I originally used instant ocean when I had started my tank. I switched to using reef crystals after I started buying up corals and getting away from fish only setups. My calcium and alk stays up but occasionally I have to add some mag. My mag stays in the low 1300, Alk is high about 12, and calcium stays between 450-500. This was what it was at last time I checked it. I was wanting to switch over to the brightwell salt but no one near me carries much of the brightwell products. Plus I tend to find more deals on the Reef crystals on some of the online sites.
I have used RC forever with good results. I never expect the batches of salt mixes to be perfect. I usually do my water change and wait a few hours and test my water parameters. Adjust as needed from there. I just make sure the temp and salinity are in line with the tank. I just recently switched to brightwells...(only one water change so far). We'll see how it goes.
Here's my take on salt mixes... if you care to hear. I have test a lot of salts for our club a year ago. Salt mixes always change... most likely the reason that you don't see many study's published. All have positive and negative depending on your needs. Their might be a "prefect" salt out their but I have yet to find one.
What I have done is take a mix of my favorite salts. Why? There are to many story's of bad batch going around. My hopes is that if I mix a few different salt mixes that I like, I can avoid a disaster. I spend to much to relay on one salt of ruin everything. Not only is this protect for my tank... I can get the best that each salt has to offer. It also allow me to add more of what my tank need at each water change.
I test each salt and record their parameters. So if salt A is high in Mg and my tank needs more, I add a little more to my makeup water.
Do you mix them dry prior to adding water? mix three separately with water then add? What three do you use?
Originally Posted by dejavu
Here's my take on salt mixes... if you care to hear. I have test a lot of salts for our club a year ago. Salt mixes always change... most likely the reason that you don't see many study's published. All have positive and negative depending on your needs. Their might be a "prefect" salt out their but I have yet to find one.
What I have done is take a mix of my favorite salts. Why? There are to many story's of bad batch going around. My hopes is that if I mix a few different salt mixes that I like, I can avoid a disaster. I spend to much to relay on one salt of ruin everything. Not only is this protect for my tank... I can get the best that each salt has to offer. It also allow me to add more of what my tank need at each water change.
I test each salt and record their parameters. So if salt A is high in Mg and my tank needs more, I add a little more to my makeup water.
Do you mix them dry prior to adding water? mix three separately with water then add? What three do you use?
I mix them in the water. Form what I have read ing them "dry" can cause some chemical reactions. Is it true... not sure but mixing them in the water allows me to control what is being added.
I've been reefing for a couple of years now and really had great experiences with a variety of salts. I started with Reef Crystals on my 55 and stuck with that for a year and a half. Switched to a bag of regular IO and didn't really notice much of a difference. Now granted, I was mainly keeping LPS and Z's and P's.
Once I started keeping SPS and other more demanding coral, I switched over to DD H2Ocean salt and had great results. I recently ran out of DD and decided to give Brightwell's NeoMarine a whirl. Honestly, I haven't noticed much of a difference in the amount I have to dose on a daily basis or any major changes in coloration, polyp extension, or overall health with my SPS. It does seem to mix up a lot faster but other than that, really wouldn't necessarily make the switch from either one to the other.
Not sure what I'll go with for the next bucket of salt....a 50g bag of salt usually lasts me quite a while with only a 20H tank so I have time before the next decision
reefcrystals is the salt i prefer, but for the last month or so been using io because they were out of rc. used the coral pro before and liked it but it seemed to me like the rc mixed better.
salts
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Originally Posted by dejavu
