preferred salt for sps keepers.

[drives300]

If your going to keep SpS your going to need more calcium than what the salt mixes to anyway. If your salt mixes to a 450 calcium that can get sucked up rather quickly.

 

[getwood65]

i like the alk levels in tmp-i find my reactor drives my alk levels up to maintain my calcium levels(maybe i should try a different reactor media)-i prefer my tank at 8.5-9dkh than 11dkh.

 

[conorwynne]

Hey lads,

I think this article tells you all you need to know about salt :
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

I read it last night and found it very informative.

Incidentally, I have just changed from IO to reefcrystals, just because my LFS use it in their tanks, and they are all fabulous.

They recommend using IO for fish only, but to be honest, I just preferred the look of the bucket ;-0

Regards
Conor.

 

[gcarroll]

Kind of funny how we all look for salt that emulates NSW. Here in CA where we have the choice of using NSW, many people shy away and choose to mix there own.

 

[flyingphish]

yeah i dont understand why more people dont just use nsw. petco sells it in boxes if you want it...little expensive but worth it considering all the time it takes mixing 5 kinds of salt to get some kind of magic formula...

i buy it in bulk for .99 cents a gallon from atlantis aquarium. take my pick up, fill up 6 or 7 of those 5 gallon h20 containers, bring em home and store them. good for months. the petco nsw (catalina water) is good for over a year.

sooo easy to do changes, just heat and pour. i do 5 gallons a week (55g tank). thats 6-7 weeks of changes sitting in my closet. syphon out one 5 gallon bucket of debris and other crap. pour in new water from container...i use one of those digital heaters with readout, stick the heating probe right in the container, voila...plug and play.

i get good results using nsw. i think you can get just as good using mix too. i used to use reefcrystals and marinemix. marinemix = uber salt mix.

 

[Serioussnaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9734407#post9734407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Snaps, why do you have an issue with needing to adjust Ca on IO, but have no problem adjusting Alk with TM?

They both take the same amount of time.

IO has an alkalinity of 10.4-11. I will say it is consistent in its params, but I dont want an ALK of 10.4-11. I prefer my ALK to be 8-9 and with weeky WC;s IO isnt the convenient salt for doing so. You can adjust alkalinity upward easily but you cant adjust it downward!

 

[Serioussnaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9734467#post9734467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi
If you need to up the Alk with TM Pro then Use regular TM it mixes higher in ALk thats about the only significant difference between the two.

Oh word? Whats the ALK on the TM regular? CA/MG on it while your at it?

There is an issue with TM salts having phosphates according to many people. Not me though, besides I am a heavy GFO user, phosphates run from my system like its the plague.

 

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9766529#post9766529 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyingphish
yeah i dont understand why more people dont just use nsw. petco sells it in boxes if you want it

Ah, but we have neither available in the upper midwest.

I can pay someone to ship me salt, if the LFS is too expensive ... but shipping water gets expensive!

[consider yourself lucky to have the choice ]

 

[RobsReefs]

I used nsw for 3 weeks until I started a thread about nsw vs. ro-di with synthetic salt. It was a long time ago and all I remember is that I was turned off about the idea of getting nsw from my lfs. I like to have control of what I put into my tank. I use oceanpure in my tank. Good Ca & Alk #’s :thumbsup:

 

[Serioussnaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9777324#post9777324 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobsReefs
I used nsw for 3 weeks until I started a thread about nsw vs. ro-di with synthetic salt. It was a long time ago and all I remember is that I was turned off about the idea of getting nsw from my lfs. I like to have control of what I put into my tank. I use oceanpure in my tank. Good Ca & Alk #’s :thumbsup:

Whats good numbers?

 

[flyingphish]

50 miles from madison...grab a little steak, pick up some water...

http://www.petco.com/Content/Locator/Details.aspx?storeid=881&city=madison&state=WI&zip=&Nav=2

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=6012&Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=sea+water&sku=910058&familyID=11884&



and its on sale till the 27th!

 

[MiddletonMark]

Wow, resouceful

 

[wentreefgirl]

Reef crystals. All the way.