I have a 40 breeder with instant ocean salt. My cal, alk and mag stay high. I mix the salt at 1.025 and the calcium is over 500. The alk is around 10 to 11. Mag is over 1600. I use a refractometer to measure the SG and Red Sea reef foundation kits to measure the big three. Recently was told by a LFS owner that the reason my zoas were no longer opening good was because regular instant ocean won't cut it. He recommended I switch to reef crystals and start dosing. I switched the reef crystals but have only added 8 gallons in so far through my 4 gallon weekly water change. Levels are still way high in the pre mixed reef crystals salt mix. Any advice to get these down to the correct levels.
All levels high ?
- Thread starter jborlace
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Well your LFS guy is full of it (whatever it is), I am sure he would like nothing better than for you to buy a more expensive salt and two parts, next you'll be needing a Ca reactor.....IO simply just does not mix that high. Are you sure your performing the Red Sea test correctly, leaving that air bubble between the top of the plunger the last black line? I would retest water mixed but not added to the display, I would have those results double checked against another kit.
Reef Crystals is a good salt as well but it's going to mix higher. I use both IO and Instant Oceans RC and have for years. Zoanthids did great with both salts.
Do you have a lot of coralline algae growth? Are you keeping larger clams and stony corals?
Is your bio-load so big that you need to do an 8 gallon water change weekly? The tank will utilize those elements over time.
It all means nothing unless you are absolutely sure those values are correct. Also make sure the brand is thoroughly mixed, that the container or bag has not settled.
Instant Ocean® is formulated to provide a solution with levels of calcium and magnesium found in natural seawater (NSW), assuming you use purified water to dissolve the sea salt. Tap water most often contains dissolved calcium, magnesium and other minerals that will add to the levels provided by Instant Ocean®. The specific gravity of NSW is typically 1.026 (35 parts per thousand, or ppt, salinity). When dissolved in pure water to a specific gravity of 1.026, Instant Ocean® should provide a solution that has 400 mg/L calcium ion and 1320 mg/L magnesium ion. If Instant Ocean® is dissolved to a lower specific gravity, then these concentrations (and, in fact, the concentration of every other ion) will be proportionately lower.
Mixing Aquarium Salt Salinity Answers | Instant Ocean
I do a 4 gallon water change weekly. I have a frogspawn, torch, candy cane, hammer and GSP that do fine. Really only thing affected is my zoas.
I don't really have any Coraline growth. I do have some green spots showing up on the sides of the glass but not sure if that's the start of Coraline or not.
Pretty sure I'm doing the test correctly. Leaving the air bubble between the 1ml line and the black rubber piece in the plunger. The rest is in the needle. I watched the videos on YouTube that Red Sea made showing how to do the test. I live an hour and a half away from a LFS to get the water checked. Only have one guy near me that also does a reef tank. I messages him last night if he could check my water with his test to see if the results are the same. No reply from him.
I don't really have any Coraline growth. I do have some green spots showing up on the sides of the glass but not sure if that's the start of Coraline or not.
Pretty sure I'm doing the test correctly. Leaving the air bubble between the 1ml line and the black rubber piece in the plunger. The rest is in the needle. I watched the videos on YouTube that Red Sea made showing how to do the test. I live an hour and a half away from a LFS to get the water checked. Only have one guy near me that also does a reef tank. I messages him last night if he could check my water with his test to see if the results are the same. No reply from him.
lionfish5740
Active Member
I agree about RC not mixing that high. Correct me if I'm wrong... I read it as the levels were that high before switching salts and adding supplements?? I would say that the test kit is bad or the tests aren't performed right.
Russellaqua
Coral Junkie
Checking the calibration of your refractometer would be good as well. If they get bumped they can fall out of calibration. What your refractometer is telling you is 1.025 water might mixed to something higher in reality. There are calibration fluids on the market so that you can check against a known salinity and adjust your refractometer as necessary.
It was that high with Red Sea coral pro. Switched to IO and it was still high. That bucket was about empty so I switched to RC and it's still way high. May be a bad kit since it's been high with every salt I've used.
I've dipped them in bayer last week. I've had them a while. Some for a year. It seems to me that when my blues are on they are more open than they are when the full spectrums come on. I have an Evergrow 120 w led fixture. Blues are at 80% and whites at about 45%.
lionfish5740
Active Member
Gotcha. It might just be your refractometer then. Look at the bucket and notice how the levels go up as the salinity is raised.
Keep in mind that you don't want to change the levels too fast or you'll upset your corals more.
Keep in mind that you don't want to change the levels too fast or you'll upset your corals more.
Is your system to clean for them? Whats your Trates and Phosphates at?
lionfish5740
Active Member
All your levels will work their way down gradually as the tank uses them up and also the water changes with the new salt. It's better that way
Hopefully it's just the light intensity since that's the easiest fix.
Hopefully it's just the light intensity since that's the easiest fix.
I've actually read that zoas like a little bit of dirty water. My nitrates and phosphates read zero on API test kits. But I've been battling some hair algae for a couple of months. Something has to be fueling the algae growth. Two mexican turbo snails and a lawnmower blenny took care of that. I feed about a 1/4 frozen cube every other day.
jduck
Well-Known Member
Throw out the hydrometer and spend $8 on salinity calibration solution 35ppt. I think you will find that the refractometer is off and what you think is 1.025 is really 1.026+.
Only reason you would ever need to dose something if your levels are not staying high enough from the water changes.
Are you rinsing the frozen before adding it to tank?
Only reason you would ever need to dose something if your levels are not staying high enough from the water changes.
Are you rinsing the frozen before adding it to tank?
Took some salt water out and added straight RO/DI water and the SG is 1.024 and salinity is 31. Calcium should read 405 ppm. Just tested with the Red Sea kit and after adding the whole 1ml of titration fluid the color never changes. Starts pink and ends pink.
lionfish5740
Active Member
You're correct about the nitrates and phosphates. The algae sucks it up so quick that the test kits read low!
If you want to do a water change then dilute the salinity of the water down some. Something like 1.020 wouldn't affect your 40B total salinity too much and would also dilute down the Ca, Alk, & Mg. And you would be changing more than 5 gallons this time obviously.
There's always the possibility that you have a bad batch of salt with the levels off. You could always test new water, just let it sit mixed for a day beforehand to let the Alk settle.
If you want to do a water change then dilute the salinity of the water down some. Something like 1.020 wouldn't affect your 40B total salinity too much and would also dilute down the Ca, Alk, & Mg. And you would be changing more than 5 gallons this time obviously.
There's always the possibility that you have a bad batch of salt with the levels off. You could always test new water, just let it sit mixed for a day beforehand to let the Alk settle.
