SALT

[BUGZME]

I am thinking of changing from I.O. to oceanic salt. I would like your opinions on this, pro and con. Are there any precautions I need to do not to shock my tank??

[dakar]

First some questions - Is there a particular reason as to why you are considering changing up? Is there something you are trying to gain or correct with the brand change?

We use nothing but Oceanic here, started with it and have had very good results thus far. Now that being said there are some things to be noted, Oceanic has proven to have a very high calcium level, but at least for us the alkalinity is on the low side so I have to regularly dose baked bakig soda or straight baking soda to maintain levels above 10dKH. Not really an issue I just add it to my top off water.

[BUGZME]

I'm jealous of Tilemans polyp extension and figure it could only be the salt, since we do everything else the same. Except I have more light over my tank, almost 10 watts per gallon. I believe his is about 4 watts per gallon.

[dakar]

I suppose it's possible the amount of trace elements could be different enough. Next time you can get near his tank grab a baby food jar of water out of his tank when he's not looking and do some comparative tests against yours and see what the difference is.

FWIW I tested IO vs Oceanic using the same water source (well water through RO/DI)
IO - Ca 380 ppm Alk 8.0
Oceanic - Ca 500 ppm Alk 7.5
Mixed up 5 gals each with SG @ 1.025
Tested for Iodine/Iodide and both cam up the same as the source - undetectable.

[Reptoreef]

Oceanic here... mag is also kept well in oceanic. As for alk, use a kalk reactor.

[tileman]

Polyp Extension!! What polyp extension. :-D

[BUGZME]

SHOW OFF!

[dakar]

Way to bait him in Tileman, I can see Bugz running to the LFS tommorrow to return dragging home a blue bucket of salt attached to each arm. ;)

[BUGZME]

No you are wrong!!! I'm going today!!!!!!!!!!

[tileman]

I just finished my ritual Sunday morning water change and wow!! my sun polyps love me this morning (look bugz) :-D :-D

[Reef_Angel]

Hey Bugz....ask Tileman what all that green stuff covering that coraline is on the back wall of his tank? Could it be some :topsecret: goo that aids corals in the beautiful extension of polyps that none of us are aware of? Either that or his algae eaters went on strike. :snicker:

[BUGZME]

I noticed that green slim also but I didn't want to say anything! Is that the secret Brad? All I have on the back of my tank is corraline, Pink, Purple and Red.

[tileman]

That's top secret snail food.. I have to keep them happy also.

[dakar]

:laughing3: ROFLMAO :laughing3:

[dakar]

Seriously though, if you are going to make the change, make it very gradual, I'd say no more than 10% at a time. There have been horror stories posted all over about bad things happening, we saw some ill effects within two water changes using IO instead of Oceanic, I wasn't watching Ca and Alk like I should have been that could have prevented it... instead just tossed the IO and found a new supplier for Oceanic.

BTW very happy looking sun coral :)

[tileman]

I do a ten gallon water change every Sunday morning, I clean my protein skimmer and change my filter sock and clean all the glass and my overflow box. After everything is changed and cleaned I add about 2 teaspoons of Kent superbuffer to my sump to bring the alkalinity back up. This plan works very well for me so far because then I dont need to add any bionics for about 4 days. I am concerned about all the post that I read on RC about the negetive comments on oceanic salt though. But this is what works for me.

[dakar]

I am concerned about all the post that I read on RC about the negetive comments on oceanic salt though. But this is what works for me.

If you look around enough you can find negative reports about every salt on the market, the big O has been working very well for us too. No intentions of changing things out.

Maybe it's time for some of them brainiac super chemistry wizzard dudes to get together and do a real chemical analysis of salts again, but this time avoid the mess that came out after the last one a while back, and actually take steps to avoid the appearance of partiality, corporate corruption and influence..... nah never gonna happen. There are still rumblings echoing around about that study.

No matter what you use, if it works for you then so be it. Just my opinion but I think the water source can have just as much effect on water quality as the salt mix. All the filtering/RODI whatever can't remove 100% of whatever is disovled in your water to begin with.

[tileman]

I agree 100 percent. Everyone has an opinion on everything, I say , try to absorb all you can and go with what works for you. There is no one right way to this hobby, I still consider myself a beginner and trying to learn everything I can and the best way to do this is on boards like this, and local clubs where you can learn from all the other fishaholics out there.