A General Guide to Salt Mixes

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do like the idea of the separate components, though, even though it's more trouble. What do you think, Randy? Is that really a better strategy?

You could make a fine salt mix this way, but the specs they claim are not much different than what other ordinary mixes claim, so the proof would be in the pudding. I'm really not sure what the practical advantage is, although I do understand the technical reasons to think there would be less precipitate in the container, etc. In my normal use, I do not care about some precipitate settling out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You really have your mixing down to a science! One percent daily! Have you always changed water this way or did you move from a 10% weekly to the 1% daily? Did you notice any difference if you did go from larger changes to the 1% daily? What would be the benefits of a 1% daily compared to a 10% weekly change

I switched a few years ago. I'd be hard pressed to say I saw a change in the tank that I could attribute to that difference, but it is much, much easier. I do almost nothing aside from once in a while making up a big batch of salt water. I never heat it, I do not worry much about matching salinity, etc.

 

[Finsky]

Water changes/salt mixing frequency

Water changes/salt mixing frequency

You really have your mixing down to a science! One percent daily! Have you always changed water this way or did you move from a 10% weekly to the 1% daily? Did you notice any difference if you did go from larger changes to the 1% daily? What would be the benefits of a 1% daily compared to a 10% weekly change

I switched a few years ago. I'd be hard pressed to say I saw a change in the tank that I could attribute to that difference, but it is much, much easier. I do almost nothing aside from once in a while making up a big batch of salt water. I never heat it, I do not worry much about matching salinity, etc.

Thank you Randy:

This gives me food for thought about changing my 10% weekly water change.

Tom

 

[Finsky]

I have a reef tank and for this reason switched to Reef Crystals. The company informs me there is no scientific reason why mixing a large quantity and using it over a longer period of time will have any deleterious effect.

FYI:

The Georgia Aquarium has no need to use Reef Crystals in many of their displays because they are mainly raising fish and mammals. Of course these animals use up elements like calcium, but not at a significant rate. They are also housed in an extremely large body of water that is frequently changed. There need is to exactly mimick natural seawater. In your case, you have corals that rapidly use up calcium, magnesium, etc.
Reef Crystals is perfect for you and will help reduce the need to add solutions to raise calium and magnesium values within your system to keep levels maintained.

We add extra Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Molybedenum, Cobalt, Vanadium, and Selenium. I cannot give you exactly how much extra is in versus natural seawater (its proprietary), but these are trace elements shown to become depleted quickly in a closed system. Otherwise, this formula is exactly like Instant Ocean Sea Salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The company informs me there is no scientific reason for somebody mixing a large quantity and using it over a longer period of time to be worried.

I'd have to say it might be true, but I find that totally unconvincing. I certainly don't doubt that a sales guy would say that. Many reef chemistry companies say things which are not true, or which they have no idea about, but which sound correct or which they hope is correct...

If you communicate with them again, ask them whether bacteria may metabolize the vitamins in a standing batch of seawater, and if it might happen, what products are formed, and whether it might become anaerobic if not constantly aerated.


Oh, and you might ask them if there is any known benefit to adding vitamins to a salt mix.

 

[Finsky]

Reef Crystals

Reef Crystals

The company informs me there is no scientific reason for somebody mixing a large quantity and using it over a longer period of time to be worried.

I'd have to say it might be true, but I find that totally unconvincing. I certainly don't doubt that a sales guy would say that. Many reef chemistry companies say things which are not true, or which they have no idea about, but which sound correct or which they hope is correct...

If you communicate with them again, ask them whether bacteria may metabolize the vitamins in a standing batch of seawater, and if it might happen, what products are formed, and whether it might become anaerobic if not constantly aerated.


Oh, and you might ask them if there is any known benefit to adding vitamins to a salt mix.

Randy:

I will do a follow up to see whether they will give any more information.

I can see your point of wanting to have a salt mix which mixes to the exact specifications of sea water and anything else which might be added is under you control.

Tom :dance:

 

[tens8273]

I tell you that changing 5% of my water twice a week is so much easier as it can be done without turning off pumps and can be done in the sump. 10% requires turning off the pumps.
How much beneficial trace elements are taken out of our tanks water on average? Does anyone recommend trace elements supplementation or amino acid supps?

 

[Finsky]

Water changes and salt mixing

Water changes and salt mixing

I can do approximately a 14/120 change without turning off any pumps or filters. More than this and some filter intakes might be close to above the water line. Goes to show you all tanks and aquarists are different.:fish1:

 

[powderbluetangy]

Randy,

What are your thoughts on the new tropic marin salt BIO-ACTIF?

 

[Lyfey]

I just ordered the Tropic Marine Pro reef salt, the 200gal bucket from my preferred online vendor. My last salt bucket was the Neo Marine by Brightwell and quite frankly, I wasnt impressed. Since I have very little SPS frags and I lost a few SPS within the last 2 months, I am thinking that little/none supplimentation will be needed with weekly water changes with the TM PRO salt. Anyone else use this salt? Im hoping it will be at my door today for a Sunday water change. I have to start making some water! My girlfriend hates it when the RO/DI filter takes up the sink

 

[Billybeau1]

TM Pro mixes with good numbers. I'm sure you will be pleased. Much more so then the last salt mix you used.

 

[Finsky]

Salt mixing and storage

Salt mixing and storage

The company informs me there is no scientific reason for somebody mixing a large quantity and using it over a longer period of time to be worried.

I'd have to say it might be true, but I find that totally unconvincing. I certainly don't doubt that a sales guy would say that. Many reef chemistry companies say things which are not true, or which they have no idea about, but which sound correct or which they hope is correct...

If you communicate with them again, ask them whether bacteria may metabolize the vitamins in a standing batch of seawater, and if it might happen, what products are formed, and whether it might become anaerobic if not constantly aerated.


Oh, and you might ask them if there is any known benefit to adding vitamins to a salt mix.

Randy:

I received an initial feed back from Instant Ocean although I had to reply back to clarify whether their information was for both Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals or just Reef Crystals.

Stay tuned!

Tom

:spin2:

 

[Lyfey]

BillyBeau1 I tested my reef three nights ago and it CA 440 with a DKH of 8-9, last night it was pretty much the same. Besides just the MG/CA/KH differences between the salts, what other things should I keep an eye out for when it comes to the differences in the salts?

I accidentally left my return pump off last night from 10pm to 5:30am and the temp dropped from 78.4 to 71.9. I gotta stop doing stupid mistakes. This is the second time I did this, last time I did, it dropped to 66 degrees and thats when the start of the demise of most my SPS began. Last time I didnt lose anything instantly but it was the start. All my snails had fallen off the glass last time, today every snail was on the glass and I still had PE on my SPS and my fish were ok. Im hoping I didnt do too much harm. I've been having a hard time with temp control with this tank. I finally got it solved by using two 300 watt rena heaters both set roughly the same and it keeps the tank between 77.9 - 78.4.. as soon as I fixed it, I dumbed it up by leaving the return pump off. What a way to start the morning huh?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Stay tuned!

OK, but I have already heard their answer from one of their senior folks.

 

[jennmac415]

BillyBeau1 I tested my reef three nights ago and it CA 440 with a DKH of 8-9, last night it was pretty much the same. Besides just the MG/CA/KH differences between the salts, what other things should I keep an eye out for when it comes to the differences in the salts?

I accidentally left my return pump off last night from 10pm to 5:30am and the temp dropped from 78.4 to 71.9. I gotta stop doing stupid mistakes. This is the second time I did this, last time I did, it dropped to 66 degrees and thats when the start of the demise of most my SPS began. Last time I didnt lose anything instantly but it was the start. All my snails had fallen off the glass last time, today every snail was on the glass and I still had PE on my SPS and my fish were ok. Im hoping I didnt do too much harm. I've been having a hard time with temp control with this tank. I finally got it solved by using two 300 watt rena heaters both set roughly the same and it keeps the tank between 77.9 - 78.4.. as soon as I fixed it, I dumbed it up by leaving the return pump off. What a way to start the morning huh?

I have been known to do this too... not for that long but for long enough to drop my temp a bit... I finally had to write a big note to myself next to the tank...." don't forget to turn on the return pump"..... haven't forgotten since...may not look pretty but at least the pump gets turned back on...lol

Hope all your stuff does ok...

 

[jennmac415]

Just checking with the salt gurus.... I bought a bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro from Dr foster with their 5.99 shipping... getting ready to do my first water change with it...is this salt one "of the good ones"??? Is there anything I should know before using it??? Just wanted to make sure before I did the change...I know it has lower Alk... that is one of the reasons I wanted to try it out because I am keeping my alk around 8 since I am dosing vodka...already learned the hard way about keeping alk lower when dosing vodka... it was up to around 13 at one point and I had some SPs with burned tips..they have all since recovered and I am having great luck keeping my alk lower...seeing polyp extension on some SPS that I have not seen for about a YEAR!!!

thanks!

 

[Finsky]

We would generally suggest using up the mixed water within a month. You are correct in the fact that bacteria will grow within the water. The bacterial growth would use up trace elements and major ions within the water. I do not believe it would be in sufficient quantities to require dosing of trace elements of major ions in that period of time. You would get mainly aerobic types of bacteria growing within the mix. It would become anaerobic to some extent, but the oxygen levels would not become low enough to get an abundance of anaerobic bacteria growth in that period. I would suggest keeping it aerated or mixed with a pump. Beyond a month, I wouldn't use the water. The bacteria count would likely be high, the water would start producing undesirable life.

Is this bacteria growth for both Reef Crystals and Instant Ocean?

It will occur in any body of water exposed to the air over time. Fresh or salt.

Regards,

Instant Ocean

 

[Finsky]

We had a three day power outage two or three winters ago which lasted from Friday night until Monday morning and I did not have a generator on the third floor of my apartment building with electric heat and a gas water heater. I started doing water changes morning and evening with hot water along with a biological additive, Seachem Stability, each day as well as a daily dose of Amquel Plus. I used two or three of my Pentax battery operated air pumps during this time and covered the aquarium with blankets. On Monday morning I did not change water as I was exhausted and had to go work. The temperature in the apartment was about 45 degrees.

My wife called me at work on Monday morning and told me the power was back on and with my two 300 watt Visi-Therm heaters I was feeling pretty good since the water temperature was getting in the low 70's. I was lucky and did not lose anything including corals, anemones, and fish although it was an experience I could have done without.

I have eyed the Red Sea Coral Pro myself. I would make sure I tested my water if I was changing the salt I use.

 

[bertoni]

I accidentally left my return pump off last night from 10pm to 5:30am and the temp dropped from 78.4 to 71.9.

I don't know the reason you turned off the pumps, but I had such trouble remembering to turn skimmers, etc, back on after feeding that I sprung for a countdown timer to do the job automatically. The Lab Safety units I used were programmable. At $80 or so, they weren't cheap but they did work.

 

[rigleautomotive]

Just checking with the salt gurus.... I bought a bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro from Dr foster with their 5.99 shipping... getting ready to do my first water change with it...is this salt one "of the good ones"??? Is there anything I should know before using it??? Just wanted to make sure before I did the change...I know it has lower Alk... that is one of the reasons I wanted to try it out because I am keeping my alk around 8 since I am dosing vodka...already learned the hard way about keeping alk lower when dosing vodka... it was up to around 13 at one point and I had some SPs with burned tips..they have all since recovered and I am having great luck keeping my alk lower...seeing polyp extension on some SPS that I have not seen for about a YEAR!!!

thanks!

I switched from RC with much better results from the Red Sea.I did notice a bit of a shock switching salts,doing 25% weekly water changes there was some lightening of a few acropora colonies but after a couple changes everything looked better then previously.I also run my alk on the lower end of the spectrum and the RC was causing a negative effect with my weekly water changes and raising the alk enough to effect the more sensitive corals in the tank.the red sea does not seem to do this and the tank looks better after the water change and not stressed.i have been using it for about a year or more and i am happy with it