Questions about different salt mixes.

[Bustyraker]

I keep my parameters at
Calcium 430-450
Alkalinity 9 dkh
Magnesium 1300 -1400

I've always used reef crystals for my salt mix. But I'm thinking about trying something new. Is there a good salt mix that will mix to parameters close to mine? With reef crystals the mix ends up with an alkalinity near 11 or 12. This raises my alk Everytime I do a water change and I would like to keep my parameters as stable as possible. I drip kalk via my ATO and it keeps my alk and calcium rock solid. The only time my alkalinity changes is durring a water change.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

I'm curious too, we have petco salt or instant ocean here so I never got a chance to try out the other brands. I heard Red Sea is not so good but that's all preference and how your system handles the chemistry. So complex!

 

[Bustyraker]

Red Sea is actually what I was considering. I'm not having any problems with my corals but if I could keep everything even more stable then there could only be improvement. I know I could just buy normal instant ocean salt and dose it until parameters are met, but that's just a pain.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

I just got an aquarium controller and that's how I keep things where they should be. Just refill whatever reservoir needs filled be it water or dosing liquids

 

[Bustyraker]

Kalk keeps everything stable. The problem is when I do a water change the alkalinity rises too much because of the high alk in the mix. I've thought about raising the alk in my system to 10 so that its not such a large change when I do a water change

 

[SeymourDuncan]

And you are getting this high reading from freshly mixed water? Have you tried mixing 24 hrs in advance and keeping it oxygenated?

 

[Bustyraker]

Yes I have a 36 gallon container that I keep. Most of the time only halfway filled and I have 2 powerheads in it one at the top and one at the bottom.

 

[Bustyraker]

The alk usually drops back down to my normal reading of 9 dkh after 24 hours in my tank. It still bothers me having it raise suddenly every water change tho

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Maybe try adding a buffer to the new water before you put it in? I've never had that problem. :/

 

[TrialandError]

I use the red sea pro salt and love it. Although my system is very simple I don't have controllers or do the 2 part dosing stuff that others do. My corals grow very well and I've never had a problem with it.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Does it spike during water changes?

 

[Bustyraker]

I think I'm going to give coral pro a shot. Anyone have any tips on switching to a new salt mix? Should I use half reef crystals and half coral pro for the first water change or what?

 

[bct15]

What size tank and how big of water changes? I use RSCP and keep my alk at 8.1 and calcium at 410, I dose two part though to an do weekly 20 gallon water changes.

Red sea only needs to be mixed for twenty minutes or so

 

[Bustyraker]

I have a 55 gallon with a 15 gallon sump. I used to do 10 gallon water changes every week. But for the past 3 months I've been doing 15 gallons every other week and I've seen more growth than ever before.

 

[NanaReefer]

How long does the alk rise last? If it's for -24hrs thats no problem. No way your going to buy a salt mix that matches your tank perfectly with every wc. It's only the major swings you need to worry about.
I like the suggestion of running alk in your ato. It's what I do and I've never had better ballance

 

[Bustyraker]

Yea it only lasts for less than 24hrs. I have great success with running kalk in my ATO. Everytime I test my calcium and alk it is always dead on what I want it to be

 

[pumarjr]

I switched to coral pro a couple months ago, lost about 50% of my sps in the process

 

[CountrySideCoral]

Red Sea coral pro has my vote. I have bounced around between Red Sea, then Red Sea pro, down to reef crystals, salinity, tropic Marin, and now back to Red Sea coral pro. Red Sea coral pro definitely has given me the best results as far as levels and growth is concerned.

 

[NanaReefer]

I gotta say that I too at one time was thinking of changing salts. But after posting about and having many ole timers tell me....if it isn't broke don't fix it. I've been using RC for 4yrs now and have had great success with it. If not for all the LPS I prob wouldn't even need alk in my ato. Water changes would suffice besides you can't beat he price of RC period-a biggy for this budget reefer

 

[Skitzogerl34]

I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro a few months ago. I was previously using IO, but tried a few different salts before deciding on Coral Pro. I like it a lot; dissolves nice, can use it immediately after mixing, no bad odor.