What salt do you use?

[rhiggsbear]

Originally posted by Saltz Creep
TM is good for fish only but it's low in calcium and magnesium. For hard corals if you want to still use TM brand, I'd use TM Pro Reef.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1287118

The only thing I saw was missing from this list was the measurement of actual seawater taken from the ocean, say in the middle of the Caribbean and maybe in the South Pacific, away from any major fresh water river.

Which brand more closely match real seawater?

[Acerone]

Originally posted by rhiggsbear
The only thing I saw was missing from this list was the measurement of actual seawater taken from the ocean, say in the middle of the Caribbean and maybe in the South Pacific, away from any major fresh water river.

Which brand more closely match real seawater?

That would be nice....

[bbyatv]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
I use Instant Ocean which I boost by 70 ppm calcium with Dowflake and 150 ppm magnesium with MAG flake.

Randy,

Based on keeping my water at 3.0 Alk, 420 calc and 1300 Mg, I also boost my Instant Ocean.

When I do 4 gallon water changes, I add 46 ml of your recipe 1 Calcium part and 90 ml Magnesium part to the 4 gallons.

I figured these volumes using test kits and the Reef Chemistry Calculator at http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

How would I use the parts per million numbers above to calculate how much you add to a given volume of water?

Thanks,

Bruce

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I use the calculator you linked to determine how much dry solid Dowflake and MAG flake to directly add to however much salt water you are making up (in my case at the moment, that is 88 gallons or so).

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The only thing I saw was missing from this list was the measurement of actual seawater taken from the ocean, say in the middle of the Caribbean and maybe in the South Pacific, away from any major fresh water river.

I discuss seawater here:

What is seawater
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rhf/index.php

[rhiggsbear]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
The only thing I saw was missing from this list was the measurement of actual seawater taken from the ocean, say in the middle of the Caribbean and maybe in the South Pacific, away from any major fresh water river.

I discuss seawater here:

What is seawater
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rhf/index.php

Yes, I have seen it and a couple other. However, my point was for a quick reference, why not include the base point, natural seawater, to the chart so one can judge the mixes against the real thing.

As stated in "The “How To� Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners,
Part 1: The Salt Water Itself"

"A variety of factors prevent companies from exactly matching seawater's concentrations of many of the minor and trace elements in seawater. The biggest of these is cost. The four big ions in seawater (sodium, chloride, sulfate and magnesium) must be added in large concentration to seawater. Unless they are very pure (and very expensive), these primary ingredients will contain impurities that rise to the level of, or even exceed, the levels of other ions naturally occurring in seawater. So companies work as best they can, within reasonable cost constraints, to control impurities to appropriate levels. More expensive salt mixes can theoretically do a better job by purchasing purer raw materials, but that does not ensure that those companies do so."

So, some of these "HOT" mixes may not be all that great in the long run.

[A.VOID]

kent

Boost that Calcium!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

o, some of these "HOT" mixes may not be all that great in the long run.

Perhaps not, but one thing we've learned over the years is that reef tanks are really very forgiving of most things not exactly matching natural seawater.

[VoltageHigh]

I use Reef Crystals and have had good luck.

[mfinn]

Instant Ocean

[spw4949]

Seachem here.

[jubjub]

Originally posted by gws76
Red Sea Coral Pro- All I have to do with it is boost the alkalinity.

^^what i use.... found my corals grow faster then with IO/reef crystals

[fender4string]

My brother has a tank set up for a mantis shrimp and is currently using instant ocean mix. I thought that somwhere I had read that invertebrates need calcium (i think) to help build their shells and to molt. Is this true and if so should he switch to a brand of sea mix with higher calcium content?

[Billybeau1]

The reason I did not add NSW levels on my list is simply this.

Keeping your tank at NSW levels may not always be the best approach for some reefers.

Our tanks are not the Ocean. We have closed systems that require different supplementation depending on everyones different tank husbandry.

I think your eyes are the best test kit. No matter what levels you keep your tank at, if it looks good and their is good growth, it probably is the best for your situation.

We all do water changes at different frequencies and different volumes.

Are tanks all have different calcium and alkalinity consumption rates depending on what kind and how much livestock is in a given tank.

So, hence, the different salt mixes to accommodate most reefers husbandry practices.

Once you find the salt mix that fits your lifestyle and maintenance practices, it's all uphill from there.

[rhiggsbear]

Originally posted by Billybeau1
The reason I did not add NSW levels on my list is simply this.

Keeping your tank at NSW levels may not always be the best approach for some reefers.

Our tanks are not the Ocean. We have closed systems that require different supplementation depending on everyones different tank husbandry.

I think your eyes are the best test kit. No matter what levels you keep your tank at, if it looks good and their is good growth, it probably is the best for your situation.

We all do water changes at different frequencies and different volumes.

Are tanks all have different calcium and alkalinity consumption rates depending on what kind and how much livestock is in a given tank.

So, hence, the different salt mixes to accommodate most reefers husbandry practices.

Once you find the salt mix that fits your lifestyle and maintenance practices, it's all uphill from there.

I completely agree. However, to a Newbie reading this, they may think they need the hottest, most expensive salt to start with. On the other hand, wouldn't it make more since to have your water near NSW and supplement or do water changes to keep it close to NSW according to demand? Wouldn't keeping your livestock in water the is near NSW be better for them rather than water that is on "steroids?"

Just food for thought.

[Tangweed]

I O

[Billybeau1]

Not necessarily.

Some reefers have seen their tanks explode when switching to a salt mix higher with calcium and magnesium.

I can't explain it, I just report what I read and hear.

[Jay180reef]

Reef Crystals is my mix.