Salt

[Stu]

I realize this has been discussed before, but I am looking to buy a bucket of salt, and I'm wondering which to get. I know IO will work just fine, but I am under the impression that it requires a decent amount of supplementation. Although I plan to in the future, I don't have any dosing pumps, kalk or calcium reactor, etc. For a while, I will be dosing B-Ionic 2 part manually and doing regular water changes.

 

I am wondering if any salt is a bit more forgiving by having higher levels of calcium, Mg, trace elements, etc. My thinking is that a lot of the folks with big tanks that use IO also have dosing equipment/controllers to compensate for lower levels in the salt. As I don't currently have the equipment for this, do any of the salts lend themselves more to my situation, or is something like IO or RC fine?

[Amuze]

Are you keeping a lot of sps? Reef Crystals is good and cheaper. You're going to need to test and dose anyway. Why not just dose with Brightwell 2 part and mag?

Edited September 3, 2009 by audible

[Sikryd]

Salt is one of those things I think everyone has an opinion on.

 

I gave up caring, and use IO since it is available everywhere, is decently priced, and I will have to dose regardless of what salt I use.

[steveoutlaw]

Reef Crystals is good and cheaper.

 

It's just the opposite.......IO is cheaper than reef crystals. Reef Crystals is supposed to have trace elements while IO doesn't, but when the salt comparison on RC was done the readings from IO and RC were so close that there was virtually no difference. Also, I had a 210g tank and just used a kalk reactor and I got phenomenal growth on my SPS......Just ask lanman and Robz about the size and helth of the colonies they got from me.

 

I think that with a 30g and sump that you can keep up with weekly water changes. If your calcium and alk get out of whack, add a kalk stirrer.

[jnguyen4007]

Salt is one of those things I think everyone has an opinion on.

 

I gave up caring, and use IO since it is available everywhere, is decently priced, and I will have to dose regardless of what salt I use.

 

+1 on Instant Ocean salt.

[cabrego]

Reef Crystals and Oceanic are both good interms of calcium and mg.

 

I usually go with oceanic from petsmart in a pinch, you can use online advertisements to use for a price match on whatever you decide to go on, it helps a lot since petsmart is overpriced.

[jnguyen4007]

doesn't Aquarium One still sell 200 gal box of IO salt to WAMAS members for $35.00 a box? That's a great price!

[Coral Hind]

I have used IO for ten years with no problems, before that it was Coralife, again never any issues. I just recently switched to Crystal Sea Bioassay. I have had a few things RTN/STN in my display and frag tank since switching. Normally within days of a water change.

[jnguyen4007]

I have used IO for ten years with no problems, before that it was Coralife, again never any issues. I just recently switched to Crystal Sea Bioassay. I have had a few things RTN/STN in my display and frag tank since switching. Normally within days of a water change.

 

 

What's RTN/STN?

[Coral Hind]

What's RTN/STN?

rapid tissue necrosis (RTN)

slow tissue necrosis (STN)

[Stu]

What's RTN/STN?

 

Rapid Tissue Necrosis on SPS. It's when the flesh rapidly sloughs off.

[Stu]

It's just the opposite.......IO is cheaper than reef crystals. Reef Crystals is supposed to have trace elements while IO doesn't, but when the salt comparison on RC was done the readings from IO and RC were so close that there was virtually no difference. Also, I had a 210g tank and just used a kalk reactor and I got phenomenal growth on my SPS......Just ask lanman and Robz about the size and helth of the colonies they got from me.

 

I think that with a 30g and sump that you can keep up with weekly water changes. If your calcium and alk get out of whack, add a kalk stirrer.

 

I'm not in the market for a dosing pump right now, but I do have an aqualifter with my ATO. If I can find a reasonable kalk stirrer, can I get away with using the aqualifter with it? Will this dump kalk water into my sump too rapidly and cause spikes?

[Amuze]

It's just the opposite.......IO is cheaper than reef crystals. Reef Crystals is supposed to have trace elements while IO doesn't, but when the salt comparison on RC was done the readings from IO and RC were so close that there was virtually no difference. Also, I had a 210g tank and just used a kalk reactor and I got phenomenal growth on my SPS......Just ask lanman and Robz about the size and helth of the colonies they got from me.

 

I think that with a 30g and sump that you can keep up with weekly water changes. If your calcium and alk get out of whack, add a kalk stirrer.

 

I just meant cheaper than most other brands I've seen. Plus for myself and a few others it's always been cheap. Never had a problem when I used IO before either, but like I said I dose and it also depends on what you're trying to keep. We're assuming he's keeping sps, but has it been said yet? Either way, neither are a bad salt. He could always go out and get the Brightwell salt for a rediculous price, test his water and report his findings.

 

Either way, I don't think you will get around dosing supps no matter what salt you're using.

Edited September 3, 2009 by audible

[steveoutlaw]

I'm not in the market for a dosing pump right now, but I do have an aqualifter with my ATO. If I can find a reasonable kalk stirrer, can I get away with using the aqualifter with it? Will this dump kalk water into my sump too rapidly and cause spikes?

 

You don't have to use a dosing pump. Are you going to be using an ATO? I always ran my ATO through my kalk stirrer.

[Stu]

You don't have to use a dosing pump. Are you going to be using an ATO? I always ran my ATO through my kalk stirrer.

 

Yes, I have my ATO hooked up to my aqualifter. So basically it would just add the extra step of sending the water through the kalk stirrer. Is it as simple as that? No spikes to worry about?

[Boret]

I just got the Brightwell NeoMarine salt (for the ridiculous price of $50 for 160gl bucket ---> Audible ) and will report how it does. I am switching away from Reef Crystals because of very high Alk values (in the 13-14s) and too much brown residue left over when making new salt water. I will probably end up with IO like everybody else, as I already dose Kalk and Calcium.

I could not rely on the trace elements out of the salt anyway as I only replace less than 10% every 2 week, not enough to compensate for the consumption from my corals and clams.

[sportzfish]

rapid tissue necrosis (RTN)

slow tissue necrosis (STN)

 

I think he meant what in particular is RTN/STN'ing in your tank?

[Origami]

I'm not in the market for a dosing pump right now, but I do have an aqualifter with my ATO. If I can find a reasonable kalk stirrer, can I get away with using the aqualifter with it? Will this dump kalk water into my sump too rapidly and cause spikes?

 

You don't need a dosing pump. Just mix up the IO and add your additives to get your change water to the desired parameters (before you do your water change).

 

I've got a chart I've posted at home that gives the formula I use:

 

For every 15 gallons of IO that I mix, I add 1.5 tsp of anhydrous calcium chloride (Peladow, or ESV calcium chloride) to boost calcium from 380 to 430, and 1/2 cup of magnesium chloride to boost magnesium from around 1080 to 1280 ppm. Every third time I do this, I change the magnesium chloride to Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) for ionic balance.

 

I add the magnesium first and allow it to dissolve before adding the calcium because it helps to avoid calcium precipitation.

 

Driving a kalk stirrer with an Aqualifter is fine.

Edited September 3, 2009 by Origami2547

[Amuze]

I just got the Brightwell NeoMarine salt (for the ridiculous price of $50 for 160gl bucket ---> Audible ) and will report how it does. I am switching away from Reef Crystals because of very high Alk values (in the 13-14s) and too much brown residue left over when making new salt water. I will probably end up with IO like everybody else, as I already dose Kalk and Calcium.

I could not rely on the trace elements out of the salt anyway as I only replace less than 10% every 2 week, not enough to compensate for the consumption from my corals and clams.

 

I wasn't referring to "deals" or sale events. I am interested in seeing results from using the Brightwell salt. That's odd about the high alk value. Never had that. I always have low alk and have to dose. I test bi weekly and and try to keep it around 8-10dkh. I don't do that many water changes though. Defintely let us know of any changes from using the new salt.

[Boret]

Yes, I have my ATO hooked up to my aqualifter. So basically it would just add the extra step of sending the water through the kalk stirrer. Is it as simple as that? No spikes to worry about?

 

Make sure the aqua lifter doesn't have to move water up too many feet or it won't work and also make sure you control siphon, so the kalk water doesn't go back into your RODI water.

 

I use the aqua lifter with my Calcium reactor that its on 24/7, and I use a MJ400 with a valve, a reducer from 5/8" to 1/4" and anti-siphoning check valve for for the Kalk Reactor.

[Boret]

I wasn't referring to "deals" or sale events. I am interested in seeing results from using the Brightwell salt. That's odd about the high alk value. Never had that. I always have low alk and have to dose. I test bi weekly and and try to keep it around 8-10dkh. I don't do that many water changes though. Defintely let us know of any changes from using the new salt.

 

LOL I know... I was just messing with you.

I am giving it a try because its on SALE, otherwise Ill probably slowly move back to IO just for the convenience and price.

RC has the salt posted at 12 dKH, but I know a lot of people (including myself) who have received batches up near 14 dKH. There has been some talk on Reef Central on the quality and numbers out of the latest batches of RC. Not as consistent as in the past.

 

I am also adding bacteria (MB7), vitamin C (too help a few zoas from melting) and will be dosing carbon (vodka -- going really slow) in my system, and I need to be around 8-9 dKH, which I wasn't with RC to avoid burn tips in SPS.

 

I am a bit affraid of changing actually. So I have been doing 1% water changes daily with the new salt for a week, instead of a single 10% one.

I will report as soon as I have put a considerable amount of the new salt in the tank.

[zygote2k]

Stick with I/O or Reef Crystals- they have successfully bred Beluga Whales at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago with I/O.

[trockafella]

What does the brown residue come from in the newly made buckets..? Curious bc I have seen it too..

[Origami]

What does the brown residue come from in the newly made buckets..? Curious bc I have seen it too..

 

Some discussions I've seen hypothesized that maybe it's clay residue - possibly used to keep the mixture free-flowing and dry. I don't know for sure, though.

[mchippo]

I am in the process of switching over to Brightwell's NeoMarine. My tank has been up since May 08 and all I have ever used is Crystal Sea Bio Assay. I am switching to get rid of the brown slime I always get after water changes. I am just about done with my first bucket. What I have noticed so far is no more brown slime and a drop in my magnesium level. I have had to up the dosing of Magnesium. I am doing 10% water changes every week. So far corals look good with great polyp extension.