IO vs. Reef Crystals

[Billybeau1]

I know what you mean Doc. I like reading all this great info until I start to see someone with an agenda... It's actually pretty easy to pick up on.

 

[Shooter7]

I will say using the IO as compared to when I used coralife my tank looks much better, corals look better, everything. I'm not sure if that's due to the Coralife having such high levels of lithium or not but I chose to change since I knew there was something so far out of range and whether it matters or not, I knew about it and I couldn't use it anymore.

I wonder if this would help me any to switch. I tend to run a high calcium and mag, but on the lower end of pH and alk with coralife. Wonder if switching to IO would bump my low values some and help me out in that dept? What do you think, doc?

 

[DrBDC]

Mag isn't really too much of an issue unless you get over 1500. The IO is low on ca but it's easy to fix. And it needs a little help on mag. Coralife tends to run close to 500 at 1.026. Sometimes I got a reading over 500. Provided it doesn't cause precipitation it's not too much problem and that is avoided with the higher mag. I think that's how oceanic gets away with being 600+ on ca. I read somewhere that people were getting high pH readings with fresh mixed IO but I never have tested that on the new mix. When I add it to my tank it seems to stay right at 8.2-8.3 w/o any up or down. I also don't get the ORP drop from the water changes that many claim happens. Many of these trace elements are probably irrelevant when comparing the salt mixes. And you will settle in with the mix you use. i.e. if one has high alk, you get used to the levels in your tank and how much you dose, and the reverse if it would have lower levels. I probably tend to be too much of a control freak on my numbers. If you do switch brands, do it while you have some of the type you currently use left and maybe do a 50/50 mix once or twice so you an watch to see if your tank get's pis#y at you. Maybe a coralife/IO mix would be good too since the coralife has higher ca and mag and the IO needs a little help in those two. Mix it and market it as ShooterSalt!

 

[Shooter7]

hmmm....I may just experiment with that, doc. I still have a whole bucket of coralife yet. A mix of the two would be interesting to check out the values on. Shootersalt, here I come....what should I include in my buckets since t-shirts and towels are already taken? Maybe a package of sea monkeys?