Thomas712...your opinion of IO

[slowest is fastest]

In another thread you mentioned the following
I've got two leathers, one is a small frag of a yellow sarc. Both are doing well, but I think your problem is the instant ocean. There simply isn't enough magnesium in Io salt to keep the calcium and alkalinity to proper specifications. Least thats been my experience and I used IO salt for years, until I switched brands last year.
The "quality" of I.O. salt is well documented and I do not necessarily dispute anything said. The comment that peeked my curiousity was the ability of I.O. to maintain the calcium and alkalinity to proper specifications.
DISCLAIMER:I am in no way trying to attack anyone etc...I am just interested :thinking: That being said...
What are the "proper specifications" of calcium and alkalinity for the health and growth of a leather coral ?
How were they determined?
Where can I read more about this?
Understand I only ask because I am interested...for no other reaseon. I have been using I.O. salt since the '80's and still do. I am not advocating it over any other brand or dismisiing the studies on salts. I have what I consider to be great success with all leather corals and have grown, fragged and raised hundreds. All with I.O.
If your statement is based on a bad expierence with I.O. I understand. A bad batch of I.O. nearly cost me a lot of coral. If you have a resource I am truly intersted in researching this further.
Thanks in advance,
SiF

 

[dogstar]

Originally Posted by slowest is fastest
The "quality" of I.O. salt is well documented
SiF
Im sorry to jump in on this thread but this statement got my intrest. Could you please explain this and somehow give sources.
I have ask and ask and searched for "independent scientific" comparisons to different salt mixes and found very little. What little bit of trusted sourses Ive have found shows that IO is to the less quality end of the scale. See Dr. Ron Shimek. But I see ppl. post that this study is wrong or inconclusive, ect. but want say why.
BTW Heres some history in the related thread window...https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=87227

 

[golfish]

Originally Posted by slowest is fastest
A bad batch of I.O. nearly cost me a lot of coral.
SiF
From what I have heard, there was a "bad batch" of IO shipped to Canada a few years back that wiped out A LOT of tanks..
Your taking a small chance with any product you buy..I work for a well known soft drink company. Last year we had a guy make a batch of sugar free product but he used the standard sugar recipe, it was checked by the supervisor, a lab tech, bottled and sent to the stores. The mistake was found out two days later and recalled. We got back all but 2 bottle out of maybe 15,000....It happens
IME, IO has done very well for me. I kind of shy away from it but I do still use it once in a while.

 

[thomas712]

I'm not basing this on anything I've read, simply what I have experienced for years.
I'm also talking about specifications of a Reef tank, and each tank will very of course as to what it uses.
I've never had to dose so much with any brand of salt (and I've used several) than I had to with IO salt.
My coralline with IO would start and stall, start and stall, I'd dose and veiw the same things over and over. I'd use a different salt with veried succes, go back to IO and watch the coralline and growth of my corals stall again. I've purchesed so many alk and calcium additives, magnesium, dripping kalkwasser and still never saw much in results with IO salt.
In my case I just will not use it anymore.
And yes I did have a 95dKH bad experience with IO salt, but I still used two more 150 gallon boxes of the stuff after that. Still poor results. It wasn't until I used another salt and didn't go back to IO that I had much better success.
Remember every tank is different.
Thomas

 

[slowest is fastest]

Yes, yes every tank is different. But in the other thread you basically say (if I am interpreting it correctly...may not be :notsure: ) that I.O. is incapable of maintaining the proper calcium and alkalinity levels necessary for a leather coral to thrive. This I believe is absolutely FALSE.
If you advise other hobbiests to use an alternative brand of salt based on your expierence with it...I don't blame you. IMHO however, it is awfully easy to infer from your statement that if I do not switch salts, my leather corals have little or no chance to thrive without constant adjustment to the tanks water chemistry, due entirely to the fact that I am using I.O. salt. That simply is not correct or at least has not been my expierence and I'll bet others have had luck with I.O. too.
There are horror stories that revolve around the use of I.O. There may in fact be better salts available. Simply switching salts is not the catch all, cure all or even a good place to start. To often we look for a magic bullet in this hobby without understanding everything that may be going on in the tank. While the proper water chemistry is VERY important...understanding why it is important will bring greater long term success.
Off my soapbox now...sorry if I offended, it was not my intention.
SiF