SOP for switching salt mixes?

[wolfen281]

Hi-

Newbie reefer here...my ~100gal volume (tank+sump) is on D69 of cycling.

I started with IO salt, and I just don't want to deal with all the film left behind in my 32gal brute and on the mixing equipment.
Plus it has consistently higher Mg (AVG ~1738 by 2 test kits) and Ca (~570 3 test kits) levels at ~35ppt.
dKH is a little high but within range for a mixed reef. However, I'd prefer to adjust this myself.
Not to mention, the company that sells IO apparently doesn't have CoA's for their lot numbers? Or, they just totally forgot to send it to me after they said they would?

I am switching to Tropic Marin Pro reef

Anyways, I've read a few online posts about switching to a new salt mix and was wondering if anyone had an SOP they'd like to share with me. I'm a little unsure if the procedure is one the following:

1. During a weekly water change (I have been doing ~20% per week), use 75% old salt and 25% new salt--> mixed separately--> ie 15.0g IO/5.0g TM-->increase/decrease ratios by 25% the next 3 weeks

2. Do 10% water changes weekly using new salt TM

3. Some other method

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Kim

What's in the tank

Livestock
2 clowns
2 azure damsels
1 Lamark's Angel
1 scooter blenny (an impulse purchase I didn't research before I went to LFS. But, I add pods regularly and the wee beastie eats frozen mysis and TDO pellets. His color has deepened to blacker grays and whiter whites along with getting some orange around "his" fins and mouth so I'm thinking he is ok atm)

CUC
1 cleaner shrimp
1 fire shrimp
10 bumble bee snails
2 halloween hermits
5 red/blue leg hermits
10 astrea snails

Frags (local LFS sale items)
unknown zoas on 1 frag
Ricordia mushroom
Bi-color hammer

 

[blaxsun]

I saw a chart a while back indicating how many water changes at what percent it would take to replace the vast majority (90%+) of the salt mix in a tank. I believe it was something like six or seven 40% water changes every 2 weeks over several months to reach that 90% threshold.

 

[ColoredRock]

Chart is on this thread.

Switching salt

morning all ! So I have a waterbox 130.4 I was using natural seawater but I am making the change over to aquaforest salt just wondering how many water changes will I need to do to make it a 100% aquaforest???

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mdb_talon]

Personally i would say dont overthink it. Use up all your io and then switch to the new salt. Do 10-20% changes on your schedule. A single WC of that scale is not going to drastically swing parameters

 

[Floyd-]

I have straight switched between 3 brands without issues. I didnt mix salt or change % on the water changes. Just proceed as normal and just use a different salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There should be no issues swapping mixes, but I also do not think it likely those values are entirely accurate (e.g., magnesium at 1700 ppm plus).

Folks should have a lot more inclination to suspect their test results and less often assume anything is wrong with the salt mix.

Sure, there are true bad batches. But not nearly as commonly as one would thinki reading people's test results.

 

[Deezill]

There should be no issues swapping mixes, but I also do not think it likely those values are entirely accurate (e.g., magnesium at 1700 ppm plus).

Folks should have a lot more inclination to suspect their test results and less often assume anything is wrong with the salt mix.

Sure, there are true bad batches. But not nearly as commonly as one would thinki reading people's test results.

He stated newbie reefer here. What inclination would a new reefer have?

 

[wolfen281]

There should be no issues swapping mixes, but I also do not think it likely those values are entirely accurate (e.g., magnesium at 1700 ppm plus).

Folks should have a lot more inclination to suspect their test results and less often assume anything is wrong with the salt mix.

Sure, there are true bad batches. But not nearly as commonly as one would thinki reading people's test results.

Hi-
I agree. And it seems that spending the past 24 years in a lab (immunology research) actually was a hindrance when I realized they really meant it when they said to keep the freakin air bubble in the syringe. We never do that. But then again, I mostly use a tuberculin syringe in my research... which contributes negligible volume. And the marine test kits have those honking big pink pipette tip looking things.

My average was without the higher numbers I was getting in the beginning. Like in the 2000's. Of course, it could mean I'm still doing it wrong. Although I have tried to reduce the margin of error when testing with N=3

Also, that is actually not the primary reason why I am changing salts. I just don't want to clean up after the IO. And, from a new reefer perspective, using Tropic marin in conjunction with their All for Reef seems like a way to cut down on some of the time involved with a reef tank. I mean, I like dickin with it...the animals...some of the tech...but cutting away time I don't need to spend... like crawling in my brute can to get all the white scuzz out? Seems like a winning strategy to me.

So, Randy...thanks for your input. I really like your posts on here. Helped me a bunch with my first 2 clowns who had internal parasites. Plus, how fun will it be when I throw up confocal images here and ask you if i have diatoms or dinoflagellates

Thanks everyone. I kind of like the don't overthink it advice.

Cheers,

Kim

A side note...I have bought 4 buckets of IO...all from Chewy...all the same lot number. hence the reason I was looking for a CoA from IO.

 

[wolfen281]

UPDATE: Salt switch has been going fine. Mg and Ca levels are dropping incrementally with each water change. But best of all...no cleaning all the white crap IO leaves on everything.
Thanks everyone.