Salt and Alk

[SashimiTurtle]

Yeah, that pro salt is similar to AF pro biotic, needed for uln systems.

I burnt two SPS frags to a crisp trying to keep my alk up at 12 where the black bucket salt mixes at. One monti cap and a stylo. LPS seems unaffected. Let the alk fall to 8ish and SPS is doing great. I just have to be really careful with water changes until I switch to blue bucket. Im also running ULNS, no dectable NO3 or PO4. I dose the Red Sea energy A and B daily.

 

[burtbollinger]

I use Fritz RPM. Stopped using RSCP and I've never been happier....Mixes clean to 8 dKh, 440 calcium, 1400 magnesium. Most LFSs I frequent carry now...and staff at every shop swear by it. Price is also nice....50 bucks for 200g.

http://fritzaquatics.com/product/rpm-reef-pro-mix/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know Fritz is trendy now, but it concerns me when they do not report correct info on the web site you quoted.
http://fritzaquatics.com/product/rpm-reef-pro-mix/
"Parameters*
Salinity 35 ppt (1.025 sg)"

For seawater, 35 ppt is not a sg of 1.025.

If they get that simple fact wrong, you have to wonder what else do they not properly understand.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I know Fritz is trendy now, but it concerns me when they do not report correct info on the web site you quoted.
http://fritzaquatics.com/product/rpm-reef-pro-mix/
"Parameters*
Salinity 35 ppt (1.025 sg)"

For seawater, 35 ppt is not a sg of 1.025.

If they get that simple fact wrong, you have to wonder what else do they not properly understand.

Ouch.

 

[Legendary Tina]

I have decided I would like to keep my alk between 8 and 9. Why is it that I can't seem to find any salts under 11? Why do salt mixes hit such a high alk number if maintaining constant alk is so important?

Teco is 8 on the money every time

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I was using RSCP and I found it decent as far as coral growth and yes, dkh was on the high side. I switched to Aqua Forest Probiotic and maintain (in the samll tank) 7dkh. Corals love it and growth has been even better! I'm running two tanks: 90g mixed reef with a 40g sump/refugium (Aqua Forest standard salts) and a 36g bowfront Seahorse dedicated with a 20g sump/refugium (Aquaforest Probiotic). On the 90, just started 2 part dosing and params leveled at 8.2 ph, 9dkh and 440 calc. with a sg of 1.024. On the 36g I just started using kalk and params are 7.8 ph, 7 dkh and 440 calc with a sg of 1.023.

 

[burtbollinger]

I noticed that early on as well....I'm into my 3rd box....and its mixed @ 8 at 1.026 for me....seems a strange error though.

 

[Biznizface]

I use Tropic Marin pro reef and made 30 litres this wkd tested the alk and it was 6.5 (Fauna Marin test kit)

I always swirl the salt around in the bag for a while first I did think this was a little low but I'd rather that than high.

 

[cap232]

below

 

[cap232]

 

[Brew12]

Thanks, that is very helpful! Looks like the problem is the lower alk salt just aren't carried in my area, not that they don't exist. A little frustrating but it is what it is.

 

[chefjpaul]

BRS free shipping

 

[Acro maniac]

Happy with Fritz here. Its nice to have a mix i dont have to dose prior to adding to the tank. It tests right for my liking. The past i used IO recently in the past year or 2 ridiculous low on cal lower end of 300s and mag between 970 and 1100 it was costing a fortune to dose up cal to 400-430 and getting mag above 1300.
I switched tried red sea blue bucket it was ok but expensive also had to dose cal and mag up but not much.

 

[ChrspnicholsI]

I've recently been looking at the same thing- which salt has the lowest alk. I run my alk around 6.5 so I basically don't do water changes due to the swing. Have been thinking about ordering some of the aquaforest probiotic salt and trying it out.

 

[oceanslide]

I just switched from the Red Sea coral pro to the regular blue bucket Red Sea salt, love it so far! Mixes quick and there's batch numbers on them so you can check what your buckets numbers are.

 

[pelphrey]

I use Red Sea coral pro, tested a newly mixed batch (5 gallons) it was 12.8

Now to compare my dkh before hand was 8.4

4 hours after 5 gallon water change on 65 gallons total dkh was 8.6

24 hours later dkh was 8.4

2 days later dkh 8.3

2 days later dkh 8.3

Tested again on Saturday, water change day dkh was 8.2

New batch of water (5 gallons) 12.8

Same cycle each week!

 

[1stNoel]

+1 on Tropic Marin and Frtiz Pro Salt

Tropic Marin is on the expensive side, so I've currently switched to Fritz. Both salts mix clean in minutes. Unlike Instant Ocean, which never seems to fully mix (I always see grains of salt on the bottom of my mixing tank).

 

[D_Nyholm]

Yeah, unless you are doing large water changes, the high alk in the salt mixes will have little effect on the overall alk of the tank it seems.

When I do a water change, I usually just skip a dose of alk/Calc and don't see any significant changes.

 

[Robthorn]

Hard to skip with dosers. ;-).

I pay a little extra I imagine for salt to not dose or worry about swings doing large water changes. My mindset is keep my tank near nsw and use a salt that does its best to do the same. I keep in mind manufacturing processes are never perfect and batch to batch will be different but all I can do is try.
I won't use a boosted salt or one that is low on everything for me to boost but I would boost before adding something with high values.

 

[dmw913]

I know Fritz is trendy now, but it concerns me when they do not report correct info on the web site you quoted.
http://fritzaquatics.com/product/rpm-reef-pro-mix/
"Parameters*
Salinity 35 ppt (1.025 sg)"

For seawater, 35 ppt is not a sg of 1.025.

If they get that simple fact wrong, you have to wonder what else do they not properly understand.

So, anyone know why/how Fritz got so popular, so quickly? All of a sudden all my LFS are stocking mounds of it. Almost like a distributor is giving it away at a huge discount or some other spiff to get these boxes into stores(just speculation).

Just to throw my .02 in the salt discussion - I'm a HW-Marinemix gal.