Reef Crystals and newbie SPS

[bknope]

I am looking at dabbling into SPS corals. The ORA green birdsnest is at the top of my list.

However, my reef crystals to 12 dKH, which seems higher than most people posting here.

Has anyone kept SPS with reef crystals with its high alk?

Looking for thoughts/opinions. Thanks!

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Most successful reefers I know use it, I used to not care for it, but if it works for them ..... I switched to reef crystals and it works just fine.

 

[splitting_lanes]

Once you’re keeping coral in reef crystals, the Alk and calc will go down.

my Alk only tests as high as 9.5 dkh using RC and kalk in my Doser

 

[Reef_in_Denver]

It's really widely used. As long as you have nutrients in your system your should be fine!

 

[Leemcg]

I use reef crystals and my dkh is consistently around 9.

 

[stephj03]

You could also consider regular instant ocean. Same mfg just less Alk, CA, mg

 

[Gordonm]

I use reef crystals and my dkh is consistently around 9.

Yeah around 9 for me too sounds about right.

 

[bknope]

Yeah around 9 for me too sounds about right.

I guess I hadn’t considered this, but your alk measurement is after your system has reacted to the alk and consumed it?

i.e. your RC mixes to 11-12 dKH, but once in your system that comes down a bit? Or does yours mix to around 9? I’m leaning toward the former, but just want to make sure.

Thanks!

 

[Gordonm]

I guess I hadn’t considered this, but your alk measurement is after your system has reacted to the alk and consumed it?

i.e. your RC mixes to 11-12 dKH, but once in your system that comes down a bit? Or does yours mix to around 9? I’m leaning toward the former, but just want to make sure.

Thanks!

I dont know the alk that it mixes too. After four days or so iwill test for it and its usually 9 ppm or so. Gradually it will go down to 8.4 or 7 is where i keep it. I also keep dosing kalk but back off from dosing baking soda for a day or two so my alk doesn't stay to high.

 

[bknope]

Thanks all! I am also going to do a manual test to verify the trident results during my lunch break today

 

[NS Mike D]

since your system is new, you shouldn't expect the same ALK consumption of a packed SPS tank. RC may be a lot of alk for now. I did use it for 5 years with a mixed reef tank and then decided that regular IO was fine - and costs less.

There is a correlation with ALK and nutrients. We tend to see sps ULN (Ulta Low Nutrients) running alk around 8dkh and report that they see burned tips with high alk and low nutrients. We also see tanks with higher alk and higher nutrients doing very well.

One more thing. Maintaining high alk can be difficult for two reasons, (1) High alk has a higher tendency to precipitate in the tank (the hard white dots that form of pumps, other equipment and the sand, and (2). With sufficient nutrients, high alk would lead to greater growth and thus alk & CA consumption. For these reasons, higher alk would dictate more attention to dosing between water changes.


for me, it was just much easier to use IO as I like the middle of the road, ALK 9 NO3 2-5 PO4 0.08 - 0.12. I find it harder to keep either high or low numbers as stable and leave less margin of error.

 

[Topekoms]

I would use Tropic Marian if I were you its just a couple cents more per gallon but its a way cleaner salt

 

[DancingShark]

I used reef crystal for about 3 years. I keep my alk around 8.5dkh. I recently changed to regular IO salt because when I did a water change my corals would close up for about an hour. And my water would be cloudy, corals slimming. It doesn't do that anymore with regular IO. IO is closer to where I keep my parameters. You can look into that aswell.

@Topekoms at least here locally I can get 3 200g boxes IO ($31ea) RC($35ea) for the same price of one 200g tropic marin.

 

[Gordonm]

I used reef crystal for about 3 years. I keep my alk around 8.5dkh. I recently changed to regular IO salt because when I did a water change my corals would close up for about an hour. And my water would be cloudy, corals slimming. It doesn't do that anymore with regular IO. IO is closer to where I keep my parameters. You can look into that aswell.

@Topekoms at least here locally I can get 3 200g boxes IO ($31ea) RC($35ea) for the same price of one 200g tropic marin.

Not in my case!