Best salt mixes

[jason2459]

I've been hearing some good things about AF. Will be looking into that more. Definitely will have to order it online as none of my stores sell it

I'll be mixing up the reef and probiotic versions of it in the next couple days and sending off to Triton.

 

[Acameron2]

I'm at my last bit of Red Sea coral pro salt and I have been wondering if I should venture off to another salt since all my perimeters are always pretty high or just stick with buying another bucket of Red Sea. My levels are always around 430-440 calcium, 10-12 dkh, 1330-1400 mag. And I just keep my tank dosed to those numbers through out the water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm at my last bit of Red Sea coral pro salt and I have been wondering if I should venture off to another salt since all my perimeters are always pretty high or just stick with buying another bucket of Red Sea. My levels are always around 430-440 calcium, 10-12 dkh, 1330-1400 mag. And I just keep my tank dosed to those numbers through out the water changes.

While those parameters are fine, if you want lower alk there's no reason to not let it drift down in the tank with less dosing.

 

[Acameron2]

While those parameters are fine, if you want lower alk there's no reason to not let it drift down in the tank with less dosing.

That's what I was doing at first but say I let my alkalinity drop through the week and then do my weekly water change it goes back up. I was seeing a swing in my parameters between water changes so I just perform my water change take my readings and then keep them there with slight dosing through the week till my next water change to get less fluctuations.

I guess my question is should I choose a salt mix that will keep my parameters more closer to say alk around 8 instead of 10dkh

 

[jason2459]

That's what I was doing at first but say I let my alkalinity drop through the week and then do my weekly water change it goes back up. I was seeing a swing in my parameters between water changes so I just perform my water change take my readings and then keep them there with slight dosing through the week till my next water change to get less fluctuations.

I guess my question is should I choose a salt mix that will keep my parameters more closer to say alk around 8 instead of 10dkh

I think the easier solution is get more stony corals. ;)

 

[Acameron2]

I think the easier solution is get more stony corals. ;)

I so knew that was coming haha!

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Here's a tidbit from a comparison on RC and ESV I just stumbled across.
Though the person now says they've not seen any evidence to suggest~ (why is that Mr.! :p)
I think anecdotal counts to a fair amount, though not proof imo, I know many on this site consider it to be. What I was referring to you can find more info on, I believe there's research concerning urchins, zebrafish, another fish I can't recall atm, and then frogs as well. Though as you'll discover (if you care to look) the other fish did not exhibit the same effects as the zebrafish with problems developing.

Though I agree as an average you'll not find lithium levels high enough to cause a lot of the issues, it's still a valid point when comparing salts. (I believe the topic is Best salt mixes?)
Please don't QQ me, I'm only trying to add to our repository of knowledge, and though I am familiar with the AA verdict, there's been much more research into the effects, so no matter what, at the very least, you cannot say it doesn't affect organisms, period. (that's definitely cheapening the wisdom of the hobby and the human race) As to what extent, that's debatable, but don't let others fool you into thinking it's established that it's known. Even 'not seeing data' only proves one thing, there's been no conclusive facts. So it could still be a true or false.

I do not know what effects lithium has in a reef, but it is biologically active. Craig Bingman tested mixes years ago and found most were elevated (like Reef Crystals is in your test), and Coralife was very high (and IIRC, a few people associated that very level with problems)

Aquarium Frontiers Feature

Picking between these two only, and assuming the data is accurate, I'd elect the Reef Crystals because of the elevated lithium and lead in the ESV.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

That's what I was doing at first but say I let my alkalinity drop through the week and then do my weekly water change it goes back up. I was seeing a swing in my parameters between water changes so I just perform my water change take my readings and then keep them there with slight dosing through the week till my next water change to get less fluctuations.

I guess my question is should I choose a salt mix that will keep my parameters more closer to say alk around 8 instead of 10dkh

I contemplated this, but instead I just mix 2. There's a few others that do the same as well. I think the most popular is RSCP+blue bucket, and then RC+IO iirc, or was it one other.. I know the first combo works, I'm sure you could find more combos.

 

[jason2459]

A popular mix used to be IO and Oceanic. But since IO bumped up their Ca and Mg that's become less popular.

You can expect around low 400s Ca, low 1300s Mg, and 11-12ish dkh Alk from regular IO now.

 

[RONBATTLE]

Coralife, $40 for 200g shipped. Nothing but awesome sps results for the last 12 years. I've seen more tanks that can't keep SPS using red sea coral pro than any other salt. Experienced SPS keepers....

WOW...I HAVE BEE. USING RED SEA PRO FROM DAY ONE ( ABOUT 19 MONTHS) AND ANY SPS I HAVE PUT IN LASTS MAYBE A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR WEEKS

 

[chefjpaul]

Are you trying to breed urchins or study their embryos?

If not I don't find it concerning.

If you do Tropic Marine Pro so far of what I've seen has the least amount of Li at just under 200ug/L.

What do you suppose the pay rate would be to study urchins embryos for 8 hrs. A day?

 

[chefjpaul]

WOW...I HAVE BEE. USING RED SEA PRO FROM DAY ONE ( ABOUT 19 MONTHS) AND ANY SPS I HAVE PUT IN LASTS MAYBE A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR WEEKS

I don't believe the salt should be blamed here.

 

[jason2459]

What do you suppose the pay rate would be to study urchins embryos for 8 hrs. A day?

Depends, if it's the people doing most of the research it's most likely people paying money to study them (ie. students). If you consider the person(s) who write up the paper a good amount(the head professor). If it's the person doing this as a person who really has the passion for it then very little (research scientist/assistant professor).

 

[Ike]

Here's a good place to start. Http://www.google.com


Lithium effects can be seen far beyond just urchins.
To pretend it has to only be certain levels is to invite assumptions. It's the same as saying 5 beers are not toxic.

Constructive intellectual conversations can be had by anyone, so don't sell yourself short. It's indeed funny to see the emotions come forth when you "diss" someone's choice in salt. ☺

No emotions, just logic. IO and RC are among the longest standing and most widely used salts. It's a fact that you can grow and maintain a spectacular with with them. How urchin embryos react it it doesn't change that fact.

 

[Ike]

Depends, if it's the people doing most of the research it's most likely people paying money to study them (ie. students). If you consider the person(s) who write up the paper a good amount(the head professor). If it's the person doing this as a person who really has the passion for it then very little (research scientist/assistant professor).

Last I saw most PHd marine biologists make in the 50-65k range... There's a part of me that's happy I didn't go to Scripp's and become a marine biologist as I had planned. I wouldn't have been able to afford my hobbies... :p

 

[jason2459]

Last I saw most PHd marine biologists make in the 50-65k range... There's a part of me that's happy I didn't go to Scipp's and become a marine biologist as I had planned. I wouldn't have been able to afford my hobbies... :p

There's various ranks and various pays at various places. :p

and wealth is all relative. :cool:

 

[Ike]

There's various ranks and various pays at various places. :p

and wealth is all relative. :cool:

I certainly hope a lot of marine biologists are making 100k+, they deserve it...

 

[jason2459]

I certainly hope a lot of marine biologists are making 100k+, they deserve it...

Sadly mostly not.

 

[squampton]

I am using Red Sea Coral at the moment,works for me, but so did Instant Ocean, only bought the red sea as IO was not available and I needed salt. Have never tried any other brands.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

No emotions, just logic. IO and RC are among the longest standing and most widely used salts. It's a fact that you can grow and maintain a spectacular with with them. How urchin embryos react it it doesn't change that fact.

No emotions? I mentioned 'American salts', you only mentioned IO and RC. Only a small amount of associative logic in that comparison... It's geared by emotion/opinion.
Further you quoted the AA article and wrote off ANY possibility of negatives with any other organisms. That again is emotion, not logic.
With the other data available, given AA is only a single source, the possibilities go up that lithium interferes with other biological development in negative ways. We are growing coral, breeding fish, raising planktons, life goes on, and to better understand it only furthers our success. Pretending it doesn't matter is the most illogical attempt for a point of argument, thus it's geared by emotions. Perhaps you need to learn a bit more about yourself and why you bring up the points you do, because it surely doesn't help things trying to say "it doesn't matter!" The world is just not that simple.

I myself have an emotional negative. I've become tired of being preached to by people who swear 'things work this way' but yet are completely ignoring the facts of the world around us. This gears a lot of my gusto, but I make my number one priority to be accurate, factual, and hopefully share what I've learned so that someone smarter than myself might one day recall what I've shared and piece together more of the puzzles around us.

If we're going to be adults, and have a conversation about the best salts, lithium content is a valid tangent. Even confirmed by one of the most educated amongst us with the reference I posted above as that was part of their basis for choosing one salt over another. (feel free to find out who that was; again, perhaps Google/bing can help you)

Oh, and your comments about 'people breed just fine with RC/IO.....etc'
Ok, why is it only now blue tangs have been bred? How about the THOUSANDS of other fish that have not been successfully bred? Of course we cannot account for every single attempt, nor their water source, or even the other variables. But to say people breed fine with them, is probably .001% of all situations. Again, geared by emotion in defending your choice in salt. (at least the probability is definitely against you being unbiased)

Not trying to be a jerk, but it irks me when people confuse opinions with facts. I know it's hard, even I find myself doing it from time to time, and I'm one of the most logical people I've ever met. :)