Author Topic: Which Salt? (Read 4891 times)

UDflyer00 · « **on:** February 11, 2009, 10:01:53 »

Okay quick question... I am all out of salt and am looking to puchase another bucket... I've been using Instant Ocean since 99 when we setup or first tank... Seeing as I'm all out of salt I wanted to get an understanding of which you think I should get and why? My tank has been FOWLR for ever & Instant Ocean was probably ok, but now I've gotten a few soft corals and wondering if I should be looking to get a bucket of one of these other salts for my next water change. The SeaChem stuff sounds pretty good, but a lot of you stand by the Red Sea. Just curious about your opinions and preferences...

2nd question to go along with this, if I did switch from IO to one of these others would I need to do a larger water change than normal??

Thanks,
Mark

lightningfront · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:42:54 »

Most people use the red sea coral pro because of the high calcium content, and other trace elements in the salt, needed for LPS and SPS corals. I think if your only growing soft corals you shouldn't need to spend the extra cash on the coral pro, as it's more expensive than IO.

About switching salt I'm not sure as I have never switched brands. I'm still a newbie to this so if I'm wrong hopefully someone will correct me.

Logzor · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:50:20 »

I stick with IO. I think it is cheaper to just supplement it with calcium/alk/magnesium.

It has been around so long I feel that I trust it more to be consistient. Some day I might switch to see if there is really a difference.

With a cheaper salt you can do more water changes (depending on your budget and how busy you are). I feel that is pretty valuable. I am sure some will disagree, though.

Like I said I have never used another salt so take what I say with a grain of you know what.

slandis3 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:56:09 »

i used IO for almost 12 years. Just last year I switched to red sea coral pro. I noticed a huge difference with in a few water changes. For a tank my size its cheaper to buy the red sea coral pro than to add supplements. When i did my change i just did it like normal water changes.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2009, 12:12:02 »

When I started this hobby, I started with Red Sea regular salt. It was ok...nothing really one way or another to say about it. When I started keeping corals, I switched to IO since that seemed to be what everyone was using. It was inexpensive and great...until my 40g SPS dominant tank started having problems.

Two different Montipora species were dying, and I couldn't figure out why (M. spongodes/confusa/whatever and M. peltiformis). The rest of my corals were looking pretty rough, but not terrible. I had lost all blue coloration as well. I was posting everywhere trying to find a solution. All chemicals checked out...but nothing. After extensive research, I found the culprit by the time it was too late. I was low in potassium. At that point in time, very few studies had been performed as to the effects of low potassium. There also were no suppliers of a pure potassium supplement available (until about a month after this all happened.)

Since I had regularly performed 10% weekly water changes up to that point (and several larger ones sporatically), I decided Instant Ocean was no longer the salt choice for me. I switched to Reef Crystals for a while...and for whatever reason, I decided to try RSCP. I'm definitely an addict of RSCP now.

Even with RSCP, I'm now up to 150ml of each additive (2-part solution) per day. With Instant Ocean, it was next to impossible to supplement enough. Keep in mind, I have a 40g main tank + 20g sump...with about 90# of LR and 50# LS. By the time you calculate how much water is actually in my tank, we're guessing about maybe 30g. I'm also keeping around 70 SPS mini-colonies.

My point is, many different salts are great and have their advantages. IO is good for fish-only or low-coral load tanks (or if you keep SPS and find it less expensive to just dose a lot.) After losing two of my favorite corals, I felt that I'd rather pay more money and have healthier corals in the long run.

To switch salts, about halfway through a bag or bucket, I would add the contents of the other salt. Make saltwater as usual. By the time the bucket is used up, I feel comfortable enough using the new salt. Other people gradually increase the amount of new salt in the saltwater mix...and some people don't do anything but just switch immediately. There doesn't seem to be a hard & fast rule.

UDflyer00 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2009, 12:28:25 »

Right now i'm only dosing Purple Up and Magnesium. If I switched to one of these other salts would I not need to do these anymore?? Sorry if this is a noobish question, but I'm still very new to the coral world...

slandis3 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2009, 12:34:47 »

If you switch salt you would just need to do some water test to determine what is being used up and needs replaced.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2009, 13:36:49 »

You shouldn't be dosing anything without testing. It could easily result in over or under dosing. Switching salt won't change that. Even if you aren't dosing, you still need to test in order to properly maintain your aquarium for a long time. I regularly (weekly or more) test salinity, pH, alk, ca, mag, and temp. If things are looking odd, I test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate.

pontiac2002gtp · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2009, 13:44:49 »

I was just curious were you guys using the IO reef crystals and noticed a big diff when you switched or just the regular?

UDflyer00 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2009, 13:46:58 »

It's funny you just asked this question... i was just out on the Dr's site and didn't even know they had 2 different variations of IO?? here are the details on their "Reef Crystals":

Reef Crystals Reef Salt * Enriched synthetic sea salt designed for use in reef aquariums
* Extra calcium, trace elements and vitamins to maintain a thriving reef system
* Nitrate and phosphate-free formulation

Enriched Reef Crystals Reef Salt is formulated especially for reef aquariums. Contains extra calcium, select trace elements, and vitamins above natural seawater concentrations. These extra measures reduce the need for constant supplements and additives to replenish essential substances quickly depleted in thriving reef aquariums. Reef Crystals also contains special additives to help detoxify excess heavy metals, such as copper, and is fully compatible with all marine aquariums.

Is anyone using this?? I have just been using the oldie-but-goodie regular IO... Maybe I could switch to this to give it a shot?

Mark

pontiac2002gtp · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2009, 13:51:08 »

I've been using the reef crystals from the begining and everything seems to be doing good.

Arcade_Guy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2009, 13:53:17 »

i've been using instant ocean as well... seeing as i'm almost out of salt tho i think i'm going to try a bucket of red sea coral pro...

seems like it's all the rave

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2009, 14:00:24 »

Quote from: Reef'd Up on February 11, 2009, 12:12:02

I switched to Reef Crystals for a while...and for whatever reason, I decided to try RSCP. I'm definitely an addict of RSCP now.

I don't have any problems with Reef Crystals...just tried RSCP and stuck with it.

UDflyer00 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 11, 2009, 14:54:12 »

But if i switch to a reef crystal i should most definitely test though so that I don't over dose, is what i'm gathering... I know I should test calc and mg, but haven't aquired those kits yet... Maybe I should stick with the basic IO since it doesn't include the calc... Just a thought?

lazylivin · « **Reply #14 on:** February 11, 2009, 15:27:46 »

If you stay with IO then it is more important to test because your levels will be already to low for corals. With Reef Crystals or Red Sea Coral Pro you are more likey to be fine with just a couple of corals and no dosing, just water changes.
Hope this helps in your decision

UDflyer00 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2009, 15:29:37 »

okay that makes sense...

Okay looking at the Reef Crystals now...

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2009, 15:48:42 »

Want some more fun research to add to the confusion?

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1/view?searchterm=salt

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/12/aafeature1/view?searchterm=salt

verper · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2009, 17:17:15 »

My experience with IO and Reef Crystals is that they are both irratic in their levels. At one time, I had bought some 5 gal buckets of RC. For whatever reason, they tested out lower than the IO I had on hand. The IO was something like 400 and 9. The RC was 350 and 7. I've had other buckets of IO that tested out 380 and 7 and RC buckets test out at 420 and 11. You just never know what you are going to get. RSCP tests out very close to what they claim on every bucket I've used so far. So you need to add some money to the IO and RC for test kit usage as well as the supplements.

micki · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2009, 17:37:48 »

Scott, or anyone with SPS that switched to the RSCP, did you notice any difference in your coral? If so what difference did it make?

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2009, 17:40:41 »

Well...my coral didn't die anymore.....

Low potassium can cause a whole host of problems...including loss of blue coloration to death. So, switching to RSCP made my blues come back...and I'm now successfully keeping the M. spongodes/confusa/whatever and the M. Peltiformis that I lost with Instant Ocean (I bought replacement corals.)

micki · « **Reply #20 on:** February 11, 2009, 17:42:20 »

I have a lot of brown in my SPS, but I always have...

Baggerhog · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2009, 18:47:04 »

Red Sea Coral Pro from the start of my tank build. I was willing to spend the extra money to start up the 700 gallon system with red sea coral pro.

MSX-Jeff · « **Reply #22 on:** February 11, 2009, 22:15:46 »

We switched to Seachem Reef Salt about 7 months ago. If any of you have been in the shop prior to then, you will remember that there was a lot of brown SPS. The growth was decent, but the colors were just non existent. After lots of research and really paying attention to what a lot of the guys with INCREDIBLE looking corals used, we decided to try the Seachem out. There was an almost immediate improvement in coloration...and the colors just keep getting better with each monthly water change. If you look at the chart on pg1, you'll see that Seachem has higher than NSW params of calc/alk/mag, which is desirable to me as those are the 3 main components in salt mix that are used up very fast in a stony dominated system. The one other main reason for our decision to switch was the high levels of the "color" trace elements...those that are known to cause increased coloration in SPS and LPS corals.

I'm not saying that the RSCP that others are recommending is bad....only sharing our personal experience with Seachem. Feel free to stop by the shop and check it out for yourself

aquavista99 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 12, 2009, 19:13:12 »

In my opinion, using one salt mix over another will not alone dramatically improve the colors of a stony dominated system. Rather, it is a combination of maintaining stable alkalinity and calcium levels, keeping phosphate and nitrate levels as close to zero as possible, along with providing intense light and flow. I have used IO for years on my SPS system with great results. I dose with a calcium reactor so in addition to weekly water changes, I am constantly adding small amounts of calcium, carbonate, strontium, magnesium and potassium to my reef every minute via reactor media.

I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro Salt about six months ago because it is the only salt mix on the market that is naturally harvested from the ocean (IE, Red Sea) via solar evaporation. Unlike synthetic salt mixes, RSCP will contain certain minerals and natural elements that naturally exist in and around coral reefs, but may not be found in man-made salt mixes. When you open up a bucket of RSCP, it literally smells like you are at the ocean. I like the idea of trying to replicate natural seawater from the waters of the exotic Red Sea.

micki · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2009, 06:49:01 »

Tim, did you notice any difference when switching to the Red Sea? Do you still use a calcium reactor?

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Author Topic: Which Salt? (Read 4891 times)

slandis3

MechanicalEngineer

slandis3

MechanicalEngineer

MechanicalEngineer

MechanicalEngineer

MechanicalEngineer