oceanic salt "bad press"

[Saltz Creep]

Washing soda will raise your alk and pH.
Baking soda raise your alk and lower your pH.

Make washing soda from baking soda by baking baking soda for 1 hour in a toaster oven at 300F.

 

[skicaltech]

I just re-set my tank up after making extensive modifications and I used Oceanic Salt with RO/DI water. I just did a calcium test after the tank has been running four days with about 60lbs of LR only and a small piece of cocktail shrimp to start my cycle. Long story short, in using a Red Sea CA test kit, my readings were off the charts! I was not sure if I was reading the kit correctly but I want to say that the CA level is somewhere in the 950 range. (i tested my RO water to make sure I was seeing the color change correctly) Is this possible? My AK level tested just a tad low, 7dKH or 2.51 meq/L. I have also just purchased B-ionic 2 part buffer. I am going to add 19mL of the AK buffer and retest tomorrow and see if the AK has gone up.

I hope that I have not gotten in over my head with this new salt as I am fairly new to the hobby and have limited knowledge and experience with maintaing the proper chemistry levels in my tank.

 

[Saltz Creep]

I use the RedSea Ca test too and found it to be fairly accurate. When I was using Oceanic it never tested above 500. Your test kit may be bad or are you using it correctly?

4 drops of A. Shake.
5 drops of B. Shake.
then add 1 drop at a time of A shaking after each until color change.
Add the total drops of A (including the 4 from the beginning) and multiply by 50

 

[jharvey]

The readings I am getting now are way out of whack!

pH 8.2
dHk 18
Calcium > 520

I brought the pH up from 7.8 but now the Akl and Calcium are high.

 

[Jacob D]

I've been using Oceanic for about 8 months, since the tank was started. At first the CA levels were real nice, about 400-500 depending on how often I did water changes, but of course low alk (so I was dosing baking soda). Now I have to dose 2 part to keep the CA and ALK.

I don't see any reason to switch to/from; I think at some point everyone is going to need a calcium reactor (or dose 2 part) to keep up with their tank's demands. Find a salt you like and stick with it.

 

[skicaltech]

Once again, a newbie mistake. My Ca test kit is an Aquarium Systems Seatest kit. I am pretty sure that I am using it correctly. In my rubbermaid container that is holding all my livestock and LR the kit measured 500. I also tested my friends tank (he is color blind) and the test came out to 350. Maybe anything over a certain level will not change color.

Either way I am switching all my test kits to salifert. I hope all of their kits are as easy to use as the Ak kit.

Quick question though, with the high Ca level will I have a hard time maintaining equilibrium with all other levels? ie. Ak and pH? Or is this salt designed for the more advanced aquarist?

 

[Jacob D]

Check out the comments made about using baking soda (or washing soda) to maintain alk at the proper level. I was able to do this for a while and the ph always remained 8.2-8.3.

 

[Snail$Pace]

I used Oceanic for about 3 months and could not keep the ALK up with a SG of 1.026 so I switched back to IO. I read a post on another site explaining why Oceanic could not be used with a SG over 1.023 or else the ALK crashed. Does RHF have any testing done on Oceanic and SG levels and ALK?

 

[mummra100769]

snail:do you have a link to check out?

 

[skicaltech]

Thanks for all the info, I will definetley look into the washing soda. Has to be cheaper than B-Ionic.

 

[Jacob D]

Yep. I'm just sick of having to dose stuff... soon to have a Ca. reactor.

 

[Saltz Creep]

Thanks for all the info, I will definetley look into the washing soda. Has to be cheaper than B-Ionic.

 

[skicaltech]

Thanks Saltz Creep, " a picture is worth a thousand words"

I guess I should have done more research on the buffering aspect of my tank befor I went and spent money on B-Ionic. Oh well, the cost of learning!

 

[melev]

I used B-Ionic for over 3 years with great success. Don't feel badly about the purchase, as it contains more than just pH, Alk & Ca buffers. It also has various elements our reefs need, according to ESV's representative that I spoke with.

 

[skicaltech]

Thanks for the heads up Mark, I did have another questions that may not pertain to this thread, but you said that the B-Ionic contains other essential minerals that the reef needs. Is there a need to supplement a so called "all-in-one" or is there enough trace elements and other minerals in the Oceanic salt that as long as I do frequent water changes I should not have to add any other supplements other than Ca, Ak, and pH buffer? I would like to get a general consensus from other reefers as to what they use.

I ask this because when I started my reef I felt that I needed every kind of "booster" or LSB starter and I really think that in hindsight it contributed more to phosphate and nitrate increases.

Once again, thank you for entertaining a newbie! It seems that every question I find an answer to, it raises hundreds more!

 

[melev]

I don't add anything else to my tank. I focus on Alk, pH, and CA as my main focus, other than salinity and temp. PO4 and Nitrates are tested, and kept as low as possible.

Whatever my tank gets in trace elements is via the salt or food. The adage "if you can't test for it, don't add it" stands, ime.

 

[senorpyro]

it seems like the only people even mentioning the algae problems are those that have switched from IO...

i've used oceanic from day one on both tanks, and have absolutely no algae... in the 10 i have a lone turbo and a few stomatella's, so it's not like i've got an uber clean up crew taking care of it for me.

has anybody that's used only oceanic had any problems with algae?

 

[Jacob D]

I have major algae problems with some nasty bushy macro. I know of other contributing factors though, the salt is the last thing I'd blame.

 

[marinenewby]

those with algae outbreaks,,, id like to see or hear about the age of the bulbs....

 

[skicaltech]

Whatever my tank gets in trace elements is via the salt or food. The adage "if you can't test for it, don't add it" stands, ime.

Thanks for the info. This is certainly a quote I can live with. Reminds of my time in the Navy: KISS (keep it simple stupid)