pH 9.....

should I acidifying with some HCl?

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RO water shouldn't be at pH 9. Either the pH test is incorrect or the RO water is not at 0 TDS.

Check the TDS of the RO water.

 

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1 hour ago, jayc said:

RO water shouldn't be at pH 9. Either the pH test is incorrect or the RO water is not at 0 TDS.

Check the TDS of the RO water.

 

TDS 4.

ive read there’s some machine actually produce alkaline RO water. Reckon this must be one of them. So if I acidify it with acid to a pH 7-7.5 would it be ok? Or the buffet capacity will be lost and risking pH swing??? I am not quite sure how the mechanic of the buffer work if I add the acid @jayc

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Hey Spidey.

3 hours ago, Spidey said:

there’s some machine actually produce alkaline RO water.

That's correct. RO water made for human drinking consumption, adds alkalinity back into the water after the filtration.

I use an RO filtration system, which includes this alkaline part, but has a switch to turn it off when I make RO water for the aquarium.

Check if you can turn off the post RO deionising filter.

 

4 hours ago, Spidey said:

So if I acidify it with acid to a pH 7-7.5 would it be ok? Or the buffet capacity will be lost and risking pH swing???

That's something I don't know for sure, as I have never tested it. 

 

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It's impossible for tds to be so low and ph so high, something isn't adding up. How are you testing ph and have you calibrated your meter?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/11/2021 at 12:55 AM, Dsetz said:

It's impossible for tds to be so low and ph so high, something isn't adding up. How are you testing ph and have you calibrated your meter?

I have miss placed my calibration sachet, I use my pH pen.  I also have my water tested at a local fish store which seems my pH test is relatively accurate. I also checked that RO system, which has no switch to turn off the alkaline component.

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If it does have an alkaline component it should be pretty darn simple to just bypass it.

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13 hours ago, Spidey said:

I also checked that RO system, which has no switch to turn off the alkaline component.

Try removing the cartridge or inlet hose to the alkaline component.

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Can you do pictures of this machine? That would help a lot.

Have you checked tds and ph on your waste water off the RO machine?

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Dear Jayc
Do u think change all of CaSO4 to Calcium chloride are good idea for shrimp? Because I hope it can dissolve well in small bottle.
Anyway, In my country, most of Remineralisation product are transparent liquid for the crystal shrimp. One of popular brand call HAGEN NUTRAFIN African Cichlid Conditioner. (Increase Gh too). I hope use something slimier to replace this expensive liquid. Thanks.

T
heir main ingredients like as below.
Calcium Chloride Dihydrate
Magnesium chloride hexahydrate
Potassium chloride
Sodium chloride
320910943_.png.2491bd298ed5d7cc8492ccc6c6098c26.png

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8 hours ago, Tom said:

change all of CaSO4 to Calcium chloride are good idea for shrimp?

Hi Tom, Calcium Chloride will increase pH and KH. That means it will only be good for Neocaridina shrimp. As long as you use sulphate ingredients for the other minerals. 

 

8 hours ago, Tom said:

One of popular brand call HAGEN NUTRAFIN African Cichlid Conditioner. (Increase Gh too). I hope use something slimier to replace this expensive liquid

I wouldn't use this Hagen conditioner for shrimp. This one is only for African cichlid fish. As you can see from the ingredient list, "Chloride" has been used extensively. This will mean that KH, GH and pH will be way too high for shrimp. Unless you are keeping Sulawesi shrimp.

Where are you from? Calcium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate are usually very easy to source. It's fertiliser. Most places that sell fertiliser will have it. Magnesium sulphate is also known as Epsom salt.

Are you using this remineraliser for RO or rain water?

Anyway, good luck with your quest of finding the ingredients for a remineralising mix.

 

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Hi Jayc,
I know the produce use for the fish, but in Taiwan we also use it for water plant and shrimp. For me,  I use a little bit to reach 5 GH in my 2.5ft water plant tank and some Neon Tetra. Anyway, I will try to use ur recipe and some Calcium Chloride with RO water. So if I want to dissolve in the bottle beforehand. How much of water is good? Thanks for ur opinion.

Below recipe is what I am going to try.
CaSO4     38gm
CaCI2      20gm
MgSO4     37gm
K2SO4     11gm
Dissolvine APN 0.46gm
FeSO4     0.30gm
MnSO4     0.16gm

One more question, do u think "industrial grade" β-CaSO4.1/2H2O have any side effect? Anyway, the company tell me that the product made by natural ore. Should I need to worry anything about that?790344945_.png.faea6a5129dcd3f029d34ca308934aef.png

Edited by Tom
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8 hours ago, Tom said:

So if I want to dissolve in the bottle beforehand. How much of water is good?

That recipe is designed to be dissolved in 500ml of water to get the right 4:1 calcium to magnesium ratio. 

Adding more or less water will alter that golden ratio required by shrimp. So just use 500ml of water (RO preferably).

 

That Dissolvine APN product looks ok. Just don't spend too much on it. It's not worth paying huge amounts for it, only to use such a small amount. Those micro nutrients are completely optional. 

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On 4/29/2021 at 10:43 PM, Tom said:

Dear Jayc
Do u think change all of CaSO4 to Calcium chloride are good idea for shrimp? Because I hope it can dissolve well in small bottle.
Anyway, In my country, most of Remineralisation product are transparent liquid for the crystal shrimp. One of popular brand call HAGEN NUTRAFIN African Cichlid Conditioner. (Increase Gh too). I hope use something slimier to replace this expensive liquid. Thanks.

T
heir main ingredients like as below.
Calcium Chloride Dihydrate
Magnesium chloride hexahydrate
Potassium chloride
Sodium chloride
320910943_.png.2491bd298ed5d7cc8492ccc6c6098c26.png

If I'm keeping sulawesi shrimps, can I use this and mix with my tap water? Would it be suitable?

Edited by Josh16622
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This is definitely one for JayC who will  likely be on later (different time zone), I only use the commercial shrimp mineral products myself!

Simon

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