A General Guide to Salt Mixes

If I was at this point in my salt status, I would try the Instant Ocean for the reasons given by Randy even though I am using Reef Crystals for now after switching from Instant Ocean. Also, following Billybeau1's more frequent with less advice, I would "definitely" move to a 10% weekly to 20% every two weeks not to "shock" my aquarium inhabitants with "continuous" large water changes and upgrade your skimmer. I upgraded my skimmer to an Aqua Medic Turboflotor SL1000 which does not need adjusting is rated up to a 250 gallon tank. Before this I used a Red Sea Pro Prizm Deluxe which I had to constantly "adjust".

I only have one sps, a Montiopora, and while the other corals are lps along with two anemones and my fish which I really love from the Regal and Majestic Angels to the two six line wrasses. I would not want to shock any of them with large frequent water changes.

I would stay with Billybeau1's recommendations along with patience to get where you want to be.
 
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My question is how long should I aerate my replacement saltwater with a 270 gph Hagen 402 powerhead with a venturi before putting the water in my tank?

I have been circulating my 12 gallons of replacement saltwater in a 20 gallon Rubbermaid Brute mixed with Reef Crystals since Wednesday evening with a 400 gph Hagen 802 powerhead.

I went to Home Depot tonight to get two 10 foot lenths of rubber tubing for using the venturi nozzles on my Hagen 402's and Hagen 802's.

I also got a 32 gallon Rubbermaid for mixing up to 24 gallons for a 20% water change although I will be using it monthly to mix 20 gallon batches when I do my monthly filter cleaning job which empties 8 more gallons in addition to my 12 gallon 10% water change.
 
The aeration time required depends on the brand of salt, but usually 2-3 hours is fine, as far as I have been able to tell.
 
Aeration Time

Aeration Time

Thank you Jonathan:

I will aerate two to three hours and I also want to make sure I check the alkalinity and the salinity of course.

I am really psyched about the aeration I should be able to achieve with either powerhead using a venturi instead of weighing down air pump air stones with all the circulation going on in the mix bucket.

I think I will start by adding the 270 gph powerhead with the venturi wide open to see what it does with the 400 gph powerhead still running for circulation.:idea:
 
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Anyone here use Tropic Marin salt? I have used that for a few month now and everything seems to be doing better in my tank. That is the only change Ive made.
 
what exactly does aerate mean? do you have to add air to the water? i just use a maxijet 9 in a toat for a few hours to mix my salt then add it to the sump. is there something wrong with that?
 
I mixed Reef Crystals syntheic salt with 12 gallons of water in a 20 gallon Rubbermaid
Brute on Wednesday evening with a 400 gph powerhead which I think adds air to the water.

Last night I dug out an air pump from storage and weighted down an air stone in front of the intake of the Hagen 70 400 gph powerhead and a second air stone in front of the intake of a Hagen 50 270 gph. This turned the water into a stew of micro bubbles similar to what you would see in a protein skimmer. My thinking was to get an oxygen level in my replacement water similar to my aquarium's oxygen level. The aquarium has two 3,250 gph water pumps and a 1200 Ocean Runner pump with needle wheel impeller and veturi operating an Aqua Medic Turboflotor SL1000 protein skimmer.

My pH was 7.94 before the today's water change at 2:00 pm and the pH is now at 8.03 and climbing at 5:00 pm.

My previous 10% water changes without an air pump and airstones was giving me a drop from a pH 8.08 to 7.88 pH during the day of the water change and then rising back up in about a day. Whatever the beginning pH, it was dropping .2 with each weekly water change for as long as I can remember. I do not know what has caused the pH to rise after the water change. Was the replacement water's oxygen level more equal to the aquarium's oxygen level?

All I know is I am glad to see the pH rising right after the water change and not dropping.
 
Sorry if it's been mentioned before, I did a search on the thread but came up somewhat empty...

Is there any consensus on the hW marine mix? I'm usually an RC guy but my wife got me a 150 gal box of the 'reefer' hW salt for x-mas.
 
I apologize I cannot vouch for this synthetic salt. I would have to deferr to Reef Chemist on this issue. I have two and a half boxes of Reef Crystals to use up before I can go back to Instant Ocean per Randy's reasons listed previously. Also, the Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean exlusively; "We use Instant Ocean synthetic salt for all our saltwater systems, including reef displays. We regularly test a wide range of water quality parameters and make adjustments/additions to each system according to each exhibit’s specific requirements."
 
dalston said:
Sorry if it's been mentioned before, I did a search on the thread but came up somewhat empty...

Is there any consensus on the hW marine mix? I'm usually an RC guy but my wife got me a 150 gal box of the 'reefer' hW salt for x-mas.
Click to expand...

There are not many users here that I've seen and I have not tested it mainly due to price. However, I'm sure it is ok to us as I have not heard of any negative effects from using this salt.

Let us know how you like it. :)
 
balloonpilot said:
Yes I've posted in several areas on here... Ran the typcial tests over and over. Even had LFS owner visit home to check things out and nobody has been able to figure it out.

Now the theory is that with the excellent filtration (skimmer, phosban reactor, etc.) Ive created too clean of environment ... I cant even get coraline to spread.

So Im thinking of taking off the filters (leave skimmer), changing to Reef Crystals and seeing what happens. Then just wait a few months
Click to expand...

Have you thought about stray voltage? Perhaps adding a grounding probe or at least checking for voltage leaks.
 
Based on those numbers from Bertoni looks like Reef Crystals is a good choice.....

I switched to Seachem Reef salt and for some reason I can't get 50 gallons to mix clear...Starting to get frustrated and thinking of trying something different when I go thru my last 2 buckets.......
 
Randy,

What do you find you have to dose using Instant Ocean. Those numbers from Bertoni on IO also dont look bad. I might just go with Instant Ocean.....
 
Reef Crystals

Reef Crystals

I think I am going to stick with my Reef Crystals as it has not given me any problems for the last two years since a year and a half of Instant ocean. My thinking is the Reef Crystals has added calcium, trace elements, vitamins, etc. for an artificial closed mini-reef system with skimmers etc. removing these things. The Pacific Ocean does not have a protein skimmer removing a limited amount of calcium, trace elements, vitamins, etc. I may mix my 12 to 24 gallons of replacement saltwater for up to a week and I am not worried anything will degrade in this time period.
 
Finsky said:
I think I am going to stick with my Reef Crystals as it has not given me any problems for the last two years since a year and a half of Instant ocean. My thinking is the Reef Crystals has added calcium, trace elements, vitamins, etc. for an artificial closed mini-reef system with skimmers etc. removing these things. The Pacific Ocean does not have a protein skimmer removing a limited amount of calcium, trace elements, vitamins, etc. I may mix my 12 to 24 gallons of replacement saltwater for up to a week and I am not worried anything will degrade in this time period.
Click to expand...

I don't see anything wrong with that plan. :)
 
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