A General Guide to Salt Mixes

[Aquarist007]

I agree with Billybeau. Ph is usually more a factor of the carbon dioxide level in the tank.
Things like opening a window in the fish room overnight, cranking up the skimmer, increasing surface flow and removing any glass covers will help bring up the pH level in your tank,
If you have a mixed reef I would suggest you go on a two part dosing method. That will bring stability to your alkalinity and calcium levels and indirectly your pH. You should aslo measure your magnesium level
Other then that you do not need to add anyting to your tank. Regular water changes of 10 percent a week or 20 percent every other week are all you need to replace trace elements

 

[Finsky]

pH

pH

"I thank you very much."

I will try laying off the buffer for the time being. I think the pH will be alright with my salnity back at 35 ppt. I read in one of Sprung's three volumes in the pH chapter where he talks about a healthy tank with a pH ranging from 7.8 in the early morning to 8.25 in the afternoon.

Should I be raising my calcium as it is at 410 ppm at the moment?

I want everything to be good for the second Red Rose Bubble Tip anemone for the left end of my tank for my Clarkii pair as the male tends to turn to my maroon goniopora. The Cinnamons have domain over the right end RBTA.

 

[RBU1]

I would have expected a little higher numbers unless you are mixing less than 1.0264

Yes mixed at 1.023

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Should I be raising my calcium as it is at 410 ppm at the moment?

That's perfect.

 

[Finsky]

Seachem Reef Complete for calcium

Seachem Reef Complete for calcium

I have been using Seachem's Reef Complete liquid additive for years. On the bottle it describes the Reef Complete as a "concentrated (160,000 mg/L) optimized blend of ionic calcium designed to restore and maintain calcium. Also includes magnesium and strontium in amounts proportionate to typical utilization ratios(100:5:0:1,Ca:Mg:Sr). This allows one to maintain these two important elements while maintaining calcium".

My calcium, alkilinity, and pH are fine with this product although I do not know what "category" this additive would fall into, i.e., two part additives etc.
:spin1:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My calcium, alkilinity, and pH are fine with this product

It is just a calcium additive with a little magnesium in it. It provides no alkalinity and has no impact on pH.

 

[Finsky]

Calcium -475
Alkilinity - 15
ph - 8.19

This weekend, after a 17% water change, a dose of buffer, replacement of the chemical media in my two canisters and two powerfilters in addition to cleaning them, also the raising of the salinity form 30 ppt to 35 ppt over the last week. My calcium went up 475.

I wonder how I would tell when it is time to dose with a two part Kent Marine BC Part A and B dosing method?

 

[Billybeau1]

Why are you still using the buffer ?

I would leave everything alone until your cal and alk falls (which it will) then figure out how much you need to dose to maintain it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder how I would tell when it is time to dose with a two part Kent Marine BC Part A and B dosing method?

Use alkalinity as the guide. When it drops below where you want it, dose more of each unless calcium is actually too high, then don't use that part yet.

If calcium only drops (due to a water change, for example), use just the calcium part, or calcium chloride to correct it.

I give dosing recommendations for my two part here, and this would be similar.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#15

 

[Finsky]

Two part products

Two part products

Thank you all very much. I am really excited. I think I am on a breakthrough of getting off the ph buffer rollovercoaster. The last time I buffered was with this last weekend's 17% water change. When I saw the ph drop to 7.96 I panicked and buffered!:rollface:

I am getting ready to order a two part product to replace the Seachem Reef Complete and Seachem Reef Buffer "method". I think my calcium and alkilinity will stay up for at least a week maybe longer without needing any supplementation and in the mean time I can order a two part product which brings me to a question. Is the Kent Marine CB a good two part dosing product to go with or should I look for another product?

 

[DheereCrossing]

If you read that article that Randy linked to, you will find a much easier, cheaper way to maintain your dosing than purchasing the 'made for reef tanks' products.

 

[Finsky]

Thanks again.

I still have not made my mind up whether I trust myself to make my own mixtures or I should buy a store brand for conveniece, etc.

Seachem tells me they are coming out with a two part: Fusion 1 and Fusion 2 although I wonder what the price will be.

I do not neglect my tank although I run two cost effective and efficient canisters filters where I can rinse out the sponges and Eheim Efisubstrate Pro bio-media in aquarium water and re-use. The same goes for the powerfilters. I use Chemi-Pure, Chemi-Pure Elite, and Phospure in the filters.

It takes me approximately five hours once a month to do the 17% water change and filter cleaning. The convenience of a "made for tank" supplement which does not harm my reef inhabitants or break the bank, I might shoot for the convenience of a "made for tank" two part supplement such as the Kent Marine CB as I do not add much calcium other than water changes which means a 64oz containers could last me a year or more as I only have six lobed brains, eight gonioporas, one alveopora. one large rock and one small rock covered with palythoa polyps.

I must read and think on which way I need or want to go.

My wife just picked up a dvd about the Great Barrier Reef from the local library and I think I am going to check it out before crashing.

 

[bertoni]

I would drop the Chemi-Pure and the Chemi-Pure Elite and use plain GAC instead. The Elite has some GFO in it, but that's the same as the PhosPure. The resins in the Chemi-Pure are not effective in saltwater.

 

[redsea reefer]

The resins in the Chemi-Pure are not effective in saltwater.

Hi Bertoni,

Are you saying that Chemi-Pure and/or the Elite has no affect or does nothing in our tanks? and what GAC do you prefer...


Thanks

 

[Finsky]

Great googly moogly Bertoni:

Are we under a massive conspiracy hoax?

Everybody I have talked with and everything I have read about Chemi-Pure says it works equally well in fresh water or reef tanks?

Reef Chemist, say it aint so. Have I been wasting my money?

Should I switch to Seachem's Purigen or go with a GAC?

 

[Aquarist007]

Great googly moogly Bertoni:

Are we under a massive conspiracy hoax?

Everybody I have talked with and everything I have read about Chemi-Pure says it works equally well in fresh water or reef tanks?

Reef Chemist, say it aint so. Have I been wasting my money?

Should I switch to Seachem's Purigen or go with a GAC?

Here is "one" way to get started on two part(I use bionic two part)
Two part systems are great at maintaining levels but costly at bringing the levels up to the preferred

First measure your calcium, alk, and magnesium levels
Prefered ranges for each are
cal over 400 ppm
alk 8 to 11.5 dkH
mag 1300 to 1400 ppm

If your calcium is not at the level then use Kent turbo calcium to bring it up to the prefered level
If your alk is not at the level use Kent super dkH
If your magnesium is low use Epsom salts that you can buy at the drug store

Now follow the amt suggested on the two part containers for one week
Re-measure
Repeat for the next week
re-measure
Repeat for the third week and you should be getting stablility in your numbers

Indirectly your pH will also stabilize

I've been using two part for three years and not had to change the amt I have been dosing.
Other then occasionally dosing iron for my cheato I do not add anything else to my system

 

[Billybeau1]

Great googly moogly Bertoni:

Are we under a massive conspiracy hoax?

Everybody I have talked with and everything I have read about Chemi-Pure says it works equally well in fresh water or reef tanks?

Reef Chemist, say it aint so. Have I been wasting my money?

Should I switch to Seachem's Purigen or go with a GAC?

I would run a good quality GAC. But thats just me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The claims for Chemi Pure are often ridiculous. Fish living four times longer, for example. :lol:

I expect it binds organic matter, and anything attached to organics, but I do not expect it does anything directly that is useful for ammonia, phosphate, or pH in a reef aquarium.

 

[redsea reefer]

I also don't believe fish live 4 times longer either Randy, I use the Chemipure Elite and it say's it binds organic matter and removes phosphates and silicates, now if it doesn't do at least that then I have a problem with it as I have been using it for 2 years now. Do you think that the Elite removes that Randy and what GAC is prefered that has low phosphates.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not believe the regular version binds any phosphate or silicate from seawater (and the binding of phosphate with polymers is one area where I am an expert). The elite version contains GFO, and with that added, it will bind phosphate and silicate.

The simple fact that they decided to add GFO should indicate that the original was not adequate at binding phosphate and silicate.