Salt Mix
- Thread starter bckane
- Start date
jeffbrig
Premium Member
Be careful with Oceanic. Not only is the alk low, the Ca is often TOO high at normal reefkeeping levels. From what I have understood, they make their mixture so that it's 400+ at 1.021. Since we run our reef closer to 1.026, you end up with 500+.
I use IO, not because I think it's the best salt available, but because it's universal, so you can get it anywhere. I've picked up buckets at Big Al's on special for $29 (stock up!), and I buy buckets at Petsmart for $32 by having them match their website price (print the page and take it with you). IMO, change is bad, so pick a salt you will have easy access to, and stick with it forever.
I use IO, not because I think it's the best salt available, but because it's universal, so you can get it anywhere. I've picked up buckets at Big Al's on special for $29 (stock up!), and I buy buckets at Petsmart for $32 by having them match their website price (print the page and take it with you). IMO, change is bad, so pick a salt you will have easy access to, and stick with it forever.
chrisaggie
Premium Member
I am an Instant Ocean boy.
bckane
Premium Member
I may switch to Instant Ocean...because it is available at most LFS for a fare price...Plus will have to keep a eye for Big Als sale.
It would be a good idea for members to post local sales, I know I posted the last time Beverlys has buy one get one free turbo snail not thats a 50% saving......
Brian
It would be a good idea for members to post local sales, I know I posted the last time Beverlys has buy one get one free turbo snail not thats a 50% saving......
Brian
IO, most trusted IMO. Its been used for so long and even with all those "reports" about IO being one of the worst is BS. It might be low in calc. and alk, but from my use and testing, it is perfectly fine. Right on the numbers... tested it yesterday.
Calc. = 450
Alk. = 4.5 meq/l or 12.6 dKH
A little on the high side, but thats how I like it.
Calc. = 450
Alk. = 4.5 meq/l or 12.6 dKH
A little on the high side, but thats how I like it.
Rogger Castells
New member
Eric you tested those numbers on a fresh batch of IO water? is that the regular IO or their reef version? those are pretty good numbers or pretty bad test kits, I have never seen those numbers on fresh mix IO.
chrisaggie
Premium Member
Interesting...those numbers look a little high for IO.
Rogger Castells
New member
Eric, don't test the water if you go out drinking! 
Abengochea
New member
werent they doing some sort of comparison at macna with the different salt mixes? Did they ever have a result to it?
Rogger Castells
New member
yeah, the results will be published in this months report which should be out any day now
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8283820#post8283820 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rogger Castells
Eric, don't test the water if you go out drinking!
hahaha, no more drinking like that after the last time. Maybe just a sip... or a bong... or w/e. lol
I am going to test the salt mix as soon as I get home.
Good news... bad news! Actually shocked too.
Calcium - 380ppm
Alk. - 1.26 meq/l or 3.5 dKH
pH - 8.1
Its not the calcium that concerns me a lot, but the alk is a staggering LOW 1.28 meq/l. Now you ask me if the kit is no consistant and I will say yes it is. I used the SeaChem ALK test twice. It came out to 1.5 drops which is the most exact you can get with that kit. I was so shocked I busted out the Salifert kit and used it... the results came out the same . The 1.26 meq/l or 3.5 dKH results are from the Salifert kit, otherwise I would have posted the 1.5 meq/l from the SeaChem kit.
As far as I know, my tank parameters are dead on... just where I like it (calc: 400-450 & alk 11-13 dKH). What I think keeps my tank inline is the Kalkwasser top off I am using. Plus 5 gallons per waterchange (weekly; about 40g total water) should not do much to parameters as long as I drip kalkwasser.
Anybody else want to test their salt water... preferably IO? I think I am going to get a magnesium kit as well, I would like to know how much I have compared to the IO mix. Maybe this can solve my problem with coraline algae and how it isn't growing as quick as I expected it.
Calcium - 380ppm
Alk. - 1.26 meq/l or 3.5 dKH
pH - 8.1
Its not the calcium that concerns me a lot, but the alk is a staggering LOW 1.28 meq/l. Now you ask me if the kit is no consistant and I will say yes it is. I used the SeaChem ALK test twice. It came out to 1.5 drops which is the most exact you can get with that kit. I was so shocked I busted out the Salifert kit and used it... the results came out the same . The 1.26 meq/l or 3.5 dKH results are from the Salifert kit, otherwise I would have posted the 1.5 meq/l from the SeaChem kit.
As far as I know, my tank parameters are dead on... just where I like it (calc: 400-450 & alk 11-13 dKH). What I think keeps my tank inline is the Kalkwasser top off I am using. Plus 5 gallons per waterchange (weekly; about 40g total water) should not do much to parameters as long as I drip kalkwasser.
Anybody else want to test their salt water... preferably IO? I think I am going to get a magnesium kit as well, I would like to know how much I have compared to the IO mix. Maybe this can solve my problem with coraline algae and how it isn't growing as quick as I expected it.
Similar threads
