Orp and salt mixes

[FisheRare]

Is it true that I will get a lower Orp reading with tropic Marin reef pro salt 200-300 than Red Sea black bucket 300-400 ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t know, but the ORP says nothing about a mix except which forms the trace elements take in the dry mix, such as ferric vs ferrous iron.

 

[painter1982]

I use pro reef salt. My orp drops with every weekly water change. Takes about 3 days to recover. Not sure if it even matters. My corals are growing. I only monitor orp because my apex came with the probe.

 

[Sean Clark]

If I were selecting a salt, I would consider element levels that match my tank. I would never consider the ORP of a mixed salt.

 

[FisheRare]

I use pro reef salt. My orp drops with every weekly water change. Takes about 3 days to recover. Not sure if it even matters. My corals are growing. I only monitor orp because my apex came with the probe.

Same here ,I just been so use to it over the course of time . I just recently changed from Red Sea salt to tropic Marin reef pro and seen my Orp was lower .
Upon bringing up the conversation at the LFS a reefer said the tropic Marin and AFR introduce organic carbon (calcium formate) as part of its all in one solution. As the bacteria in your tank is consume the organic carbon uses up dissolved oxygen in the water . The increased oxygen consumption lowers the tanks oxidation reduction potential,resulting in lower Orp

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Same here ,I just been so use to it over the course of time . I just recently changed from Red Sea salt to tropic Marin reef pro and seen my Orp was lower .
Upon bringing up the conversation at the LFS a reefer said the tropic Marin and AFR introduce organic carbon (calcium formate) as part of its all in one solution. As the bacteria in your tank is consume the organic carbon uses up dissolved oxygen in the water . The increased oxygen consumption lowers the tanks oxidation reduction potential,resulting in lower Orp

I don’t agree with that explanation and think there are better explanations. Most people don’t think of it that way, but orp is a balance of various trace elements.

 

[Ziggy17]

I use TM PRS and after WCs my ORP drops below 200 every single time. I use to care, but Randy talked me off that ledge. I only keep the probe plugged in for another number value to make the Apex dashboard look cooler…..

 

[JonasRoman]

I agree with Randy that ORP is totally uninteresting in a newly mixed salt (and quite uninteresting in a tank aswell AMO). But with that said as curiosa, I tested Brightwell that has probably the lowest ORP of them all (If I remember correct it was 100 ish) , and smell sulfur when newly mixed....

Only really area where I think ORP is of interest is when you shall use a nitrate/sulfur reactor, as there ORP really reflects what's happening. Then you have the electrode inside the reactor and by orp control flow and/or carbon addition (if sulfur only flow as they dont need carbon).

Jonas