Reef Requirements

[kiwis]

I've had my tank up about 6 months and it's starting to look really good. All the essentials are okay and I'm using Red Sea Salt to do a weekly water change.

I'm thinking about adding some easy coral but when I test my water Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium levels are all a bit low.

Would a switch to Red Sea Coral Salt make much difference?

I know you can get supplements to increase these one by one but is there something which increases all of these?

 

[DFR]

The easiest thing to do would be change the salt once your current one runs out. Doing weekly water changes, this shouldn’t take too long.
What I did was kind of a hybrid. I used a 3:2 ratio of my enhanced salt with my regular salt (I use IO but the concept is the same) until my regular salt was finished.
If you would like to continue using your current salt, you can manually adjust your levels for right now with 2 part or use kalk.

 

[kiwis]

The easiest thing to do would be change the salt once your current one runs out. Doing weekly water changes, this shouldn’t take too long.
What I did was kind of a hybrid. I used a 3:2 ratio of my enhanced salt with my regular salt (I use IO but the concept is the same) until my regular salt was finished.
If you would like to continue using your current salt, you can manually adjust your levels for right now with 2 part or use kalk.

Thanks, so are you saying the salt will make a big difference?

 

[mta_morrow]

What are your readings?

 

[ryeguyy84]

When you say low, what are you aiming for?

^same time lol

 

[DFR]

Thanks, so are you saying the salt will make a big difference?

Changing salt will slowly bring up your levels to values noted on the salt container. If you are using the blue bucket alk typically mixes <8dkh.

 

[kiwis]

What are your readings?

I'll have to run some recent tests to confirm this.. does that matter though. Last time they were all lower than my red brochure recommended. My question really is instead of getting Product A for this, product B for that etc is there a overall health care product which lifts all these essential elements?

 

[mta_morrow]

I'll have to run some recent tests to confirm this.. does that matter though. Last time they were all lower than my red brochure recommended. My question really is instead of getting Product A for this, product B for that etc is there a overall health care product which lifts all these essential elements?

At the end of the day, tanks everywhere run 7-12 dkh.

I run 8.

Raising it isn’t necessary unless you’re corals are demanding it.

I never recommend doing something or changing something for no real reason.

 

[ryeguyy84]

What does the red brochure recommend?

 

[kiwis]

At the end of the day, tanks everywhere run 7-12 dkh.

I run 8.

Raising it isn’t necessary unless you’re corals are demanding it.

I never recommend doing something or changing something for no real reason.

Again, not my question

 

[kiwis]

What does the red brochure recommend?

https://www.redseafish.com/

Look at the recipes tab.

 

[mta_morrow]

Again, not my question

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/saltmix-parameters-bring-on-the-test-results.233233/

 

[ryeguyy84]

https://www.redseafish.com/

Look at the recipes tab.

Interesting... So which are you following? Mixed reef?

 

[kiwis]

Interesting... So which are you following? Mixed reef?

Fish only as that's all I've had, but moving into Coral soon

 

[Clownfish2]

I use Instant Ocean Salt. It’s $45-50 on Amazon makes 200 gallons. It maintains basic saltwater parameters, but to elevate and maintain stability of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium, I use “2 part” such as soda ash, calcium, and magnesium that I order from BRS. Mix it up in jugs and hook it up to 2 dosing pumps ($70 each) one for alkalinity and one for calcium. For magnesium, I just pour in a few ounces per week. Parameters in my 110 gallon are:
ALK 8-9
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1320

 

[ryeguyy84]

I'll have to run some recent tests to confirm this.. does that matter though. Last time they were all lower than my red brochure recommended. My question really is instead of getting Product A for this, product B for that etc is there a overall health care product which lifts all these essential elements?

Not really except new salt. Basically figure out what levels you want to have and then choose the salt mix that matches that level the closest.

I like to keep alk at 8, cal at 420 so I use coralife salt because it's cheap and matches the levels I want pretty close. I've also used the red Sea blue bucket because that's pretty close as well.

You shouldn't need to dose anything with "easy" corals, I'm assuming no SPS maybe a frogspawn, zoa's stuff like that.

 

[DFR]

@kiwis See ryeguyy84’s post. To answer your question, I do believe the answer you are looking for is using a different salt. All other methods require multiple additions and more frequent water testing. With weekly water changes this method should be sufficient for practically all types of corals initially. However, if you plan to keep SPS, once corals begin to take off in growth, those weekly water changes will not be enough to support their demand. So you may want to consider kalk or 2 part in the future. You may also want to get in the habit of testing your major parameters just so you have an idea of where your tank is. Hope this helps and if you have any more questions we’re here for you!!!