What brand do you use?

oahureefer · 07/28/2016, 11:18 AM

Hey guys,
I was just curious what brand of chemicals everyone uses and which chemicals you dose your Reef tank with.

I am getting back into the game after taking about 12 yrs off. Starting a nano Reef (36G) for my 18 month old daughter but it's been so long I feel like a newbie again.

GimpyFin · 07/28/2016, 11:33 AM

I use Kent Marine reef salt for my water and use Kent Marine Tech CB for calcium/alk buffer (Mostly just the alk portion because Kent salt has high calcium to begin with.) I've used Red Sea reef energy on occassion, but I don't really dose anything else regularly except food. (Reef nutrition's liquid foods like Oyster feast are pretty good.)

billdogg · 07/28/2016, 02:55 PM

I use Instant Ocean and IO Reef Crystals for salt. I buy Bulk Ca and Alk supplement from BRS in 5g buckets. I also get my carbon and GFO there. Test kits are all Salifert.

RA · 07/28/2016, 03:01 PM

I use Mrs. Wages pickling lime in my ATO

AlSimmons · 07/28/2016, 03:04 PM

I usually use Coralife salt, but I traded in some frags at the LFS the other day and got a couple bags of Reef Crystals. I'll be using this for the next 6 months or so. I get my Kalkwasser from BRS and if I ever need to bump up my Alkalinty or Magnesium I just use Baking Soda & Epsom Salts. I think I have a small container of Kent Turbo Calcium around here somewhere too.

gone fishin · 07/28/2016, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg

I use Instant Ocean and IO Reef Crystals for salt. I buy Bulk Ca and Alk supplement from BRS in 5g buckets. I also get my carbon and GFO there. Test kits are all Salifert.

same here as well

Sapelo · 07/28/2016, 04:48 PM

Red Sea Pro for salt, BRS for dosing and reactor media, Red Sea test kits

BigEZ77 · 07/28/2016, 05:45 PM

Reef Crystals for salt but Seachem for almost everything else.

Argo747 · 07/28/2016, 06:58 PM

I use HK-Marinemix for salt. BRS for carbon, kalk, and GFO. I also occasionally like to toss in some Chemipure blue.

Ron Reefman · 07/29/2016, 06:25 AM

I use Reef Crystals and IO for salt. I have 4 tanks (mostly sps and lps) and dose a lot so I use Dowflake for Ca, soda ash from a pool supply for alk and Mag Flake and bulk Epsom salt for Mg. It's WAY cheaper and at 6 years into this tank and these chemicals I see no issues.

homer1475 · 07/29/2016, 06:29 AM

Reef Crystals for salt, baked baking soda for ALK(way cheaper then buying a chemical), BRS bulk chemicals in 5 gallon pails for everything else.

johnike · 07/29/2016, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RA

I use Mrs. Wages pickling lime in my ATO

Same here.

finewayne · 07/29/2016, 06:40 AM

Coralife salt, the best

Sk8r · 07/29/2016, 02:31 PM

Salifert tests, Kent supplements, Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime for kalk, Instant Ocean salt.

hkgar · 07/29/2016, 02:39 PM

Don't dose anything you do not test for. <- see that little dot? That means PERIOD

I dos Calcium and Alkalinity. I periodically test for Iodine and Potassium, but have never had to add any.

zsuman101 · 07/29/2016, 08:18 PM

hw-marinemix, zeovit reef, esv bi-ionic

emperor187 · 07/30/2016, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkgar

Don't dose anything you do not test for. <- see that little dot? That means PERIOD

Pretty good advice there

bundybear1981 · 07/30/2016, 10:24 PM

I use Red Sea salt for NSW. I also dose baking soda, magnesium and calcium. I also dose vinegar and run carbon in a dual canister (BRS style).

For test kits I use Red Sea (KH and PO4) and Salifert (MG, CA and nitrates)

keiferd · 07/30/2016, 11:08 PM

I started my 10G nano with Instant Ocean, but plan to ween it of with Coralife slowly. Coralife has always worked good for me.

Moonchild198 · 09/09/2016, 03:21 PM

I use Kent Reef Salt for now. I am considering trying red sea coral pro at one point just to see if I notice any difference at all. As far as dosing I just dose with brs magnesium. I have brs calcium, but never need it with kent and kalkwasser in my ato. I have some Kz potassium because I run zeovit, but I haven't needed it yet. I run carbon in a bag in my sump and I haven't noticed it depleting anything yet.

A sea K · 09/10/2016, 04:04 AM

Tropic Marin pro reef for salt, baked baking soda for alk, BRS bulk for carbon, gfo, ca, and mag.

homer1475 · 09/10/2016, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg

I use Instant Ocean and IO Reef Crystals for salt. I buy Bulk Ca and Alk supplement from BRS in 5g buckets. I also get my carbon and GFO there. Test kits are all Salifert.

Same here also.

With the exception of plain old Arm and Hammer baking soda for the ALK part. Either baked or not, depending on my tanks needs.

07/28/2016, 11:18 AM	#1
oahureefer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Anaheim Posts: 74	What brand do you use? Hey guys, I was just curious what brand of chemicals everyone uses and which chemicals you dose your Reef tank with. I am getting back into the game after taking about 12 yrs off. Starting a nano Reef (36G) for my 18 month old daughter but it's been so long I feel like a newbie again.

07/28/2016, 11:33 AM	#2
GimpyFin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,032	I use Kent Marine reef salt for my water and use Kent Marine Tech CB for calcium/alk buffer (Mostly just the alk portion because Kent salt has high calcium to begin with.) I've used Red Sea reef energy on occassion, but I don't really dose anything else regularly except food. (Reef nutrition's liquid foods like Oyster feast are pretty good.) __________________ Brian Current Tank Info: 110 gallon

07/28/2016, 02:55 PM	#3
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I use Instant Ocean and IO Reef Crystals for salt. I buy Bulk Ca and Alk supplement from BRS in 5g buckets. I also get my carbon and GFO there. Test kits are all Salifert. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

07/28/2016, 04:48 PM	#7
Sapelo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: North Georgia Posts: 869	Red Sea Pro for salt, BRS for dosing and reactor media, Red Sea test kits __________________ "When the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again." William Beebe Current Tank Info: 300 gallon DD, sps, Radion G3 Pros, etc. Too many fish and not enough coral...

07/28/2016, 05:45 PM	#8
BigEZ77 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ottawa ON Canada Posts: 797	Reef Crystals for salt but Seachem for almost everything else. __________________ Russell Banggai / Yellow Wrasse / Black Ice and Davinci Clowns / Flame Angel / Royal Gramma / Blue Chromis / LPS (dominated) / Monti's / Softies / BTA's Current Tank Info: 45G Rimless, Tunze 9004, Kessil A160WE, Gyre XF130, 50lbs rock, Reef Crystals, Phosguard in reactor, Matrix, Chemipure Blue and NP XL biopellets in sump

07/28/2016, 03:01 PM	#4
RA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: S. Jersey Posts: 976	I use Mrs. Wages pickling lime in my ATO

07/28/2016, 03:04 PM	#5
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	I usually use Coralife salt, but I traded in some frags at the LFS the other day and got a couple bags of Reef Crystals. I'll be using this for the next 6 months or so. I get my Kalkwasser from BRS and if I ever need to bump up my Alkalinty or Magnesium I just use Baking Soda & Epsom Salts. I think I have a small container of Kent Turbo Calcium around here somewhere too.

07/28/2016, 06:58 PM	#9
Argo747 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Cleveland Posts: 12	I use HK-Marinemix for salt. BRS for carbon, kalk, and GFO. I also occasionally like to toss in some Chemipure blue.

07/29/2016, 06:25 AM	#10
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	I use Reef Crystals and IO for salt. I have 4 tanks (mostly sps and lps) and dose a lot so I use Dowflake for Ca, soda ash from a pool supply for alk and Mag Flake and bulk Epsom salt for Mg. It's WAY cheaper and at 6 years into this tank and these chemicals I see no issues. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

07/29/2016, 06:29 AM	#11
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Reef Crystals for salt, baked baking soda for ALK(way cheaper then buying a chemical), BRS bulk chemicals in 5 gallon pails for everything else. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

07/29/2016, 06:40 AM	#13
finewayne Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 42	Coralife salt, the best

07/29/2016, 02:31 PM	#14
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Salifert tests, Kent supplements, Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime for kalk, Instant Ocean salt. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/29/2016, 02:39 PM	#15
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	Don't dose anything you do not test for. <- see that little dot? That means PERIOD I dos Calcium and Alkalinity. I periodically test for Iodine and Potassium, but have never had to add any. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

07/29/2016, 08:18 PM	#16
zsuman101 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 434	hw-marinemix, zeovit reef, esv bi-ionic __________________ Full zeovit 24x24 starfire ati t5 radions ecotech and sicce pumps tunze skimmer apex gold yeah its nuts

07/30/2016, 10:24 PM	#18
bundybear1981 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia Posts: 685 Blog Entries: 1	I use Red Sea salt for NSW. I also dose baking soda, magnesium and calcium. I also dose vinegar and run carbon in a dual canister (BRS style). For test kits I use Red Sea (KH and PO4) and Salifert (MG, CA and nitrates) __________________ Tank inhabitants : 2x Clownfish, 1x Blue Koran, 1x Foxface Lo, 1xCoral Beauty, 1x Blue Tang, 1x Sailfin Tang Current Tank Info: New Build : 250g (6x3x2) with 2x RW15 pumps, 2x 2200lph return pumps, Tunze ATO, Jebao Dosing Pump, AquaOne G220 Skimmer

07/30/2016, 11:08 PM	#19
keiferd Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 174	I started my 10G nano with Instant Ocean, but plan to ween it of with Coralife slowly. Coralife has always worked good for me.

09/09/2016, 03:21 PM	#20
Moonchild198 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 12	My system I use Kent Reef Salt for now. I am considering trying red sea coral pro at one point just to see if I notice any difference at all. As far as dosing I just dose with brs magnesium. I have brs calcium, but never need it with kent and kalkwasser in my ato. I have some Kz potassium because I run zeovit, but I haven't needed it yet. I run carbon in a bag in my sump and I haven't noticed it depleting anything yet.

09/10/2016, 04:04 AM	#21
A sea K Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Branford Fl Posts: 3,024	Tropic Marin pro reef for salt, baked baking soda for alk, BRS bulk for carbon, gfo, ca, and mag. __________________ I am not a pro so excuse me if I'm wrong. Current Tank Info: 30gal Deep Blue rimless 9/10/2014, 80gal Deep Blue rimless 40gal sump/refugium 9/11/16 LPS reef, 2 x Kessil A160 with a single Maxspect Razor, RO Prime 150INT skimmer, Sicce 3 return pump, Vortech MP40 and MP10