Red Sea Salt use for reef
- Thread starter thang45
- Start date
stanlalee
Active Member
sure no reason not to use it. I wouldn't buffer it before water changes. I have never really found it deficient (certainly no less so than IO). I've been thru buckets of it with no problems. I use IO the last few buckets but if I had 3 bags of redsea I'd use it. matter of fact there are few salts I'd rule out if they were already in my posession or free. I've used all the usual suspects with no issues. I always manipulate the the tank water as needed but never the water change water before hand. normal size water changes dont change parameters significantly regardless of what the salt specs. afterall 75-95% of the tank water is typically unchanged and the percentage difference between the old water and new parameters isn't enough to significantly alter parameters with normal size water changes. day to day inhabitant utilization is going to be way more significant so I buffer the tank.
stanlalee
Active Member
not in the least, 85% of your water is unchanged and even the new 15% of water is only going to be 20% or less off of your old water (if your calcium is 400ppm thats +- 100ppm, about +- 250ppm mg and +- 2dKH. its unlikely the redsea is off more than that from your tank water). mathematically its not possible for a 15% water change with 20% different parameters to significantly change parameters. You parameters wont even change beyond normal test allowances (at least not from the water changed). even if you use the same brand there's no garauntee batch to batch will be anymore consistant. you can buffer the mix if you want to but I dont. buffering the water change water isn't an accurate method of keeping tank water parameters inline. too many variables (mainly inhabitant uptake) which is why I recommend buffering the full body of tank water if needed not just trying to match water change water with tank water. there's not enough being changed to make that worthwhile unless you do significantly larger water changes.
stanlalee
Active Member
none that hobbiest have anyway of knowing. For example D&D is suppose to be rich in potassium. K test even beyond hobby grade have less than stellar accuracy. Beyond that and iodine (which the need for elevated levels is always debated) you can test for virtually none and manufacturers dont give data for virtually any. most of these salts like redsea, seachem, IO, tropic marin, Oceanic, coralife ect have been around long enough to be deemed adequate for any tank and any heavily stocked reef with LPS and SPS will require additional ca, alk and mg beyond what salt mixes can deliver.
