What salt do you use?

What salt do you use?

  • Seachem Reef Salt

    Votes: 8 8.9%
  • Aquavitro Salinity

    Votes: 13 14.4%
  • Brightwell

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • OceanPure

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Tropic Marin

    Votes: 9 10.0%
  • Instant Ocean

    Votes: 19 21.1%
  • Reef Crystals

    Votes: 17 18.9%
  • Brightwell

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Corallife

    Votes: 6 6.7%
  • Kent

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • Red Sea Coral Pro

    Votes: 4 4.4%
  • E.S.V.

    Votes: 5 5.6%
  • D-D H2Ocean

    Votes: 2 2.2%
  • Other

    Votes: 8 8.9%

  • Total voters
    90

Jeepguy242

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Always a possibility. What is your Alkalinity? What do you use to buffer your pH? A lot of time when people have issues with their pH, it is because their alkalinity is low.



i have been using a kalkwasser reactor, and using randy halmes farleys 2 part recipie ( baked baking soda and calcium chloride) my dkh is stable around 11 and supplimenting mag to stay around 1400
 

Akwarius

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i have been using a kalkwasser reactor, and using randy halmes farleys 2 part recipie ( baked baking soda and calcium chloride) my dkh is stable around 11 and supplimenting mag to stay around 1400

I would rule out other potential causes of low ph. Make sure your getting enough fresh air in your home, nothing decaying in your tank, increase in gfo, etc.
 

OMG Corals

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You really should mix any salt up before adding it to the water. Settleing occurs in all salts. I use Salinity and mix the bucket before using it. Having great results with it.
 

Akwarius

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^Great advice. You could also mix an entire 50g bag at once to insure all the ingredients make it into your water in the proper ratio.
 
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xmetalfan99

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i have been using a kalkwasser reactor, and using randy halmes farleys 2 part recipie ( baked baking soda and calcium chloride) my dkh is stable around 11 and supplimenting mag to stay around 1400

When do you test your pH? Your pH will be at its lowest just before your lights turn on and at its highest just before your lights go out. If you don't test your pH at the same time of day everytime, it will seem like your pH is swinging. The change of pH is due to algaes putting off CO2 when the lights go off. The more CO2 in your water, the lower your pH will be. This is why you should always run a fuge on a reverse cycle or or 24/7.
 

Jeepguy242

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When do you test your pH? Your pH will be at its lowest just before your lights turn on and at its highest just before your lights go out. If you don't test your pH at the same time of day everytime, it will seem like your pH is swinging. The change of pH is due to algaes putting off CO2 when the lights go off. The more CO2 in your water, the lower your pH will be. This is why you should always run a fuge on a reverse cycle or or 24/7.

test it at 7 in the morning, when lights are out, its 7.7, at 8 at night, when lights have benn on for 6 hours, before i go to work, ph is 8.0, growing cheato like mad in a 40 long fuge, and my reef octo skimmer input is ran outside to fresh air, i have always kept the fuge light on 24/7, for the last 8 years.

the ph is not swinging, i just cant seem to raise it, i do a 40 gallon water change exery week, and syphon the water off the rocks to get any detrious that settels in them, and plenty of flow wih 2 koralia evo 1400's, and a mag 12 on the return, so nothing really has a chance to settle anyway,

the only change in the tank i have seen is some diatoms on the sand, and just a touch of hair algea on the back wall,

tank params
salt 1.026
dkh 11
calcium 460
phosphate undetectable with my kit
nitrate also undetectable
mag 1420

using all RO/DI water through a kalkwasser reactor for top off, and changing out the kalk every week and a half to two weeks
 

Akwarius

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What brand of test kit are you using? I noticed that my salifert was testing 0.3 lower than my elos kit.
 
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xmetalfan99

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Welcome to reef2reef! Nice to see you made it over!

Tropic marin, huh? I'll have to try that sometime.

A friend of mine who writes for an aquarium blog switched over to tropic marin as well. He said he didn't have much growth for a month or two, but once the corals got used to the new salt levels their growth exploded as well. Definately a salt worth trying out on a tank the next time you need more salt.
 

Akwarius

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Just to be clear, we are talking about the Tropic Marin Pro Reef, right victornator333?
 

Snprhed

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I have used Tropic Marin Pro for years, and had great success with it. I just switched over to the Tropic Marin Bio Actif. I have heard good things about it also. I cant comment on it just yet, just switched last week.
 

Akwarius

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Never heard of that. What is the difference between the Pro Reef and Bio Activ?
 

pepper'scove

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I read an thread recently over at ReefAddicts and the general consensus was that for the most part salt was a personal opinion. They did however point out that IO and reef crystals leave a brown residue on your equipment. If you use IO or reef crystals just be sure to mix the salt in a different container than your tank. The brown buildup won't be a problem if you mix elsewhere as the residue is just the binding agent that Instand Ocean uses to get the right amount of minerals in their salt. I even read where a guy claimed it was clay that was similar to mud. Either way I like the stuff and I know the Georgia Aquarium used it when mixing all their water!
 

Akwarius

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I read an thread recently over at ReefAddicts and the general consensus was that for the most part salt was a personal opinion. They did however point out that IO and reef crystals leave a brown residue on your equipment. If you use IO or reef crystals just be sure to mix the salt in a different container than your tank. The brown buildup won't be a problem if you mix elsewhere as the residue is just the binding agent that Instand Ocean uses to get the right amount of minerals in their salt. I even read where a guy claimed it was clay that was similar to mud. Either way I like the stuff and I know the Georgia Aquarium used it when mixing all their water!

I will see a buildup of this tannish colored residue when I mix my coralife salt. Every few weeks I clean it out with a sponge dipped in ro water.
 

nickjr000

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I know D+D leaves a horrible residue, always thought instant n crystals mixed pretty clean.Anyway.... I love tropic pro, been using for yrs and always good results. Actually i never had algae breakouts or residue left over when using it so i consider that good results:wink: My corals all grow fast n fat using it.
 

Akwarius

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I know D+D leaves a horrible residue, always thought instant n crystals mixed pretty clean.Anyway.... I love tropic pro, been using for yrs and always good results. Actually i never had algae breakouts or residue left over when using it so i consider that good results:wink: My corals all grow fast n fat using it.

One of the best reviews for tropic marin I've heard yet. Im gonna give it a try when my coralife runs out.
 

When to mix up fish meal: When was the last time you tried a different brand of food for your reef?

  • I regularly change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 30 27.8%
  • I occasionally change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 35 32.4%
  • I rarely change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 34 31.5%
  • I never change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 7 6.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.9%
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