A General Guide to Salt Mixes

RBU1 said:
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.....
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Randy used to add about 70 ppm of calcium chloride and about 150 ppm of magnesium if I remember correctly. But that was the old formula.

The new formula should require less dosing. Probably no magnesium and just a slight increase in Calcium to suit your taste. :)
 
Billybeau1 said:
Randy used to add about 70 ppm of calcium chloride and about 150 ppm of magnesium if I remember correctly. But that was the old formula.

The new formula should require less dosing. Probably no magnesium and just a slight increase in Calcium to suit your taste. :)
Click to expand...

Awesome thanks.....So is it worth it to go with the RC or just stick with the regular IO?
 
That is a matter of preference IMO. Randy does not like the vitamins in RC for some reason. I do not see a problem with it myself.

I would say if you want to supplement less, use RC, if you do not mind supplementing, use IO.

The last poll I saw said there are now more reefers using RC than IO for home reef tanks. Someone must like it. :)
 
Billybeau1 said:
That is a matter of preference IMO. Randy does not like the vitamins in RC for some reason. I do not see a problem with it myself.

I would say if you want to supplement less, use RC, if you do not mind supplementing, use IO.

The last poll I saw said there are now more reefers using RC than IO for home reef tanks. Someone must like it. :)
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Thanks for helping me make up my mind.....I don't like the way Seachem is clouding up everytime I make 50 gallons of water. I like clear.....
 
Reef crystals has a very similar formulation to Instant Ocean. IO is designed to exactly mimic seawater and all of its constituents and concentrations. Reef crystals has added calcium/magnesium and trace elements that have all been scientifically proven to be quickly used up by thriving corals. Although trace elements are present in very small quantities, that doesn't mean they are not used. Many elements are not fully understood as to their use by coral. They can be measured at the rate they are used within a closed system. In 2 years, Have you seen any ill effects from this salt in your system?
Regards,
Instant Ocean

I mixed up a 24 gallon batch of Reef Crystals with a 400 gph and a 270 gph powerhead one week ago. Last night I added two air stones and this turns the water into a froth you would see in a venturi protein skimmer.

This weekend was my four hour monthly cleaning of all four filters (8 gallons of water loss) along with a 16 gallon water change. For some reason, using the air stones around the intake of the powerheads affects the replacement water so it does not immediately drop the aquarium pH by .2 which always happended without using the air stones. This is the second week I have used the air stones for a day before the water change and my aquarium pH stayed the same and is increasing with time.

This week I calibrated my Pinpoint salinity monitor and put the probe back in the aquarium with a slight adjustment to raise my specific gravity from 1.0237 to 1.024. I then used my two Coralife Hydrometers to get a reading from the aquarium and adjusted the replacement water to 1.024 by adding two gallons of fresh water for a total of 26 gallons. This worked well instead of moving the salinity monitor back and forth from one end of the tank to the mixing container on the other end. I drained 12 gallons into buckets to rinse my filter media and used up a total of 24 gallons of replacement water and saved about two gallons for next week's 12 gallon 10% water change.
 
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Billybeau1 said:
Randy used to add about 70 ppm of calcium chloride and about 150 ppm of magnesium if I remember correctly. But that was the old formula.

The new formula should require less dosing. Probably no magnesium and just a slight increase in Calcium to suit your taste. :)
Click to expand...

this is exactly what I have found---no magnesium dosing required
 
get tanked reef salt

get tanked reef salt

Hello ! Anybody ever used the get tanked reef salt? I am going ULNS and they have a mix designed to have a 7.5 DKH for the likes of zeovit. Looks like it might be a bit difficult to mix in anything less than 25 gallons.
 
ceci1357 said:
Hello ! Anybody ever used the get tanked reef salt? I am going ULNS and they have a mix designed to have a 7.5 DKH for the likes of zeovit. Looks like it might be a bit difficult to mix in anything less than 25 gallons.
Click to expand...


I used Get Tanked for 2 years. Garry is a great guy and his salt is excellent. It was just harder to get then stuff my local store carries.
 
OK I picked up a bucket of RC. 50 gallons is mixing as I type....I hope this stuff clears up......
 
A Blue. :)

At 79 deg or so, mine usually cleared up within 12 hrs. I have even added slightly cloudy water in my DT and the tank was crystal clear after a 25% water change. :)
 
Brightwell Neomarine Mix

Brightwell Neomarine Mix

I mentioned in an earlier post (about a month ago, I think), that I had bought some of the Brightwell Neomarine mix to try out. I finally got into the first of my three 150g buckets this weekend, and here is my report.

FWIW, my test results didn't quite match Billybeau1's, though the Ca figure was awfully close (close enough to call it a match).

Brightwell NeoMarine, lot #10110609A.
Mixed in 25 g (US) RO/DI water (1ppm TDS) at 78 deg F which had circulated/aerated for 36 hours. Mixing tub was freshly cleaned, delimed, and rinsed with RO/DI water. Added salt mix in two 50% 'lifts'. Mixed for 6 hours total, then allowed to 'rest' overnight before testing.

Salinity: 35 ppt
pH: 8.25 (Pinpoint)
Ca: 380 (Salifert)
Alk : 2.5 meq (ASI), 7.2 dKH (Elos)
Mg: 1320 (Red Sea)

Impressions & Observations:
The mix is a bit coarser than I'm used to. It dissolves well, though not quite as quickly as Seachem Reef or Reef Crystals. Each 50% of the dry mix added took about 30 minutes to completely dissolve.

Using the typical 1/2 cup mix per gallon, I actually overshot the salinity first time through and ended up at 38 ppt salinity. Either I miscounted (possible but unlikely) or the mix is extremely dry. There was no precipitation whatsoever, and I simply diluted it with more RO/DI water to get to 35 ppt.

The bucket itself is the worst I have ever seen. It's like the buckets asphalt driveway sealers come in. It takes a pliers and a big screwdriver to get the lid off. On the other hand, it seems to seal quite well. But for something I get into every few days, it is a major pita, and the contents are now in a nice Seachem bucket with the threaded lid.

The Alk level is exactly where I wanted it. The Ca is lower than I'd like, and well below Brightwell's specified 413 ppm. I like the Mg and pH numbers. Time will tell. It'll be about 6 weeks before I feel like my tanks are completely running on this mix.

We've already established in this thread that some of Brightwell's claims for this mix are unsubstantiated. But the eyes will eventually tell the tale.
 
Billybeau1 said:
A Blue. :)

At 79 deg or so, mine usually cleared up within 12 hrs. I have even added slightly cloudy water in my DT and the tank was crystal clear after a 25% water change. :)
Click to expand...

Well mixed it overnight. Not nearly as cloudy as the Seachem but still cloudy. I guess I was spoiled by the salt I used previously that was crystal clear. Oh well guess I have to deal with a little cloudy water..........
 
I have used a 400 gph powerhead to mix 12 to 24 gallons of Reef Crystals and it was clear the next day? I started adding a second powerhead, 270 gph, along with a 150 watt heater I recently purchased specifically for heating my replacement water to around 79 degrees. I also add two air stones a day before the water change.

I have heard a more powerful mixing pump will make for less mixing time.
 
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RBU1 said:
Well mixed it overnight. Not nearly as cloudy as the Seachem but still cloudy. I guess I was spoiled by the salt I used previously that was crystal clear. Oh well guess I have to deal with a little cloudy water..........
Click to expand...

I'm sure it won't be cloudy once added to the DT. :)
 
I'm sure this is somewhere in this long thread, but am I correct in heating the ro/di water up to temp before adding the salt?? I have always done it this way, but recently, and I can't remember where, I read you are supposed to add the salt to the cold water and THEN heat it..which is correct?
 
I put my water in the mixing container slightly cooler than the aquarium. I do not put in only water with the handle turned all the way to the cold which would be about 40 to 50 degrees? Then I put in my 400 gph and 270 gph pumps and just started adding a new 150 watt heater (set at 79) along them. I then add the salt by the half cup slowly to the swirling water. Seems to work alright for me? Should I be adding all cold water and then adding the salt to the swirling water?

I am wondering about my magnesium level after a 20% change this weekend with Reef Crystals. It was higher than this a three or four weeks ago as I had dosed with Kent Marine Essential Elements.

Tonight's readings after Friday's 20% water change:
Magnesium - 1400 ppm
Calcium - 440 ppm
Alkalinity - 12 dkh
pH - 8.05
Specific Gravity - 1.024
 
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