Let's debate Regular IO for coral reef tanks

hart24601 · Jul 18, 2018

As others have pointed out, there really is no debate. So many amazing tanks have used IO for years if not decades have plenty of photographic proof. If someone is having issues with their system, it's not the IO salt. Really the better debate would be why should anyone NOT use IO salt when numerically I am sure there is more proof of IO producing amazing reefs than any other brand.

shred5 · Jul 18, 2018

hart24601 said:
As others have pointed out, there really is no debate. So many amazing tanks have used IO for years if not decades have plenty of photographic proof. If someone is having issues with their system, it's not the IO salt. Really the better debate would be why should anyone NOT use IO salt when numerically I am sure there is more proof of IO producing amazing reefs than any other brand.

For me it just inconsistency of other salt that makes me have to adjust my dosing. The biggest problem is bad batches. I have had salt where there is no alk at all or just really low alk. Some of these amped up salt are producing magnesium over 1500 ppm, I just had two salt in a row do that. I have had reef crystals mike up really low alk. You know I just recently used a salt and for 3 buckets and the next was was off the charts of my test kits.

I agree with greg success is not with a salt most are pretty close but not much you can do when a salt has bad batches.

I usually test my new salt now even IO .

ZoWhat · Jul 18, 2018

Livinlocal said:
You can’t beat $28 for a 160 gallon bucket of salt

Where are you finding IO for $28 a 5gal bucket???

biecacka · Jul 18, 2018

I hear Jason fox uses it on his tanks.........
I have used it all along as well, 15 years total.

Corey

jda · Jul 18, 2018

If you do not use the whole bucket or bag of ANY salt you need to dry mix it. So many "bad batch" threads are just people who used salt that settled. I use the whole 50g bag of IO at a time, so I do not have to dry mix it. Chalk me up for 26 years of using IO except for a few side turns to SeaChem (horrible) and Oceanic (good, but discontinued). I do not want to diminish bad batches since it does happen. I have also seen high metals come in some salts that I would never use. All of this being said, there are probably 4-5 salts that I would probably like as much as IO, but why pay more. Tropic Marin Pro would be my next choice, but it really does settle on the long journey from Germany.

People who want salt that mixes up to "their" parameters are looking at the wrong thing, IMO. I want salt that is on-the-money every time and I can add Muratic Acid to lower the alk and Dowflake to raise the calcium. I have had the same formula for IO for 15 years and it makes perfect acropora water, but it takes an additional day and about 90 seconds of my time.

jda · Jul 18, 2018

PetSmart had a sale for $28 per 160 gallons a few months ago. It goes on sale every once in a while.

chipmunkofdoom2 · Jul 18, 2018

skimjim said:
So...... I read some history on IO website. In this history recap the major theme is regular IO was and is developed for large public aquariums. Possibly meaning Fish Only tanks (?)

What parameters are needed for a fish only tank? I've been in the hobby for well over a decade and work at a large public aquarium, and to the best of my knowledge there's no set of fish only vs reef tank parameters in terms of magensium, calcium and carbonate alkalinity.

Before assuming that low calcium/magnesium/alkalinity are non-starters for reef tanks, remember that low nutrient systems intentionally keep the big three close to natural levels. Also remember that animals in the ocean survive and thrive with alk = 7 dKh, Ca = 410 ppm and Mg = 1,280 ppm.

I use IO and test every new box that I get. The parameters are typically around alk = 10 dKh, Ca = 425 ppm and Mg = 1,380 - 1,450 ppm. If that's not enough for reef tank, I must ask, what is?

Livinlocal · Jul 18, 2018

skimjim said:
Where are you finding IO for $28 a 5gal bucket???

Just like said above, every major holiday Petsmart does a 50% off sale on the salt. I buy six buckets, which lasts me in between the sales. You can’t beat that at all, and petco will price match petsmarts sale.

There were a couple times where the locals beat me to it and buy everything from Petsmart, and when that happens, I just go to Petco and buy my buckets there. You just have to show proof that Petsmart is doing the sale for 50% off

shred5 · Jul 18, 2018

jda said:
If you do not use the whole bucket or bag of ANY salt you need to dry mix it. So many "bad batch" threads are just people who used salt that settled. I use the whole 50g bag of IO at a time, so I do not have to dry mix it. Chalk me up for 26 years of using IO except for a few side turns to SeaChem (horrible) and Oceanic (good, but discontinued). I do not want to diminish bad batches since it does happen. I have also seen high metals come in some salts that I would never use. All of this being said, there are probably 4-5 salts that I would probably like as much as IO, but why pay more. Tropic Marin Pro would be my next choice, but it really does settle on the long journey from Germany.

People who want salt that mixes up to "their" parameters are looking at the wrong thing, IMO. I want salt that is on-the-money every time and I can add Muratic Acid to lower the alk and Dowflake to raise the calcium. I have had the same formula for IO for 15 years and it makes perfect acropora water, but it takes an additional day and about 90 seconds of my time.

Guarantee that was not the issue I had a bag of salt once that had almost zero alk... Settling can make a small difference but I have had some way off. Plus I usually shake my bags..

shred5 · Jul 18, 2018

biecacka said:
I hear Jason fox uses it on his tanks.........
I have used it all along as well, 15 years total.

Corey

Yes he does and he relies on water changes and people who have large systems usually d0 use IO because of the price.

ZoWhat · Jul 18, 2018

Livinlocal said:
every major holiday Petsmart does a 50% off sale on the salt.

Define what holidays...

Plus every Petsmart I've been in only has 1-2 buckets on the shelf at any given time

Mark Gray · Jul 18, 2018

Looks good I used it about 35 or 40 years ago then I switched to Coral Life, then I got out for awhile now I am using Red Sea

User1 · Jul 18, 2018

ca1ore said:
Too bad you're on the other coast ..... otherwise we could have done some trading .....

While not directed at me just another "bad" reason to live on the crazy coast

Then again if you ever get to the point where your tank is over run and your spare time meter is full PM me. I can't imagine shipping to be expensive

We'll even factor in your time and a bottle or two of some Napa Wine!!!!

On topic - I only use IO. No reason not to. Affordable is important to me first with 2 in college. It has been consistent for me. Any time I see troubles in my tank they are usually my fault and not the equipment or salt mix. Seriously. The only system related issue wasn't even equipment running the tank but rather vacation, California politics (Enron), greed, and my AC tripping while on vacation. Even then I probably could have saved my tank had I taken the time to have someone stop by and check on it daily or in case of emergency call so and so.

curiouser · Jul 21, 2018

There are some good points discussed in this thread. Sharing is good. But a series of anecdotes does not make a scientific study.

ca1ore · Jul 21, 2018

curiouser said:
But a series of anecdotes does not make a scientific study.

No, of course not - did anyone make that claim? However, with enough 'data points' one can draw the reasonable (even statistically significant) conclusion that the choice of salt is not a major contributor to success or failure - don't really see the point of doing 'scientific' studies on things that appear to be blindingly obvious. With specific regard to the use of IO, I have seen too many tanks over the years to draw any other conclusion. Of the many hundreds of bags of IO I have used, there is occasionally a bad one, but I imagine that's true of all the other brands as well. Folks can have their preferences (mostly for anecdotal reasons

), and that's fine, but mostly pointless to the central debate here.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 21, 2018

Any salt mix will work fine as long as you understand its pros and cons.

My preference for my system was normal IO. The slightly low calcium works perfectly in a system supplemented solely by limewater/kalkwasser as that method adds slightly more calcium than alk over time.

ZoWhat · Jul 21, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
My preference for my system was normal IO.

Plz explain the past-tense word "was".....you used above

You dont use reg-IO anymore?

.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 21, 2018

curiouser said:
There are some good points discussed in this thread. Sharing is good. But a series of anecdotes does not make a scientific study.

What do you want to study, exactly, and how would you do it?

Testing two salt mixes for how good a reef tank they can maintain seems, to me, an impossible task because any competent reefer will compensate for the deficiency in their mix with their husbandry practices. If you do not allow that in the test, then it is not reflecting reality, and if you do allow that, I can't see what differences you are going to think the results are due to.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 21, 2018

skimjim said:
Plz explain the past-tense word "was".....you used above

You dont use reg-IO anymore?

.

I ran my system for 20 years with it. Then I took it down and don't have a system up anymore. I would use it again.

Flippers4pups · Jul 21, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Any salt mix will work fine as long as you understand its pros and cons.

My preference for my system was normal IO. The slightly low calcium works perfectly in a system supplemented solely by limewater/kalkwasser as that method adds slightly more calcium than alk over time.

This has been my method for years and years...... IO works well for me.