Salt

saltydog

saltydog

Member
I switched from Instant Ocean to Red Sea about a year ago. I like how it dissolves and seemed to work well. I recently switched to MH's and started adding more SPS corals. With that I started testing my Cal and Alk more often. I'm having a difficult time keeping by Cal above 360-380. I add 2) part Cal and buffer. Thinking about switching to Tropic Marine. I understand it mixes up at 420Cal.
Any thoughts?
Salty
 
cayman isl

cayman isl

Member
I've always used Instant Ocean. Seems to work fine so I won't change it.
I also found that if you go to the Petsmart website and print out the page that has the 160 gallon bucket of IO for $31.99, that the local store will honor the price. It's about $43.00 or so in the store. They have the Oceanic, 200 gallon bucket, for $39.99 on the web site as well. Not sure what it goes for in the store, but could save someone a few bucks.
(I didn't see that our host sold salt, if they do, and this message is inappropriate please delete it)
 
fishamajig

fishamajig

Member
If you have allot of sps corals you might want to use a calcium suppliment. I dont have experience with it but maybe kent reef calcium or kalkwasser. In my understanding sps corals are the most dependent on calcium and if you are not adding a supplement to your tank it will not be addequit.
 
goulding.c

goulding.c

Member
I used instant ocean and reef crystals for a year after start up and could never get calcium above 300 or 350 (with 2 part buffer). Some one mentioned Oceanic being higher so i tried and love it for these reasons:
1. Cheaper
2. Comes in 200 gallon bucket
3. Finer particles that mix much better leaving no residue in the bottom of my 55 gallon drum
4. The bucket has a nicer reusable lid for non fish related things
5. Calcium is always at 500
Just curious being a newbe, I am told cal should be 500 for the reef tanks. Is this accurate? Or is 350 acceptable?
CG:notsure:
 
happy fish

happy fish

New Member
Bump it up. Lets get some more info going here. Would like to here from the long timers in the habit.:happyfish
 
T

thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by Saltydog
I'm having a difficult time keeping by Cal above 360-380. I add 2) part Cal and buffer. Thinking about switching to Tropic Marine. I understand it mixes up at 420Cal.
Any thoughts?
Salty
Yep, check your magnesium levels. Let me know what you come up with.
 
T

thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by goulding.c
Just curious being a newbe, I am told cal should be 500 for the reef tanks. Is this accurate? Or is 350 acceptable?
CG:notsure:
Well if your calcium is at 500 what is your alkalinity at?
I have been maintaining about 430-450 with the Oceanic. It mixes up close to 500 though. But alkalinity seems to be low, about 3.09.
Mag for the oceanic has been running about 1450 ppm.
Thomas
 
goulding.c

goulding.c

Member
Thomas712,
My alkalinity is at 2.5. I check every week just before my weekly water change and results are so follows:
Nitrites 0-.25
Nitrates 5
amonia 0
pH 8.5
cal 500 "6 drops for change"
Alk 2.5 "5 drops for change"
What do you recomend, I am new in reefs, the tank has been up for a year, 125 gal, 3" sand bed, 55 gal refugium, rock stacked to the top all over. I am hesitant to add corals in fear of killing them. I had an accident in the beginning with a gonapora and a plate that I lost due my lack of knowledge with the refugium systems, which caused a nitrite spike. Fish did ok though. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
CG
 
T

thomas712

Guest
goulding.c -
Alk of 2.5 is too low. I just wound up there a few days ago. so I have been using some buffer for the last three days to try to bump it up.
If your salt mix was fine I just say do a water change, but if these are the results after a water change where the alk is low but the calcum is high then I'd say just use a buffer to bring that alk back up to where it should be.
Let me put it this way, given the numbers of your tests this seems pretty normal for Oceanic salt and the same is happening to me. You will need to supplement extra bicarbonate so you will need to keep testing your alkalinity and add as needed to balance with your Calcium level.
Clear?
Thomas
 
goulding.c

goulding.c

Member
Thomas 712
The test results are before the weekly water change, and is 500 ok for calcium. Also do you think I should change the amount of the 2 part buffer I use? Or should I just get some of the calcium bicarbonate you suggest? Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
CG
 
daceman89

daceman89

Member

Originally posted by Cayman Isl
I've always used Instant Ocean. Seems to work fine so I won't change it.
I also found that if you go to the Petsmart website and print out the page that has the 160 gallon bucket of IO for $31.99, that the local store will honor the price. It's about $43.00 or so in the store. They have the Oceanic, 200 gallon bucket, for $39.99 on the web site as well. Not sure what it goes for in the store, but could save someone a few bucks.
(I didn't see that our host sold salt, if they do, and this message is inappropriate please delete it)
do you think shipping would be exspensive for the 39.99 for oceanic salt from pet smart
 
daceman89

daceman89

Member

Originally posted by Cayman Isl
Says there is a $16 shipping surcharge.... may still be better than the LFS....
if the surcharge is per bucket which i'm sure it is i'm better off going to my LFS, they sell the 200gal oceanic for 50.00
 
goulding.c

goulding.c

Member
I bought the 200 gal bucket of oceanic for less than $40 at our lfs. I can't find receipt but I think it was around 38.
CG
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I prefer Reef Crystals... I've tried Oceanic, but didn't see any major improvements in my tank... Went back to using Reef Crystals...
 
jscott71

jscott71

New Member
We started our 55 with IO, but at the time it was to be a FOWLR. After a while, I decided to go reef and switched to Reef Crystals and had no complaints. Soon after, Oceanic released their brand and I tried it at a good price, $40 for the bucket. I loved it--mixed well, good parameters. Then the price went up to like $70 a bucket. Right now, I'm trying CoralLife. Did a water change with it yesterday and so far so good. Does anyone have any exp. with this brand? I noticed there hasn't been any mention of it. I can get get some test results if needed, just started another batch for the 29.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
goulding.c -
Here are the numbers that I like to try to maintain.
pH 8.2, dkh 11, and Ca ~450
Take a look at the amount of buffer or alkalinity that you are adding, if you are currently adding both alk and cal to the system and your cal is at 500 then its a bit too high.
I would add double the amount of buffer~alkalinity, and then test the next day to see how much it went up. This may bring your cal down a bit as well and it should be no problem.
You need to bring those alk values up.
 
goulding.c

goulding.c

Member
Thanks Thomas, I really appreciate the advice. I am doing a water change today. I am going to test before and after, then adjust the alk portion of the buffer and test like you said.
You don't know of any good way to add Mh lights to my tank that allready has coralife pc acitinc and 10,000K do you. I have 2 36" strips to cover the length of the tank, but everyone is saying I need Mh to get the best results out of the corals. I allready learned the hard way when my clam which did so well for 8 months crashed and died in 2 days last month. If I have to scrap the pcs i guess i will try to sell them.
CG
 
daceman89

daceman89

Member

Originally posted by goulding.c
I bought the 200 gal bucket of oceanic for less than $40 at our lfs. I can't find receipt but I think it was around 38.
CG
Where is it located
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top