Reef crystals or instant ocean for sps reef

Moonlightreef · Mar 3, 2015

declanisadog said:
I try to keep mine around 8. I dose 11ml of soda ash (BRS) daily, but my tank is small (35gallon TWV) so when I do my weekly water change, it jumps up to 9ish. It's not necessarily the highness (poor wording in my original post), but the jump that bothers me. If my tank were bigger, I don't think I would even notice it

But if your tank was bigger you would of done bigger water changes right ? so you would still noting the ALK spike [emoji56]

declanisadog · Mar 3, 2015

Moonlightreef said:
But if your tank was bigger you would of done bigger water changes right ? so you would still noting the ALK spike [emoji56]

True, but the percentage of water I would be changing would also go down. There will still be a spike, but not as bad as I am seeing now.

Stephanie11 · Mar 3, 2015

I've been thinking of changing from reef crystals also. My alk in my 125 w/40 sump is at 10. I like big water changes. Also I think there are huge changes from batch to batch. I have a few tanks and I mix 30-50 gallons a week in a brute. I use a 1400gph cheap pump, a 750gph pump with hose for water changes and a jebao wp40 to mix salt. I see the residue. It gets so bad I use a filter sock inside to filter the flaky particles.

rovster · Mar 3, 2015

With smaller waterchanges, the bump in Alk s not significant. If I'm doing a large waterchange, I add muriatic acid to the mix to bring down the alkalinity. Sounds counterproductive but it helps keep the spike nonexistent when I'm doing a 30-50% change! which I rarely do. I did that more often in my nanos.

dankreef · Mar 4, 2015

Has anyone sent seachem reefsalt to triton? Would love to know how the metals match up. I have used IO & RC. Seachem is the best i've found has a nice alk around 8, always mixes up super clear. I've found all of the seachem stuff to be quality, would love to see #'s of all salts. We should start a thread of #'s if some people would mix up fresh batch and send that in we could get a base of all salt mixes how they really come out. I'm thinking about sending some of my seachem in now.

vuqchu · Mar 4, 2015

Instant Ocean for me because it's cheaper and Alk closer to my tank.

jeffrey m · Mar 4, 2015

I use salinity. Mixes well. Still have to dose alk and mag. 3 times a week cal once a month or less. I dont test my water I take it to the local coral shop. Ill use test strips just to keep and eye on things

deerhunter06 · Mar 4, 2015

am I missing something? buy a salt that mixes to the alk you want, Dose daily to keep the alk where you want and the alk should never "spike"

Av8Bluewater · Mar 5, 2015

Using Instant ocean. Close to Natural sea water. I'm on full Zeovit so I'm digg'n the lower alk.

that Reef Guy · Mar 5, 2015

N1Husker said:
I have used Kent Reef Salt for years and I love it, plus I love the price. I get it from Drs F&S for $44.00 or Pet Solutions, 200 gal. bucket for $49.00 and I get great results. Very high in calcium, magnesium and strontium, but the Alk is a little low, so I dose that. My corals love it and the fish do well. I haven't lost a fish due to the salt ever. I have had a couple jump out of the tank when the lid was open, but not from the salt. I will never switch. I switched once to Reef Crystals, but switched back, I didn't like the numbers I was getting.

What was the Alkalinity at for Kent?

I am looking for a Low Alk Salt.

Maybe this is the one for me?

that Reef Guy · Mar 5, 2015

declanisadog said:
I switched from Salinity to RC recently, and am unhappy with the high Alk post water changes. I am planning on switching tho IO when I use the last of my RC

Why did you stop using Salinity?

that Reef Guy · Mar 5, 2015

soggytees said:
I've always used RC, but I like the argument presented for using IO. There is always a big swing in alk after a WC, and maybe a salt that was less alk loaded would be a better bet for stability (those of us that are dosing are relying on the continual dose to maintain stability anyway). Good thoughts!

I am looking for a Low Alkalinity Salt.

I assumed the same thing.

But when I tested the Instant Ocean it actually had a Higher Alkalinity than Reef Crystals!

metro6775 · Mar 5, 2015

I'm not worried about the alkalinity of reef crystals since I only do a 10 percent water change. I'm more interested in knowing what is the brown residue ring left in my mixing bucket.

miyags · Mar 5, 2015

metro6775 said:
I'm not worried about the alkalinity of reef crystals since I only do a 10 percent water change. I'm more interested in knowing what is the brown residue ring left in my mixing bucket.

Me to. It's like jitney dust from the warehouse floor.

Rausch · Mar 5, 2015

deerhunter06 said:
am I missing something? buy a salt that mixes to the alk you want, Dose daily to keep the alk where you want and the alk should never "spike"

!00% agreed, have been using IO for over a year now, no ALK spikes

BryanD · Mar 5, 2015

I've used Reef Crystals for about 15 years now and haven't noticed any excessive residue on the mixing equipment, yes there is some but I've been using the same heater and power head for years now. I use white 5 gallon buckets so it would be hard to notice anything on the sides of the buckets, but haven't felt any buildup. As for parameters I just started measuring calcium and alkalinity over the last year and a half and they've been consistent. Alkalinity is on the high end but nothing seems to care. Never had a batch look milky after 24 hours of mixing, which is what most recommend. I have used it in a pinch in less time than that, even then it went in solution pretty well.

BryanD · Mar 5, 2015

metro6775 said:
I'm not worried about the alkalinity of reef crystals since I only do a 10 percent water change. I'm more interested in knowing what is the brown residue ring left in my mixing bucket.

Now that I think about it I did have a period where I got a brownish residue on my white buckets, it turned out to be the powerhead I was using to mix it. I was getting a bit impatient and throwing the powerhead into the bucket with the salt before letting the salt dissolve a bit, the magnet on the impellor was getting all chewed up from the salt. When I figured it out and took out the impellor, the magnet was all grooved up. Threw out the power head and grabbed another "retired" one and haven't had the issue since.

declanisadog · Mar 5, 2015

Got a box of RC for free

Pacman · Mar 5, 2015

Reef Crystals

I have used Reef Crystals for over twenty years. That being said I was having trouble with stony corals over time so after watching the video from macna where Triton tested salt mixes I switch to Tropic Marin and have never looked back. Mixes better , clean no residue in the mixing bucket , salt creep around the tank is better and most of all all my coral look the best it ever has. Very happy with the Tropic Marin.

Dextereef · Mar 5, 2015

I use reef crystals and have been lucky I suppose as I have not had the issues others have mentioned except for the alk swings. I was doing large monthly water changes and switched to smaller weekly changes and this leveled out the swings I was seeing. If you are going to dose you could do IO but I am not sure of what trace element decline you might see. I did switch one time to Kent and was not happy with the way my tank reacted so I switched back to RC.

As far as residue goes, I do get some brown film if I leave it mixing with a powerhead for a few days. If I mix immediately, remove the powerhead, and let it sit I get nothing. I emailed instant ocean about this and they said that the powerhead will draw out heavy metals in the water. I dont know if this is accurate or not but I dont get brown residue when I immediately remove the powerhead after mixing.