What salt do you use and why?

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

Thanks for the feedback! :)

The statement I was addressing did cite alk, and that was my basis for saying it was ridiculous.

zenom73 said:
That is my concern. They say you don't need to dose anything for the first two years of starting up your tank, but I find that hard to believe. A lot of times my alk is in the low 7's. So I dose a little soda ash to try and bring it up, but getting it into the 8's seems to be really tough

Prior to your recipe I was using a tablespoon of Kent turbo calcium every full moon and twice on thanksgiving to be generous … The LFS didn’t even tell me alkalinity was important.

Your DIY solution didn’t just transform my tank but it transformed my understanding of what is happening in the tank.

Thank you :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Prior to your recipe I was using a tablespoon of Kent turbo calcium every full moon and twice on thanksgiving to be generous … The LFS didn’t even tell me alkalinity was important.

Your DIY solution didn’t just transform my tank but it transformed my understanding of what is happing in the tank.

Thank you :)

Lol

You’re welcome. :)

 

[Nordy]

Same. In my entire reef historyI have never tested freshly mixed SW for anything but salinity. It never crossed my mind as a need, and maybe I have had my share of "bad" batches. I wouldn't know.

I will also add that I am always open to taking the rock hard box of salt that can't be sold, for a discount of course. So I assume that some ions have precipitated anyway. I also tend to be rather impatient and dump the entire required volume of salt in as the bin is mixing, causing even more precipitate. I have also never given that a second thought.

Most of you by now probably know I’m a loon on a salted inland water body, but I’m pretty sure basically this fellow reefer can just make it work out ideally with whatever salt with the diligence needed to maintain a reef. Reality of a terrible batch, very relevant, but skills and a foundation to do your thing, that is a Rockstar Wizardry grade of the Elemental incarnation to put an ocean together in your cauldron. Just go with what the tide brings in. Any Chili Pepper fans out there? Blood, sugar, Salt, Magik. You find your grove, it’ll work.

 

[Nordy]

I crave salt. Salt junky, truth be told. Thats how I know I have a paleontological tie to the bodies of water where life started 3.5 billion years back. Here’s how I know if it’s a great batch of salt. I taste it, I think the Molybdenum gets the green in my eyes to contrast more with the brown under attinic lights. With the correct ratio of the major elements, hopefully not too much cadmium or fluoride, & bingo, way fewer trips to the health nut stores for lithium orotate. I swear I got Addisons or something but on the periodic table of elements, that vertical grouping on the left with lithium dropping straight down to NA, to K. They are marked in my diet since youth. I’d be curious to grow bananas. Used to wake up in the early 80’s turn on Scooby Doo, and eat Bananas for a few episodes. My grandma salted her cooking like crazy and I loved it, just like a super salty clam chowder I’m always down to eat. Disclaimer: probably need to be in the psyche ward with a reef tank of course, and my ticked off purple tang is going with me. :)
Insomnia must be tripping me out too much or it was my tank water ICP last year with this ratio in picture. Last to bed, first to rise. It’s the iron from this old house. Ok good, I’ll be up with the eastern seaboard side of the US shortly and can do a water change today.