Red Sea Coral Pro salt causing Hair Algae problem

[Texasnano]

I have been using RSCP for years never had a problem other then when I tried to do sps, I purchased a dosing system to maintain alk & cal but the cal in the salt was so high there was never a reason to dose it and the alc was hard to maintain... Never had issues with gha

 

[Connie]

OK so I guess that means I need to throw away the batch I made and start from scratch. I aerated for two days which makes it precipitate. Would it bad to alternate salt brands for water changes?

 

[Stray32]

I run GFO, have been for as long as I have had a tank, I am not a newbie. I am going to check the water again with a Hanna Checker to verify the results. The city recently began adding Chloramine to the city water, but no one else that I have talked to in this area is having algae problems. I understand your request for quantitative data. I have given you my preliminary results. I will confirm once I test it again.

I still plan on changing salt brands, its worth it to me, as this algae has taken hold and is winning the battle.

So what you need to do to deal with your algae problem, IME, is not do any more water changes until your phosphates come down and to facilitate the drop in phosphates you should run some gfo. You need to bring them down very slow though. If you feel water changes are a must, you need to get different base water from a friend or LFS. Then when you start doing water changes again (phosphates down), get your water from a different source or get your RO working better then see if the algae problems persist. You are not getting any sort of measurable significance from the mixed water so it is hard to say it is or isn't the salt (but according to your preliminary testing it isn't). You should test the different water before you use it, to ensure its better than your water. There does seem to be a lot of people claiming this salt is doing this but nobody is backing it up with quantitative data, so it may or may not be because of the salt. We just need to get to the root of the problem so it can be useful for other people. Are you using city water, is it possible they changed their treatment process?

When you checked the RO water, was it in the mixing bucket? Is it possible it picked up residual phosphates? I have a Hanna checker getting here Thursday and I'm gonna do some tests myself, I ordered specifically because of this thread.


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[FaviaFreak]

I've been using both red sea salt and red sea pro coral in very large volumes at work in our selling tanks for months now (we do several water changes to each system) and I have very little algae problems to speak of, nothing to warrant that the salt is causing issues, I'm sorta scratching my head with this post

 

[Stray32]

Yeah I don't know Kevin. I have been battling hair algae for months now. I log on to R2R this week and see this post and have a eureka moment. Now I am not convinced. I still plan on switching brands just to see if it makes a noticeable difference. People choose different brands of salts for different reasons. I have used three different kinds over the years and have different results with each. I have had great success with Red Sea salt in the past when I had my 75 gallon tank. Perhaps my new system will have greater success with a different brand of salt. If not, then I must locate and address the real issue. According to my tests, I do have some phosphates in my RO/DI water, however, I run good GFO 24/7, which should control that.

I've been using both red sea salt and red sea pro coral in very large volumes at work in our selling tanks for months now (we do several water changes to each system) and I have very little algae problems to speak of, nothing to warrant that the salt is causing issues, I'm sorta scratching my head with this post

 

[fragmatic]

I'm hanging on to my $$ worth of Red Sea until we have more of a verdict. But I'm using Top Fin (what I've been using until now) again til then. However, if my groni re-extend after a couple of water changes then it is nix the Red Sea no matter what anyone else finds out.

Most of the people on this thread are talking about an algae problem... I'm on the fence with that. My problem is totally different. It seems to me there is something different about the new Red Sea that my groni do not like. That doesn't not necessarily mean Red Sea is bad. It just means it may not be for my tank, every tank is different.

It is really easy by human nature for these threads to go "witch hunt". With the huge numbers of people on this thread you could come up with several in a hurry who have similar events related to most any reef keeping activity. We really need to keep a careful but respectful track on this subject and then time will tell.

 

[FaviaFreak]

Jared, I hear you loud and clear and if I was having similar issues and came across this post I would have a eureka moment too. Please keep us posted on the switch and if your having any changes because of it, I would be very curious to hear. I wish you the best to get this resolved my friend

btw what type of lights you running?

Yeah I don't know Kevin. I have been battling hair algae for months now. I log on to R2R this week and see this post and have a eureka moment. Now I am not convinced. I still plan on switching brands just to see if it makes a noticeable difference. People choose different brands of salts for different reasons. I have used three different kinds over the years and have different results with each. I have had great success with Red Sea salt in the past when I had my 75 gallon tank. Perhaps my new system will have greater success with a different brand of salt. If not, then I must locate and address the real issue. According to my tests, I do have some phosphates in my RO/DI water, however, I run good GFO 24/7, which should control that.

 

[skinz78]

Also, what needs to be understood here is that if you are indeed battling GHA it's going to take quite some time to win the battle even with switching salt brands. I have switched months ago and I'm just now seeing noticeable results.

 

[Electrobes]

I feel like everyday every salt gets blamed for a problem, and it's always something that directly relates to it (ie Algae just then showed up, etc). To be completely honest I think it's far more complicated than that, but it's just easier to point at the salt. I've used various salts (IO, RC, Oceanic, RSCP, etc) in my ten years in the hobby, and have only had one bad batch among all of them, one I should have tested Alk for.

I currently use RSCP, have been doing so for about a year or so. I haven't had a bad experience with this brand of salt, but have minor complaints about it. For instance, I do a weekly 5G water change on my 40Br. While the end result of the salt water is good for me (Alk stays pretty normal, though not always as stated by them), what it does to my mixing equipment sucks. The white chalky residue left over inside the bucket, Koralia 3, and Ebojager Heater is pretty thick. It forces me to run a vinegar bath after about a month (Four water changes).

While RSCP gives me that problem, other salts I have used haven't been without problems of their own, especially in what they leave behind. For instance, RC always left a brown residue in my bucket and mixing equipment. IO did the same. Oceanic did it worse, but that, like IO, was years ago... and things change.

I am currently going to stick with RSCP until I run into a bad batch which could possibly have me turn to a new source. What I would like, more than anything, is another round of salt testing on all brands. That would be awesome to see again!

 

[skinz78]

What I would like, more than anything, is another round of salt testing on all brands. That would be awesome to see again!

Agreed! I'd love to see this too!

 

[fragmatic]

+100 on the testing of brands.. then we see if things have changed ..good/bad/indifferent.

Also, provides data to pick a brand which best meets individual needs.

 

[Stray32]

I run a 6-bulb ATI Powermodule, all brand new bulbs. I have a 60 cube, 24x24x24.

Jared, I hear you loud and clear and if I was having similar issues and came across this post I would have a eureka moment too. Please keep us posted on the switch and if your having any changes because of it, I would be very curious to hear. I wish you the best to get this resolved my friend

btw what type of lights you running?

 

[mike007]

I have been in contact with a expert that has written many books. He says we need to test for ammonia and phoshates after we mix our salt to see if we have these elements present. Thats when we can blame the salt mix or not. He also stated that he did not think that rss was causing algae problems. He is also contacting Redsea scientist to clarify this problem. I will let you know what he says. I personally think if you are having algae problems you need to do further testing of your water parameters before blaming it on the salt. These companies spend lots of dollars to make the best products available to us and they cannot afford to offer products thats cause a algae outbreak.

 

[lps1212]

I too have had bad issues with rspc alk was too high on the 1 batch and did damage to my chalices and zoas since than I went back to tmp and all is well again id rather spend a little more but get better results than saving a little and costing me more in the long run

 

[Connie]

I discarded the first batch I made because I made it up two days ago and had it aerating, which you aren't supposed to do. I made another batch and did the water change. It's early yet, but I must say I love how it completely dissolves. All the inhabitants are a lot perkier than before the water change...so far, I'm liking it!

 

[Jlobes]

Quick question on mixing...how do the Lfs sell saltwater all day/keep it on hand, if it can't mix longer than a few hours?


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[bct15]

Quick question on mixing...how do the Lfs sell saltwater all day/keep it on hand, if it can't mix longer than a few hours?


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First answer that pops into my head when reading your question is, they might not be selling red sea coral pro.

Now I will attempt to further explain my understanding of the mixing thing, I am by no means a red sea scientist so my explanation is based on conclusions I have draw from the red sea explanation, red sea mixing demonstration video, and my understanding of basic principals of physics. I will use the term saturation level a lot, it roughly means the amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a liquid at given conditions. Saturation levels have finite values and can be found in tables. From what i have gathered the red sea formula is very near the saturation levels of various minerals in fresh water at or near room temperature (it may be past the saturation levels, what we engineers call super saturated). Saturation levels can change due to various variables, such as temperature, ph, an other dissolved compounds (like CO2). When vigorously mixing in a bucket or small container, the ideal saturation variables can easily be changed (co2 level and temperature for example) causing the saturation level to drop and some of your nutrients to precipitate out, the extra nutrients being the reason one would use the coral pro salt in the first place. So if they aren't there you might as well be using regular red sea salt. In a nutshell, they recommend you mix that way to ensure you don't change the saturation levels of the water and you add everything you are paying for to your tank.

Now when adding to your tank, you assume the nutrient levels in your tank have been diminished due to coral consumption, and maybe other things using up stuff too. Because of this, the nutrients are not near a saturation level and when you add the nearly saturated freshly mixed water you bring the concentration of the total tank water up but not to saturation levels because the nutrients have been somewhat depleted. Because the level of nutrients is not near saturation levels in the tank (even after adding the freshly mixed water) you don't have to worry about anything precipitating out due to slight changes in conditions.


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[mike007]

Very well said my friend. I know that there scientist are a little smarter than most of us. So we need to follow there instructions.

 

[Jlobes]

Awesome! Thanks for the response and info. So, it's just the rscp that shouldn't be mixed long term? Like say Reef crystals or instant ocean can be mixed longer?

Sorry if in derailing this thread.


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[Connie]

Awesome! Thanks for the response and info. So, it's just the rscp that shouldn't be mixed long term? Like say Reef crystals or instant ocean can be mixed longer?

Sorry if in derailing this thread.


That's right. That's why I had to throw away my first batch, I was mixing it like other salts. I believe most other brands suggest letting it age a little.:bounce: