A General Guide to Salt Mixes

[Billybeau1]

Yes Capn, but fish do not care about nitrates and I think the ability for some of your fish with teeth to file them down is much more healthier to them than elevated nitrates IMO.

My trigger is constantly chewing on the crushed coral and I know why. I can't imagine if all he had to chew on was sand.

Again, we are talking fish only, which I have the most experience with. I would not want sand in my tank with only fish.

 

[Lyfey]

Billy, I just switched over to Brightwell Neomarine salts and I looked back on page 1 and it looks kinda fudged, but are the numbers CA: 370 Alk: 11DKH and MG 1170 correct?

 

[Billybeau1]

The new software did not fair well with my old thread. The new thread Synthetic Salt Mixes stickied near the top is easier to read.

It is 370 11 1140.

 

[Finsky]

I have been using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals for my 3 1/2 year old 120 gallon reef tank. I also use Seachem Reef Buffer.

Seachem responded to my email telling me their Reef Salt does a better job keeping the ph higher, around 8.4, than Reef Crystals.

Should I stick with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals, I still have two 200 gallon boxes left to go through, or should I change to Searchem Reef Salt after I finish my Instant Ocean Reef Crystals?

 

[Billybeau1]

I'll just say this.

There are more reefers using Reef Crystals today than any other salt on the market.

I think that says it all, don't you think ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Seachem responded to my email telling me their Reef Salt does a better job keeping the ph higher, around 8.4, than Reef Crystals.

Nonsense. The ONLY things that determine the pH of seawater in a reef tank is the amount of CO2 in the water and the carbonate alkalinity. Unless you change a lot of salt water every day, controlling CO2 and alkalinity are much better done in ways other than a salt mix choice.

Seachem adds excessive borate in the false hope of keeping the pH higher, but in the end, it provides more pH buffering *(against rises and falls in pH) and so may reduce the diurnal pH swing, but doesn't make it any more likely to be at pH 8.4. If the pH is usually in the ph 8.0 to 8.4 range, adding a lot more boric acid/borate buffering may actually make it harder to reach that 8.4.

 

[Lyfey]

Question, Since the Neomarine salt has such a low CA and higher alk and low MG, lower than optimal maintained levels, why would we want to use this salt? I bought it and have been using it for about 2 weeks now (did multiple 30gal water changes about 4x) to lower my nitrates. Since the levels are lower than the ones we want to maintain, what is the appeal to this salt brand? I thought this salt would have been higher in CA/MG.

The quality of the salt / production is much better than any other brand I have used and they have seemed to match the ocean the best they can but with such low levels of CA/MG it needs immediate supplimentation. Whats the appeal now?

 

[DheereCrossing]

A pretty bucket?

 

[Billybeau1]

Question, Since the Neomarine salt has such a low CA and higher alk and low MG, lower than optimal maintained levels, why would we want to use this salt? I bought it and have been using it for about 2 weeks now (did multiple 30gal water changes about 4x) to lower my nitrates. Since the levels are lower than the ones we want to maintain, what is the appeal to this salt brand? I thought this salt would have been higher in CA/MG.

The quality of the salt / production is much better than any other brand I have used and they have seemed to match the ocean the best they can but with such low levels of CA/MG it needs immediate supplimentation. Whats the appeal now?

Matching the Ocean is not necessarily the best way to sell salt. We have closed systems and our tanks need supplementing to keep levels acceptable, unlike the Ocean.

Many reefers use salt mixes with elevated levels of the important stuff so the tank wont fall below those levels between supps or water changes.

I would never buy a salt where the manufacturer stated it is at or close to NSW levels. Just more work for me.

I was surprised as anyone when I tested that salt. I got a feeling they will be changing their formula soon.

 

[Lyfey]

So from the Salt Guru, I was using RC since I knew that salt made a difference and this is my first bucket of Neomarine and its almost gone already. What salt would you recommend for me?

I use a very K.I.S.S. way of reefing. Water changes and casual suplimentation/testing.

 

[RBU1]

So from the Salt Guru, I was using RC since I knew that salt made a difference and this is my first bucket of Neomarine and its almost gone already. What salt would you recommend for me?

I use a very K.I.S.S. way of reefing. Water changes and casual suplimentation/testing.

Seachem

 

[Billybeau1]

Lyfey, it really depends on your tank load and your husbandry schedule.

Honest to God, most commercial synthetic salt mixes are ok to use. Just depends on how much you want to supplement between water changes. If you want to keep it simple, Reef Crystals would be my choice. Cal and Alk are high enough where you may not need to supplement much if you do regular water changes. I also like Seachems Reef Salt and Tropic Marin Pro.

These are good choices if you rely on water changes and do not want to supplement much.

 

[Lyfey]

Well I think I am going to use seachem, at a LFS thats sorta local to my work a bucket goes for 35-40$ It was 65$ for the Neomarine. I am trying to develop a suppliment schedule but I am still in the process of determining how much my baby sized SPS frags need. Its difficult because I have a small demand of CA/Alk/MG due to only 10 or so SPS frag sized.

Quick question on a side note. I have 4 nice sized cabbage leathers and a toadstool of some sort, I try to always have carbon in the tank (I need more) Is it possible that the toadstool or the cabbage leathers emit toxins that hurt SPS? or limit SPS growth? I have horrid growth rates. I believe its all due to my horrid lighting a Nova Extreme 8x54w (75gallon tank) with only 6 bulbs working that need to be replaced. The Nova is the single parabolic reflector version.

 

[Billybeau1]

You should be happy with the Seachem Reef Salt.

As for your coral question, it might be better posted in one of RC's coral forums. I have no clue.

 

[RBU1]

Well I think I am going to use seachem, at a LFS thats sorta local to my work a bucket goes for 35-40$ It was 65$ for the Neomarine. I am trying to develop a suppliment schedule but I am still in the process of determining how much my baby sized SPS frags need. Its difficult because I have a small demand of CA/Alk/MG due to only 10 or so SPS frag sized.

Quick question on a side note. I have 4 nice sized cabbage leathers and a toadstool of some sort, I try to always have carbon in the tank (I need more) Is it possible that the toadstool or the cabbage leathers emit toxins that hurt SPS? or limit SPS growth? I have horrid growth rates. I believe its all due to my horrid lighting a Nova Extreme 8x54w (75gallon tank) with only 6 bulbs working that need to be replaced. The Nova is the single parabolic reflector version.

It could be a combo....Yes leather release toxins running carbon and changing it regularly is a plus. You lighting could also be a factor.
I am also switching to Seachem salt so keep us posted on how you like it. Seachem is also coming out with a new salt called salinity sometime in the not so distant future....

 

[Lyfey]

Thanks guys! The Hidden Reef in Levittown PA (just north of Philly) Is the place I am talking about for the Seachem salts.

I strongly believe my situation is a direct fault of lack of intense lighting, even though my coral coloration is pretty nice. Basically I am fine tuning my husbandry I just need some more cash for the hobby, I seem to fill up my "shopping cart" at each reef store just to cancel the whole order at the end, due to rethinking about how much I need those items vs. how much I need that money.

 

[bertoni]

SeaChem adds a lot of extra borate to their salt products to attempt to keep the pH higher. I wouldn't call this a good idea, but it might not harm anything.

 

[RBU1]

SeaChem adds a lot of extra borate to their salt products to attempt to keep the pH higher. I wouldn't call this a good idea, but it might not harm anything.

Seachem has been around a great deal longer then us. I wish they did not leave the community but they did. I have had great success using their products so I figured the salt should be just as good.

 

[Finsky]

Reef Crystals

Reef Crystals

Thank you. I thought I read where the Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean salt.

 

[RBU1]

Thank you. I thought I read where the Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean salt.

Nothing wrong with Instant Ocean you just might need to buffer more.