How do I change salts for my aquirum?

Joshua Agostoni · Dec 12, 2017

So right now I use instant ocean normal salt to do my water changes but im in the process of setting up my tank for soft corals and I have bin reading that red sea coral salt is loads better for keeping the alkalinty calcium and mag at proper levels.

My question as stated in the title is how do i properly and safely switch my fish to this new salt.

Should I do 10 percent water changes in my 55 gallon instead of my normal 30 gallon change and just do 1 10 percent ever week so they get used to the levels or will this not matter and the fish be fine.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 12, 2017

Well.... I'll disagree it's "better", it's just a different tool.
It also depends on what RS salt your considering.

The alk not the Red Sea pro is actually close the instant ocean. I belive the calcium is higher , more along the lines of reef crystals.

If you are going to RCSP from IO, there shouldn't be much of a problem. I'd just buy a small amount and do as you suggested , a small wc along the same wc schedule you already have.

With the RS blue bucket the alk is actually a bit lower. So there is less probablitt of an alk swing.
That's actually the concern when switching salts imo , going from a low alk salt to a high alk salt. It can spike , Esp if you don't dose and have missed more than a few water changes and the alk is very low.

Also a fwiw, I do a five or ten gal wc in my 55 every other week. Always have. Most often only a five , even before I was dosing.

Joshua Agostoni · Dec 12, 2017

Well my problem I'm having now is my oh lvls are to low for soft corals and I feel as if the increase from the red sea coral salt. That's the one I would be getting the coral salt will be better and yes I would ro/di. Plus the mag and calc are better levels with the red sea then the normal instant ocean.

Luna · Dec 12, 2017

I did what your asking, if you do your weekly or bi-weekly 10 % water change, you should be fine

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 12, 2017

Joshua Agostoni said:
Well my problem I'm having now is my oh lvls are to low for soft corals and I feel as if the increase from the red sea coral salt. That's the one I would be getting the coral salt will be better and yes I would ro/di. Plus the mag and calc are better levels with the red sea then the normal instant ocean.

It's fine to switch. I have more than a few times. No problem with that at all.

Those are just the concerns when doing it.

madweazl · Dec 12, 2017

Joshua Agostoni said:
Well my problem I'm having now is my oh lvls are to low for soft corals and I feel as if the increase from the red sea coral salt. That's the one I would be getting the coral salt will be better and yes I would ro/di. Plus the mag and calc are better levels with the red sea then the normal instant ocean.

I'm assuming you meant pH levels; if this is the case, the salt wont make a difference (will return to what it is now over the course of a couple hours). Magnesium and calcium levels of Instant Ocean are at desirable levels for most people (1380 mg and 445 ca). There is no "better" in regard to these levels though you may want something different (no good reason to do so that I can think of).

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 13, 2017

Joshua Agostoni said:
So right now I use instant ocean normal salt to do my water changes but im in the process of setting up my tank for soft corals and I have bin reading that red sea coral salt is loads better for keeping the alkalinty calcium and mag at proper levels.

While I would disagree that this is a big issue, and the opposite may be true in some cases (like my tank), if you want to change salts (which is fine, certainly), just start doing your normal water changes with the new salt mix, and keep track of changes in calcium (and to a smaller extent, alkalinity) and how that impacts your needed dosing.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 13, 2017

Joshua Agostoni said:
Well my problem I'm having now is my oh lvls are to low for soft corals and I feel as if the increase from the red sea coral salt. That's the one I would be getting the coral salt will be better and yes I would ro/di. Plus the mag and calc are better levels with the red sea then the normal instant ocean.

It won't.

pH is driven by your water CO2 levels and the alkalinity. The salt mix itself has almost no impact on pH unless it is impacting alkalinity in your tank. But both of these mixes have high alkalinity.