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Pre-mixing a "liquid" SS GH/KH remineralizer?


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So, I've been doing something for the last couple weeks that I think people have said not to do, and I'm not sure why.

I mixed hot water and some SaltyShrimp GH/KH+ together in a little bottle, and have been using it to remin with my mix of tap and RO/DI water. This instead of getting the bottle of dry SS out each time. I shake the little liquid bottle violently prior to giving a little squirt into my WC water, then stir and check the TDS, adjust as needed. (Checking GH and KH on the tank too periodically, of course) SO much more convenient than getting the tub out, and I'm thinking it'll help reduce the moisture getting into my main supply of SS and causing the "sludginess" that others have reported. (Remember everything I do is for my 10g and nano vase only, so small scale.)

Anyone done this? I can't remember what hole of the interwebs I was in that I thought I heard this wasn't a good idea, and I'm just nervous, but of course, can't help tinkering. So far, everything seems to be fine, but I know I wouldn't see mineral balance effects until further down the road.

Anyone know if there's a reason SS can't stay in dissolved/suspended form for a little while? Do any minerals settle out or bind, enough so that a fierce shaking won't fix?

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I wonder if adding excel to the mix would help control the bacteria without causing more problems? Now that would be some chemistry worth asking a chemist about, although I know they do it with the traces when you mix your own ferts.

Actually, I'm using an old Mio bottle... Like the concentrated drink flavoring stuff. :) I pulled it apart and cleaned it out a bunch of times, and used lots of boiling water. Works nice for small squirts.

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So, I've been doing something for the last couple weeks that I think people have said not to do, and I'm not sure why.

I mixed hot water and some SaltyShrimp GH/KH+ together in a little bottle, and have been using it to remin with my mix of tap and RO/DI water. This instead of getting the bottle of dry SS out each time. I shake the little liquid bottle violently prior to giving a little squirt into my WC water, then stir and check the TDS, adjust as needed. (Checking GH and KH on the tank too periodically, of course) SO much more convenient than getting the tub out, and I'm thinking it'll help reduce the moisture getting into my main supply of SS and causing the "sludginess" that others have reported. (Remember everything I do is for my 10g and nano vase only, so small scale.)

Anyone done this? I can't remember what hole of the interwebs I was in that I thought I heard this wasn't a good idea, and I'm just nervous, but of course, can't help tinkering. So far, everything seems to be fine, but I know I wouldn't see mineral balance effects until further down the road.

Anyone know if there's a reason SS can't stay in dissolved/suspended form for a little while? Do any minerals settle out or bind, enough so that a fierce shaking won't fix?

 

This is a bad idea. The hot water will turn the bicarbonates in the salt into CO2 and vapourise. The calcium and magnesium salts will react with the CO2 and bicarbonate to produce insoluble calcium and magnesium carbonate, which end up not helping remineralizing these two minerals.

 

In addition, not sure what type of bicarbonate SaltyShrimp used in the GH/KH+, it may not be totally soluble in that small amount of water.

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This is a bad idea. The hot water will turn the bicarbonates in the salt into CO2 and vapourise. The calcium and magnesium salts will react with the CO2 and bicarbonate to produce insoluble calcium and magnesium carbonate, which end up not helping remineralizing these two minerals.

 

In addition, not sure what type of bicarbonate SaltyShrimp used in the GH/KH+, it may not be totally soluble in that small amount of water.

 

Interesting! That's the kind of info I was looking for.

It seems like my liquid has been leading to some underdosing of GH, so I wonder if that's what has been going on. (My KH is always like 1-2, and that hasn't changed much)

 

I do wonder if it would work in cold water. Even if I could just get a suspension by shaking it and squirting, rather than trying to get it to dissolve into a solution, it'd be nicer. But I guess the same thing might happen with heavy agitation and sitting over time as with hot water?

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So, I actually haven't been measuring directly. :rolleyes:  I was using "squirts" from the bottle, with my concentrated-as-I-dared solution, so highly unscientific.  (might be part of my inconsistent results...) One squirt (which if I had to guess, is likely a ml to ml-and-a-half) would raise the TDS about 75 in a gallon (~4L) of RO. I also used one squirt directly into my male cull nano vase (~1g) and it raised the GH about half, as in two days, I crept it up one "drop" on the API test kit. I doubt any of that info is actually useful. ;)

 

I had a couple failed molts in the nano culls, and found the gH running at 4, so crept it up, and haven't had more issues. The main tank has more wiggle room/tolerance, so I haven't had issues there (fingers crossed) but I suspect my neos are also tanks.

 

Basically, I figure this squirt bottle, which I'm almost out of, will probably end my experimentation for a while. I'll go back to dipping out of the SS tub, and doing it that way for a bit. I might put it in a smaller sealed jar though, again to help minimize contamination of the larger one.

 

There's gotta be a way to make a good mineral in liquid form though, right? I used Fluval prior to this, and it was fine, and I think Mosura makes a liquid too, right?

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Yes, I personally find dry minerals quite annoying, especially you have small or many tanks. Using liquid version is better however, they tend to use chelating agent in it that may not breakdown properly in alkaline water. In addition, it will add up too much if you also dose trace.

 

For you case, I think it is definitely much easier for you to just buy liquid version and measure just by using a measuring cup.

 

Alternatively, you can try to DIY. The you can obtain the formula here: http://www.shrimpydaddy.com/p/meso-mineral-mi.html

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There is an easier way. Most of the bottle pumps, come in 0.5ml to 2ml per pump; 0.5ml are for those small face products, 1ml are the normal type and 2ml are for body lotion.

 

Aw, but I didn't have those bottles/pumps around, and I did have an old Mio bottle. ;)

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