Oceanic Salt & SPS
- Thread starter Greg 45
- Start date
Kip
New member
using RO/DI.... aerating it before mixing.... then mixing with a high flow pump or some other turbulent agitation... then let aerating more before testing/use?
other than that... i used oceanic for a while... Ca and Mag started getting high... was no problem... then all of a sudden i started getting crazy high readings. I couldnt find much consistency b/w batches so i quit using it after about a year of being happy with it.
other than that... i used oceanic for a while... Ca and Mag started getting high... was no problem... then all of a sudden i started getting crazy high readings. I couldnt find much consistency b/w batches so i quit using it after about a year of being happy with it.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Greg, testing the pH of freshly mixed salt water doesnt tell you much. Could be a coincidence that its been hot there lately and if you've got the house closed up and the air on, CO2 is building up in the house which will definitley suppress pH.
8.0 isnt bad under these circumstances. More fresh air or limewater can get it back up but I would not worry unless it got below 7.8
FWIW - I just tested a batch of Oceanic and at 1.0265 it was 580 calcium - 8.5 alkalinity - and a whopping 1650 magnesium.
8.0 isnt bad under these circumstances. More fresh air or limewater can get it back up but I would not worry unless it got below 7.8
FWIW - I just tested a batch of Oceanic and at 1.0265 it was 580 calcium - 8.5 alkalinity - and a whopping 1650 magnesium.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Yes I knew about the calcium, but the mag floored me.
Reef Crystals at 1.026 - 420 cal, 12 dkh, 1260 mag.
Much better IMO.
Reef Crystals at 1.026 - 420 cal, 12 dkh, 1260 mag.
Much better IMO.
janderson8
Moved On
I used Oceanic for a year dkh would neve get about 4-5 and the Calc was at areounf 680 PH stayed at 7.8 sence the switch to IO I have a dkh of 8 Calk of 400 and PH of 8.2
Good luck with the oceanic but it was nothing but trouble for me.
Good luck with the oceanic but it was nothing but trouble for me.
MiddletonMark
Premium Member
Check the Alkalinity on your newly mixed water.
Often, when I used Oceanic a few years ago, I found it to be in around 6 dKh ... a possible reason for low pH issues I had in the tank.
Seachem is known for having elevated Borate levels, which is commonly used in artificial salt mixes to cause higher pH. Thus I would expect most salts to test lower, as they tend nearer to NSW Borate levels than Seachem.
Personally, low dKh and such issues got me back to other salts. Given CaCl is about $20 for a 50# bag [Dowflake and the like] ... I don't see the reason to use a salt for Calcium content. Other components [Mag, Alk] and mixing the same bucket to bucket to bucket are what I've paid more attention to.
JMO.
Often, when I used Oceanic a few years ago, I found it to be in around 6 dKh ... a possible reason for low pH issues I had in the tank.
Seachem is known for having elevated Borate levels, which is commonly used in artificial salt mixes to cause higher pH. Thus I would expect most salts to test lower, as they tend nearer to NSW Borate levels than Seachem.
Personally, low dKh and such issues got me back to other salts. Given CaCl is about $20 for a 50# bag [Dowflake and the like] ... I don't see the reason to use a salt for Calcium content. Other components [Mag, Alk] and mixing the same bucket to bucket to bucket are what I've paid more attention to.
JMO.
thebicyclecafe
New member
The alkalinity is way too low to use it straight up, in my experience. You either have to premix it and adjust the alkalinity or mix it with IO like some others do. I've had troubles in the past when I neglected to test it. I've sinced switched back to IO and am problem free, every single batch.
REEF-DADDY
New member
What brand have you settled on?
impur
New member
I have use strictly oceanic for 2 years. Every batch of NSW i've made up tested perfect, 420ppm calcium, 7-8dKH alk, pH 8.2. I love this salt. Not a single problem ever.
At one point i decided to pickup some IO since it was on sale. I mixed it up to 1.025 SG and got a reading of 300ppm calcium and 2dKH. I threw the rest away.
I think every single salt out there has its ups and downs. Look at all the ppl that use IO and have great results. It would cost me a bunch to buffer that salt to decent readings. Now i see why it was on sale.
At one point i decided to pickup some IO since it was on sale. I mixed it up to 1.025 SG and got a reading of 300ppm calcium and 2dKH. I threw the rest away.
I think every single salt out there has its ups and downs. Look at all the ppl that use IO and have great results. It would cost me a bunch to buffer that salt to decent readings. Now i see why it was on sale.
jmkins
New member
I'm right with you. Besides the alk levels there isn't much that is unknown. Those can be compensated for with no problem, and the cost of adjusting is cheap.
I used IO for about a year with good results. When Oceanic came out I switched, and a couple months later moved on from a zoa dominated tank to more SPS. I haven't had any problems with either salt.
It seems that no matter what salt you are going to use the important thing is to learn your tank. I know what my wc salt components are and compensate. I also know what my tank requires each day, week, or month, if my wc's are on schedule.
MiddletonMark
Premium Member
I've been happy with how RC has tested out the last few years for me, and the results.
As I don't run a reactor, having higher Alk levels [10-11 dKh] seems to do a better job in my tank of keeping things stable than having to heavily dose Alk to keep up [like with Oceanic, where I seemed to test Alk below 7 every 6 weeks despite how much I'd pour in]. For me, pouring 80 ml of DIY CaCl to boost Ca from 380 to 425 is simpler than trying to balance Alk to 8 with Ca at 500 or above ... and if chemistry gets off, I've never noticed a difference between Ca of 450 and 375 - where when Alk got below 7, IME I saw problems.
I dunno if there is any `perfect' salt from my experience [IO, TM Pro, TM, RC, Oceanic] - I just found one that seems to work well for me.
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