Reef Crystals Vs. Instant ocean and additives

[kiran523]

I currently use IO salt and use Seachem's Reef Plus for added trace elements. I also supplement my food with Selcon.

Has anyone used a supplement that really intensified the color of your corals? I've been looking at Kent's Chromamax and Marc Weiss's Black Powder.

Your opinions are appreciated.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I've tried a number of things over the years, but the only thing that really made any difference for me was (and still is) a good water quality - a very low nutrient level. I quit using most additives long time ago.

Talking about a low nutrient level, Phosban/Phosar in my 120 makes a difference in keeping phosphate level undetectable despite my heavy handed feeding. Macroalgae in refugium keeps my corals in my 15 gallon tank look really nice. I believe feeding corals also makes a difference in their colors. Another thing that made a noticeable difference very quickly is vodka, but this can be a bit tricky thing to add.

Tomoko

 

[8BALL_99]

I use Reef Crystals and like it.. It seems to do a better job to me then IO. No real proof just things seem to look better after I started using it. so much so I even do monthly water changes now! lol As far as additives go.. I like ReefPlus.. I don't use it all the time or anything. But it does seem to perk up all my leathers and LPS corals.

I do also dose 2part and Kalk to keep my CA, Mg and my Alk inline..

Will

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I am using Reef Crystal right now and I like it, too. I was using Seachem's Reef Salt for almost a year. I made the switch to Reef Crystal recently after reading a preliminary report on the salt mix study that Eric Borneman and the reef club in Houston conducted together plus some comments I heard on Reef Crystal since then. Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley was not very fond of Seachem's Reef Salt due to its high borate content, which also contributed to a degree to my decision to switch .

I used IO for many years without any problem. Then I ended up with a bad batch and gave up on it. I switched to Seachem's Reef Salt and saw a dramatic improvement. I suspect any good salt would have brought on an improvement after the bad batch of salt. Right around the same time, John Newby alerted me about a low alk problem that he was having with IO (the same batch as mine.)

I heard a very low alk problem with Kent salt mix as well in the past. I suppose this kind of problem occurs with any salt occasionally. I understand that many salt mixes are actually produced by a company for various manufacturers/brand. The base mix of Seachem's reef salt is supposedly IO. I figure I ended up with just a bad batch. I now test my new salt water for alk just in case.

Tomoko

 

[kiran523]

I haven't had any problem with the IO myself. I just bought a six stage RO/DI system so that I can mix my own SW. I couldn't handle going to Aquarium Design every time I need to to a water change for my new 72 gallon.

I had a cyano problem and a small diatom bloom with the new tank so I got aggressive and kept my skimmer on 24hrs, ran some carbon as well as a packet of Seachem's Purigen, and I bought some cleaners online. ALL the algea in the tank was gone in under 5 days. All the fish and corals in the tank look very healthy.