Question about artificial salt water

[jordimex]

Hello everyone I've had my tank for a month and a half right now it is a red sea reefer 250 with about 60 lbs of live rock i have been using actual sea water that my LFS sells.
I believe that the stock ATO wasn't working properly and dumped a lot of RO water in the tank and made my salinity 1.021 which is not good
I had to go to a different LFS today to get water since the one i go normally wasn't open, they only sold artificial salt water, they use Fritz salt dialed in to 35 ppm of salt and all the recommended trace elements dialed in.
They told me that it is not recommended to use artificial salt water if i where using real sea water and was wondering what difference does it make? i also plan on change to this kind of salt water next week when i come back from trip i have to do.

What are the downside or the problems if any?

 

[jordimex]

sorry for the long post and i hope i explained myself

thanks in advance

 

[Big G]

Are you still cycling your tank? Or have you already added fish, etc.

 

[jordimex]

its fully cycled, have a mix reef and a couple fish
2 clowns
3 chromis
3 firefish
3 pj cardinals
1 diamond goby
2 dragonnetes

my parameters are
salinity 1.021
phosphate 0
ammonia 0
calcium 400
nitrate 0
alk 7
nitrite 0
and ph 8.14

here is my build thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...tarting-my-journal.311181/page-5#post-3912634

 

[EW_Fish]

I know switching water can cause problems because alk,cal,mag can be different when switching. If you test the main three and they are close to what fritz states a fresh batch mixes up as then I would say your pretty safe.

 

[jordimex]

they are a bit higher here is what the store has them set to
Salinity 35 ppt (1.025 sg)
Calcium 450 ppm
Magnesium 1350 ppm
Alkalinity 8.0 dKH
Strontium 9 ppm
Potassium 400 ppm

 

[Big G]

Red Sea brand salts are made from real sea water from the Red Sea . . . some salts are not from the ocean and are manufactured.

 

[jordimex]

This is what fritz salt says on their website

• Complete Professional Marine Salt Mix for Reef or Fish Only Systems
• Contains All Essential Major, Minor & Trace Elements
• Enhanced Buffer Levels; Reaches a Stable pH Shortly After Mixing
• Enhanced Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium Levels
• Nitrate, Phosphate & Ammonia Free

Fritz ProAquatics Reef Pro Mix (RPM) is manufactured using only the highest quality raw materials. Formulated by researchers and marine scientists, RPM contains all of the necessary major and minor elements of natural sea water that are utilized by living marine and reef animals. Correct pH and buffering capacity, essential minerals and trace elements have been added in precise ratios to ensure a correctly blended mix for the health and longevity of your livestock.
RPM is manufactured in our own facility in small batches to ensure complete quality control, rather than outsourced to generic chemical blenders with uncertain quality. Our salt blending equipment is devoted solely to the production of aquatic products, preventing contamination issues. Fritz’s unique production process promotes a uniform particle size minimizing stratification of the salts. Each batch is assigned a lot number and tested by in-house quality control to ensure its chemical quality and purity before it is shipped.

RPM is used by public aquariums, zoos, research institutions, destination retail locations, adventure parks and hobbyists worldwide.


Of course only good things but nothing as where they get their salt

 

[brett_schn]

This is what fritz salt says on their website

• Complete Professional Marine Salt Mix for Reef or Fish Only Systems
• Contains All Essential Major, Minor & Trace Elements
• Enhanced Buffer Levels; Reaches a Stable pH Shortly After Mixing
• Enhanced Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium Levels
• Nitrate, Phosphate & Ammonia Free

Fritz ProAquatics Reef Pro Mix (RPM) is manufactured using only the highest quality raw materials. Formulated by researchers and marine scientists, RPM contains all of the necessary major and minor elements of natural sea water that are utilized by living marine and reef animals. Correct pH and buffering capacity, essential minerals and trace elements have been added in precise ratios to ensure a correctly blended mix for the health and longevity of your livestock.
RPM is manufactured in our own facility in small batches to ensure complete quality control, rather than outsourced to generic chemical blenders with uncertain quality. Our salt blending equipment is devoted solely to the production of aquatic products, preventing contamination issues. Fritz’s unique production process promotes a uniform particle size minimizing stratification of the salts. Each batch is assigned a lot number and tested by in-house quality control to ensure its chemical quality and purity before it is shipped.

RPM is used by public aquariums, zoos, research institutions, destination retail locations, adventure parks and hobbyists worldwide.


Of course only good things but nothing as where they get their salt

It said where they get there salt. They said the manufacturer it in house

 

[Anirban]

There is no issue regarding the shifting to artificial saltwater. Just remember the parameters will be a little different from your natural seawater. So, to approach that you can do few water changes with the Fritz salt (approx 10%) for next few week. Then check the parameters. This should bring the tank parameters close to Fritz artificial saltwater level without creating any issues. The only thing is your current tank sits at Alk 7 and the artificial salt level is at dkH 8. A gradual and regular water change should bring it up to that level.

 

[jordimex]

will be changing 5 gallons today and will use the remaining 5 gallons i have with my ato hopefully this will bring my salinity up slow and steady

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Red Sea brand salts are made from real sea water from the Red Sea . . . some salts are not from the ocean and are manufactured.

All are manufactured. One cannot dry seawater and then reconstitute it to get seawater again. Some things like calcium carbonate precipitate and will not redissolve.

 

[Scott.h]

At 1.021 you might as well let it evaporate and raise back up over a few days on its own. My lfs keeps thier tanks at 1.019. Probably less harm in that then screwing with everything else.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

At 1.021 you might as well let it evaporate and raise back up over a few days on its own. My lfs keeps thier tanks at 1.019. Probably less harm in that then screwing with everything else.

Most people just recommend topping off for evaporation with normal salinity seawater when raising salinity.

 

[jordimex]

At 1.021 you might as well let it evaporate and raise back up over a few days on its own. My lfs keeps thier tanks at 1.019. Probably less harm in that then screwing with everything else.

Most people just recommend topping off for evaporation with normal salinity seawater when raising salinity.

Thanks will do

 

[Scott.h]

Most people just recommend topping off for evaporation with normal salinity seawater when raising salinity.

Yep but with him using natural sea water only I wasn't sure if he had any sensitive corals that may feel the artificial salt water to be caustic at first.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yep but with him using natural sea water only I wasn't sure if he had any sensitive corals that may feel the artificial salt water to be caustic at first.

I'm not sure that is ever a concern, but in this case, he'd be adding small amounts every day. Like 1 or 2%. I don't see that as any concern.

 

[jordimex]

I've done 5 gallons every day now im up to 32 or the equivalent of 1.024 im happy at that for the moment