****Attention Seachem Reef Salt Users****

[Horace]

There has been much discussion about this salt recently, mainly on the Zeovit boards, so I wanted to be sure the word is out to everyone. This information is CRUCIAL if you maintain NSW levels of Alkalinity.

Here is the jist if it:

IF TESTING WITH A SALIFERT TEST KIT, YOU MUST SUBTRACT APPROXIMATELY 20% FROM THE RESULT TO GET YOUR ACTUAL KH READING!!!!!!!

The reason is that Seachem salt has about 3x the normal amount of Borate in thier salt (for a good reason, but we wont go into that). This extra Borate contributes to the total alkalinity, however it is NOT usable by the corals, only the carbonate alkalinity is. Because of this your alk readings appear to be higher than they truely are. So if your running an alk reading of aprox 8.0 dkh then your true alk level is 6.4 dkh which is pretty darn low. Any lower and you may very well experience some tissue recession. So it is highly advised to increase your measured alk to between 9 - 10 dkh to maintain NSW levels of carbonate alkalinity.

I hope this will help prevent any more TN events from occuring with this salt. While this is a great salt, you must keep this in mind while using it or you can have MAJOR issues as a result.

Happy Reefing!

 

[kirstenk]

Have you found or heard about this being an issue for a non Zeo Tank?

 

[ReefRockerLive]

This should be a sticky for future reference

 

[Habib]

IF TESTING WITH A SALIFERT TEST KIT, YOU MUST SUBTRACT APPROXIMATELY 20% FROM THE RESULT TO GET YOUR ACTUAL KH READING!!!!!!!



For all brands of alkalinity kits.

 

[LFS_worker]

very interestin Im assuming that they are adding extra borate to start at a higher PH?? 8.4 - 8.5 ?

Thanks for the tip and the lookout

Brian

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7732877#post7732877 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kirstenk
Have you found or heard about this being an issue for a non Zeo Tank?

This really is not just a Zeo issue...it is being discussed more intensely on thier boards because most Zeovit users run NSW levels of alk (7-8dkh). This only becomes an issue when you run low levels of alk. It really doesnt have anything directly to do with Zeovit at all.

For all brands of alkalinity kits.

Sorry Habib, I didnt mean to give the impression that only Salifert test kits would result in this, but I didnt want to name any others in peticular that I didnt know for sure. I think the majority of users use the Salifert kit so that is why I made it a point to name it.

very interestin Im assuming that they are adding extra borate to start at a higher PH?? 8.4 - 8.5 ?

Yes, the borate is for buffering and helps keep your PH higher than it would normally.

 

[Ti]

It's been a good salt so far, my PH has been more stable

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7735886#post7735886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ti
It's been a good salt so far, my PH has been more stable

Personally, even with this issue, and the fact that I wound up getting one of thier bad batches that slipped through, I still have had good success. I dont keep my alk quite as low as some others though which may be why I havent run into problems. But it does mean that my alk was a heck of alot lower than I thought. My Alk has dipped below 6.0 which is certainly too low. Now I have to get my tested alk up to 9.5ish to get the level that I really want. Im hoping to see an increase in growth as well. Perhaps the super low alk that I have been running has been a cause of the slowed growth that I have experienced lately.

 

[PUGroyale]

So is this true for all SeaChem salt going forward or just the bad batches?

If it is, then I think SeaChem should include some type of warning/labels on their salt.

 

[F35-Joint Strike Fighter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7736727#post7736727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
So is this true for all SeaChem salt going forward or just the bad batches?

If it is, then I think SeaChem should include some type of warning/labels on their salt.

it is bad batch, they said they already corrected. Heck, just check your water before it touch yoir tank.

 

[PUGroyale]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7736755#post7736755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by F18-Hornet
it is bad batch, they said they already corrected.

What's with all these alarmist threads then

BTW I use IO

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7737372#post7737372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
What's with all these alarmist threads then

BTW I use IO

It just happens

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7737372#post7737372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
What's with all these alarmist threads then

BTW I use IO

Where in my initial post did I mention it was related to a bad batch??? I didnt...thats because its NOT related.

GUYS THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BAD BATCHES!!!!!!!!!!

ALL OF SEACHEM SALT IS LIKE THIS, EVEN THE GOOD BATCHES.

The fact that the Alk appears higher than it really is a result of them having 3x the normal amount of borate in the mix. Because the borate is measured along with the total alk by your test kit, your seeing an artificially high alk reading.

Yes I agree, the salt should come with a warning or a statment to that effect.

 

[seachem]

Before everyone goes into full on panic have a look at the thread

http://zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6849&page=14

Here it discusses much about the issue of alk and about the amount of borate in Reef Salt. On the last page I give a basis by which one might calculate accurately carbonate alk using any standard total alk kit while using Reef Salt. You'll find the amount of impact light by most standards but from what the Zeoguys say the Zeovit system is very sensitive to alk variations. Anyhow, have a look and it'll resolve any questions you might have. If you have any concerns you're welcome to contact us in our forum here on RC.

 

[Ti]

I'm a avid user of Seachem products.
I don't doubt the seachem salt.

 

[PUGroyale]

I use a lot of SeaChem Products as well and have always been very satisfied... never have seen the salt at the LFS or I might have tried it.

If you have followed the Zeovit system for several years as I have, it seems RTN/STN events have always been part and parcel to using the system. First it was thought to be the original ZeoStart, so they reformulated it... then they decided a little too much flow through the reactor would cause TN so they recommended considerably less flow. IIRC there were issues with the ZeoSpur also. This shouldn't be contoversial... most Zeoheads take pride in the fact they were essentially beta testers for this new product system and understood the risks involved.

The entire system is predicated on following very specific husbandry practices and variating from them diminishes the results you might hope to achieve and can also put your corals at risk.

"I had been lazy and had not been doing my weekly water changes." ... gqjeff

The thing about Jeff's tank is he added the Bubble King skimmer which started skimming his tank like crazy, reducing nutrients even further (which from what I gather drops the alk some because of lower phosphates). My theory is he was already pushing the envelope on low Kh before this running a 7.0ish levels of alk. The BK may have pushed this over the limit. ... Horace


Anyway, the point is I think SeaChem is getting a bad rap for what is far more likely a Zeovit/reefer related failure IMHO.

 

[Horace]

This thread was not meant to bash Seachem....HOWEVER, it is in my opinion that when running the Seachem salt, at typical NSW levels poses a risk to your corals. With the amount of money people have invested into their corals they have the right to know that their Alk is probably a good 1 full dkh point low or more. When your running 7.0 dkh your actual dkh is less than 6.0dkh....that is DANGERIOUS. At 7.0 you do not have to worry about TN resulting from low alk, at less than 6.0 you do. So tell me how this is not a valid concern????

Again, there is nothing wrong with the salt so long as you are aware of the borate effect on Alkalinity and account for it.

For the record I USE SEACHEM REEF SALT, and I INTEND ON CONTINUING TO USE IT. However, I do intend on raising my total alk up to about 9.5 dkh now, which is much higher than I would normally run it.

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7747503#post7747503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
Anyway, the point is I think SeaChem is getting a bad rap for what is far more likely a Zeovit/reefer related failure IMHO.

So you dont think that him running 7.0 dkh when his actual alk was about 5.6 had anything to do with his TN event??? Although there may have been some contributing factors like I mentioned, the super low Alk is a VERY strong suspect and at minimum only made matters worse. If you dissagree, how about you volunteer to run your tank at 5.6 dkh for the next couple of months and please post your results. I suspect you wouldnt dream of it.....

 

[PUGroyale]

In light of the number of possible contributing factors in Jeffs tanks demise, I just find blaming the salt.... unfair and a little too convenient And no... I would not like to run my tank at 5.6 dkh :eek1: thank you very much Why? For the same reason I stay on top of my water changes...

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7748696#post7748696 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
In light of the number of possible contributing factors in Jeffs tanks demise, I just find blaming the salt.... unfair and a little too convenient And no... I would not like to run my tank at 5.6 dkh :eek1: thank you very much Why? For the same reason I stay on top of my water changes...

Why do I ask you if you will run 5.6??? Because you are standing here effectively blaming Jeff for a lack of husbandry, and fail to see how serious the issue at hand is. So I challenge you to run your tank at the level he was (unbeknownst to him). If Seachem would have told everyone upfront about this factor, he sure as hell would not have run his tank at 7.0dkh total....He would have been more like 9.0 or 9.5 to keep at NSW levels.

Again this is not a bash session on Seachem, this is just a warning, weather it caused Jeff's tank demise or not is not the issue here. The simple fact is it COULD have been the cause of his and many other people's tanks.

I just have one question for you....would you be happy if you found out that the IO salt (or whatever salt you use) actually has a much lower carbonate alk than your test kit reads?? Im sure you would be none to pleased to find out that you have been mistakenly running your tank a 5.6 dkh regardless if it caused a TN event or not.......