Salt

[majesticangelfish]

Gday guys,

I dont have much choice in the salt department, (too expensive to import salt)...

Im stuck with IO. What can i do to raise the Ca, HCO3, Mg, K etc etc to make the salt more "Reef Friendly"???
Thanks, Josh

[prodman]

Seachem makes a reef CA additive that I used in combo with IO. It had proporional amounts of CA and Mg etc.

[majesticangelfish]

Just Ca Ad.?

[Student of the reef]

It would probably be a good idea to test your IO first to see what would need to be added. Ca, Dkh, Mg..ect
By doing this you could customize your salt to fit your application.

I would add seachem products also, have always been happy with them.

Try to stay away from Ca Chloride.
To buff Ca i would add Tropic Marin Bio calcium, for it is much easier for the corals to absorb, but be careful because it also raises your Dkh.

Bio calcium may lower PH so add a little of Kalk, and your good to go, unless your using the zeo system.

This is the system I go threw with my lower grade salt, have same prob imports are expensive!

[majesticangelfish]

Try to stay away from Ca Chloride.

Why so?

[DMK]

- stuck w/ IO??? IO is a good salt. i used it for 8 years on my FOWLR tanks w/ few corals and had excellent success. this is my first full blown sps tank( or to be full blown).
how come some have excellent experience w/ IO only and some need to supplement it or mix w/ other salt brands? i've been researching different salts for past week since i'm about to switch from crystal seas, and i can't decide wheather to go IO only, IO/oceanic or seachem. i hear different opinions/suggestion/experiences on each salt from different people on here and RC, very confusing.
- i'm thinking of going IO only. i heard from a successful zeo reefer on here that his tank was best when it was IO only.
- is IO or oceanic higher in Ca???

[Aged Salt]

Hi Dennis, I could not keep my parms inline with just IO + running my CR 24/7 If you can, go only IO. Oceanic is higher in Ca/Mg while lower in dKH than IO or Seachem. The combination thus far is perfect with running my CR[slow]. I'll try 33% each IO-Oceanic-Seachem for a time & monitor my parms more closely, for as always, I'm interested to see if there's any enhancement in my reef. Probably, I won't know this answer for a few months. Bob

[DMK]

i don't use a CR. i've been using B-Ionic daily since day 1. my Ca and Alk have been stable entire time, Ca at 420-440. Alk 8.5-9dkh. i have NO room for a CR, just like no room for a zeo reactor, which is why i'll be using a hang on phosban reactor on sump. i know a CR would be nice but no room AND sometimes i think a CR is just another thing to worry about and something that can go wrong. i'm 100% satisfied using B-Ionic.
- Bob, what do u think i shoulduse in my case w/ B-Ionic? like i said i don't have a problem maintaining desirable Ca and Alk. maybe i should go IO only, huh? Dennis.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Dennis, whatever you use in 2-part or salt[s] it's important to keep the KH <8 with ZEOvit & lowering nutrients or coral consequences can occur. For your system, you nay need to use less quantity of the buffer solution to Ca amounts. Bob

[kyvarn]

Just pointing out Oceanic Salt is not available in Australia.
The following Salts are available
Aquamedic
Red Sea
Instant Ocean
Seachem Marine
Seachem Reef
Crystal Seas

There are also a fewlocally made brands

And Natural Sea Water is in abundant supply if you live anywhere on the coast.

[DMK]

just don't use crystal seas. i know IO is good salt. don't know much about the rest.
- thanks bob. i can do that. i add 50ml of each part each morning. maybe i'll start w/ just 35ml of alk part and monitor it at least weekly. Dennis

[invincible569]

Dont use Red Sea either. Very low on some levels.

[mshur]

edward,
what do u use this days?.....still kent marine?

mike

[fkadir]

Just pointing out Oceanic Salt is not available in Australia.
The following Salts are available
Aquamedic
Red Sea
Instant Ocean
Seachem Marine
Seachem Reef
Crystal Seas

There are also a fewlocally made brands

And Natural Sea Water is in abundant supply if you live anywhere on the coast.

From your list , the best IMHO is Seachem Reef I suppose tho it has high Boron.

[majesticangelfish]

Just pointing out Oceanic Salt is not available in Australia.
The following Salts are available
Aquamedic
Red Sea
Instant Ocean
Seachem Marine
Seachem Reef
Crystal Seas

There are also a fewlocally made brands

And Natural Sea Water is in abundant supply if you live anywhere on the coast.

Hey mate, could you PM me a supplier of the Seachem?

Thanks