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Should I switch salts?

post #1 of 23
9/22/10 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 

I am currently using I/O regular salt.  I am going to start adding some coral in the next month or two.  I do have 2 little brown button polyps in my tank.  Got them as hitchhikers.  I am almost out of I/O regular salt.  Should I switch to I/O Reef Crystals?  And no I don't have a reef testing kit yet either.

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post #2 of 23
9/22/10 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post

I am currently using I/O regular salt.  I am going to start adding some coral in the next month or two.  I do have 2 little brown button polyps in my tank.  Got them as hitchhikers.  I am almost out of I/O regular salt.  Should I switch to I/O Reef Crystals?  And no I don't have a reef testing kit yet either.



LOL....at least get a calcium test   (SALIFERT)

 

I am in the process of changing to I/O Reef crystals.....even though my calcium and etc...has been excellent with the regular.   SO, YEAH...why not 

 

What type of corals are you going to be adding?

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post #3 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer View Post





LOL....at least get a calcium test   (SALIFERT)

 

I am in the process of changing to I/O Reef crystals.....even though my calcium and etc...has been excellent with the regular.   SO, YEAH...why not 

 

What type of corals are you going to be adding?



Just some LPS's.  I heard they are the easiest to take care of.  So I figure they would be a good starter coral for me.  I can buy a starter kit for LPS's which include either Candy Cane or Trumpet coral, Purple short tentacle or asst. short tentacle, and Pineapple brain coral or Favites brain coral for $100.  I get one of each catergory.

 

It won't mess anything up buy just using I/O Reef crystals for water changes and top offs?

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post #4 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post




 

 

It won't mess anything up buy just using I/O Reef crystals for water changes and top offs?



NOPE.....REMEMBER TOP OFFS ARE NOT DONE WITH SW

 

I had been doing w/c's on the 225G with the reef crystals.....then I mistakenly got a box of the I/O regular....No I am almost done with that, and have the Reef Crystals again....my stuff is doing fine

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post #5 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer View Post





NOPE.....REMEMBER TOP OFFS ARE NOT DONE WITH SW

 

I had been doing w/c's on the 225G with the reef crystals.....then I mistakenly got a box of the I/O regular....No I am almost done with that, and have the Reef Crystals again....my stuff is doing fine



Thanks for your help.  I can always count on you.

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post #6 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post





Thanks for your help.  I can always count on you.



LOL...well now I am off to the dentist  

 

so I will be missing for a few hours

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post #7 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:51pm

Yeah, please don't add salt to your top off water!  You would get your salinity so high so fast. 

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post #8 of 23
9/22/10 at 12:52pm

 

I just thought I would toss this out...

 

I use the IO reef crystals too. I noticed my PH stays at 8.0...so T tested y new mixed saltwater and sure enough 8.0 (API test kits)...So I add a tiny bit of PH booster to my new mix to bring up my PH, corals like 8.2 / 8.3...It might just be my RO water if that can make a difference so do a test and double triple check. I also have been doing daily water changes so that might be why my PH matches theirs exactly...

 

So also double check the PH in your tank besides the new mix. If what is in your tank is correct and all is good...leave things alone, never mess with perfection.

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post #9 of 23
9/22/10 at 2:42pm

So what should I do know.  I trust your opinion Flower and I trust meowzer opinion also.  I am confused. Ugh

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post #10 of 23
9/22/10 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Salty-Fish View Post

So what should I do know.  I trust your opinion Flower and I trust meowzer opinion also.  I am confused. Ugh



 

 

Hey...what does not mesh with meowzer? I once used regular IO salt and switched to the IO reef crystals with no problems at all. I do top offs with RO water never saltwater. I just suggested you double check the PH because it is a little low for some reason in my system, but even if the PH may read low in your new mixed saltwater...test your main tank water, if the PH is fine there then ..DISREGARD my advice on this..

 

 Salt does not evaporate, water does, so when the water line drops from evaporation, the salt remains, SG climbs. So to TOP OFF..just add more RO water to where you had it before the evaporation and the SG is as it should be. If you topped off with saltwater your SG would be way too high.

If you are still confused let me know and I will try and fix whatever I did to confuse you. meowzers advice was just fine, I was adding to it.

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post #11 of 23
9/22/10 at 3:52pm

LOL....yeah I was confused too....since I just read Flower telling you to check ph

 

and my mouth is numb  :(

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post #12 of 23
9/22/10 at 3:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower View Post





 

 

Hey...what does not mesh with meowzer? I once used regular IO salt and switched to the IO reef crystals with no problems at all. I do top offs with RO water never saltwater. I just suggested you double check the PH because it is a little low for some reason in my system, but even if the PH may read low in your new mixed saltwater...test your main tank water, if the PH is fine there then ..DISREGARD my advice on this..

 

 

 

 

 

 Salt does not evaporate, water does, so when the water line drops from evaporation, the salt remains, SG climbs. So to TOP OFF..just add more RO water to where you had it before the evaporation and the SG is as it should be. If you topped off with saltwater your SG would be way too high.

 

 

 

If you are still confused let me know and I will try and fix whatever I did to confuse you. meowzers advice was just fine, I was adding to it.



I did a typo about top-offs.  I don't mix for top-offs.  I know that as water evaporates, salinity goes up slighty.  Water changes is the only thing I add salt to.  Sorry for the typo.

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post #13 of 23
9/22/10 at 4:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post





I did a typo about top-offs.  I don't mix for top-offs.  I know that as water evaporates, salinity goes up slighty.  Water changes is the only thing I add salt to.  Sorry for the typo.



LOL...we will forgive you.....this time

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post #14 of 23
9/22/10 at 6:08pm

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. IO is still one of the most popular salts out there. We use it on the 530gal at PSU and I think that tank speaks for itself.

 

On a side note, a stable pH of 8.0 is fine.

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post #15 of 23
9/22/10 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WangoTango View Post

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. IO is still one of the most popular salts out there. We use it on the 530gal at PSU and I think that tank speaks for itself.

 

On a side note, a stable pH of 8.0 is fine.



Doesn't I/O Reef crystals have extra stuff for corals that regular I/O don't have.

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post #16 of 23
9/23/10 at 5:49am


It's supposed to.  That is why they charge a little more for it.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post





Doesn't I/O Reef crystals have extra stuff for corals that regular I/O don't have.

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post #17 of 23
9/23/10 at 5:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WangoTango View Post

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. IO is still one of the most popular salts out there. We use it on the 530gal at PSU and I think that tank speaks for itself.

 

On a side note, a stable pH of 8.0 is fine.


 

LOL...I don't want fine..I want perfect.   Perfect for corals is 8.2 to 8.4...I would really like 8.2 to 8.3 so I have a little wiggle room. That's just me, I now they can survive on 8.0
 

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post #18 of 23
9/23/10 at 6:05am

Let me know when you find that perfect salt!

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post #19 of 23
9/23/10 at 7:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdc View Post

Let me know when you find that perfect salt!


 

LOL...I my WANT perfect but I use IO reef crystals...Its a good brand and I'm happy with it. I just up my PH to what I want, once it's there it is stable. However since I have been doing DAILY water changes...the PH stays at 8.0 bcause that is what the reef crystals has it set at.
 

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post #20 of 23
9/23/10 at 9:54am

It's marketed that way, but if you look at some of the articles about different salt mixes (there's a few on the other big forum) they aren't vastly different from one another. In some batches I/O has actually had higher calcium levels than R/C.

 

For what it's worth, I've used Reef Crystals, Seachem, and Oceanic over the years. Overall I havn't noticed any major differences in my tank.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by scottnlisa View Post





Doesn't I/O Reef crystals have extra stuff for corals that regular I/O don't have.

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