who's rocking the regular instand ocean salt?

AcroNem · Jun 18, 2020

I do want to point out that the stuff left over from RC is totally inert. So although a bit annoying to clean, it's harmless.

Potatohead · Jun 18, 2020

We had this exact same thread yesterday. Seriously.

Why anything but Instant Ocean?

I don't mean to offend, but I'm curious as to why anyone would use salt other than Instant Ocean. I don't know if this is only my experience, but every single other brand I've used (including reef crystals) has left my mixing station full of a brown film. I've tried many different salts and I...

www.reef2reef.com

Cell · Jun 18, 2020

Used to use RSCP, switched to LiveAquaria brand last year when it was super cheap, but that's finally just about gone and I now have IO on auto order through Amazon and will be using it for as long as it serves me well.

Devaji · Jun 18, 2020

Potatohead said:
We had this exact same thread yesterday. Seriously.

Why anything but Instant Ocean?

I don't mean to offend, but I'm curious as to why anyone would use salt other than Instant Ocean. I don't know if this is only my experience, but every single other brand I've used (including reef crystals) has left my mixing station full of a brown film. I've tried many different salts and I...

www.reef2reef.com

haha well great mind think alike I guess.

Devaji · Jun 18, 2020

calling @jda @homer1475 @AllSignsPointToFish

ok I am pretty sure IO is the best salt for me as I plan to mix 50-100 for AWC can you guys explain in more detail your "recipe" and how you adjust the ca and alk.

what is the "best" for both? I hear some ppl using dow flakes for the Ca and an inherent acid for the alk.

is this the right dow flakes? https://www.walmart.com/ip/CALCIUM-...2UJzmxrs8yDI02mmskW2vpdRUvUXI7MEaAoIhEALw_wcB

homer1475 · Jun 18, 2020

For me I mix for 24 hours, then test.

I've used IO for so long, I rarely test it anymore(I used to check every batch, but found it mixes up so consitently I add when first mixing, then test). I add 10ML of muriatic acid(ACE hardware brand), and 90ML of calcium chloride. I then test it 24H later and I'm pretty much around 7.5ALK, 420 CAL, and 1350MAG.

I dose BRS 2 part so I use that. I have a hard time finding Randy's DIY for the CAl part so I just buy the BRS chem's for CAL and MAG. Plain jane arm and hammer baking soda for ALK.

Recipe for ALK:
Alk Drop x volume x .123 = ML of acid to add.

CAL I just use the traditional reef calc for how much to add.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

homer1475 · Jun 18, 2020

And another thing......

I have been using the same brutes now for about 4 years, I have only cleaned them out 1 time. I get none of the "brown crud" after the mix is mixed well. I do see it floating at the top when first mixed, but once I'm ready to use, it's gone and not in my mixing barrels.

I did just watch a video yesterday by BRS(think it was the one about mixing issues?) where they suggested to run your water through RO/DI sediment filter before putting it into your tank. I thought that was a great idea, and just bought a canister and sediment filter to try it out.

AllSignsPointToFish · Jun 18, 2020

Devaji said:
calling @jda @homer1475 @AllSignsPointToFish

ok I am pretty sure IO is the best salt for me as I plan to mix 50-100 for AWC can you guys explain in more detail your "recipe" and how you adjust the ca and alk.

what is the "best" for both? I hear some ppl using dow flakes for the Ca and an inherent acid for the alk.

is this the right dow flakes? https://www.walmart.com/ip/CALCIUM-...2UJzmxrs8yDI02mmskW2vpdRUvUXI7MEaAoIhEALw_wcB

Okay, let me preface this with this statement:
I. Am. A. Bad. Reefer.

LOL
Each water change is around 30 gallons in a 125 gallon system. I warm the DI water up (or cool it down with ice blocks here in Florida) to the desired temperature. I put the salt in to the correct specific gravity (1.026 or a little lower if the tank if running a tad high), and mix it until there is no salt left in the bottom of the Brute can. Then, now here comes, the secret sauce, I just pull the water out of sump with the shop vac and pump the new water into the sump, then circulate. No adjustments. I do test the next day to ensure numbers aren't off too much, but generally only very minor adjustments are needed.

Here is the tank:

AllSignsPointToFish · Jun 18, 2020

The glass is a little dirty...my apologies. In the middle of maintenance as we speak.

Guttersnipe · Jun 19, 2020

look at all the past tank of the month threads. All the tanks are beautiful. They all use instant ocean.

trmiv · Jun 19, 2020

I used it for a long time until last year when I got a batch with 14 dkh alk and over 500 calcium. Decided to try something else and switched to HW marinemix Reefer.

DangerDave · Jun 19, 2020

Do you guys and gals actually get a sludge in the mixing tank from any of these? if I experienced any sludge, slime, or smell as a normal issue I think I’d switch salts.

I had a slight smell once, I let it mix overnight due to my own error (bourbon). The the RSCP bucket states to not mix for more than a couple hours. I turned off the pump and it was gone in a few hours. I used it with no issues.

Using RSCP, I do get a thin brown crust in the mixing/holding tank, it’s not slime or sludgy at all, it’s a hard thin crust. I mix 55 gallons at a time. The. It sits un-heated with no circulation for about a week. When the awc brings it to around 10gallons I mix more.

Mrx7899 · Jun 19, 2020

I use it works just fine

Devaji · Jun 19, 2020

anyone got any leads on the 200 gal. boxes? I dont need it now but will in a few months.
I hope to find a good prine in the $30s-$40 range and get 4-6 boxes and stock up for the year.

xiaoxiy · Jun 20, 2020

I use I/O on my system as well. I can grab two 160 gallon buckets off of amazon for $50-60, which is crazy cheap. As a result of this, I can do almost double the amount of automatic water changes weekly compared to a pricier salt. For me, a larger water change volume outweighs most of the benefits of a pricier salt.

Ike · Jun 20, 2020

I don't have my good pics available right now so please excuse the mediocre photographer

This was grown exclusively with instant ocean/RC, whichever was cheapest at any given time. I also feed only flake food, don't dose (CA reactor) and don't bother monitoring nitrates and PO4 any longer. This tank had a disastrous move about a year after this pic, but I'm in the middle of growing a tank that should surpass it. I'll be using IO/RC.

Devaji · Jun 20, 2020

Ike said:
I don't have my good pics available right now so please excuse the mediocre photographer This was grown exclusively with instant ocean/RC, whichever was cheapest at any given time. I also feed only flake food, don't dose (CA reactor) and don't bother monitoring nitrates and PO4 any longer. This tank had a disastrous move about a year after this pic, but I'm in the middle of growing a tank that should surpass it. I'll be using IO/RC.

I was wondering if it more cost effective to dose 2 part or get a ca reactor a forget about it?
my tank will be LPS dom. mixed reef with a few SPS and softies mixed in. I wounder with Daily 1%ish WC that might not be even needed?

Ike · Jun 20, 2020

Devaji said:
I was wondering if it more cost effective to dose 2 part or get a ca reactor a forget about it?
my tank will be LPS dom. mixed reef with a few SPS and softies mixed in. I wounder with Daily 1%ish WC that might not be even needed?

Dosing on a tank like that becomes awful. I would drop 2.5 dKH in a 24 hour period, so it wasn't really about the economics for me. Water changes can be done sparingly with success. I'd rather do a 10% change every 6 months or so than do 1% a day. I don't think it's needed in the short term, and one can go a few years without water changes and no obvious deleterious effects noticable.