Salt

[akitareefer]

I was reading some prop forums and found some pretty interesting info on salt. Some people switch salt brands regularly to prevent build up of certain heavy metals. Anyone in upstate practice this?

article:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1

 

[cardiffgiant]

That is pretty interesting, but how would switching brands prevent the buildup? Let's say Reef Crystals contains 10ppb of titanium and Oceanic contains 10ppb of copper. If I take a tank filled with RC and do a 50% water change with Oceanic I'd have a tank with 5ppb of titanium and 5ppm of copper, but if I keep using RC I should continue to have 10ppm titanium and no copper.

I've never switched salts, but I have heard a couple of horror stories of tank crashes shortly after switching brands. What have others experienced? Is it risky to switch salts?

 

[Hiltonc57]

I've heard of tank crashes, and that's all I have ever been told. I stick with Reef Crystals

 

[akitareefer]

Yeah I've only every heard of people picking a salt and sticking with it. I found all this info on:
http://www.reefcentral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1215102&pp=25&page=15

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

akita- I don't agree with conclusions in that first link. Based on my personal experience (and those of other very seasoned reefkeepers) Bio-Sea MarineMix and Crystal Sea Bio-Assay should be avoided in a reef aquarium. These mixes have caused big problems with SPS (do a search) and have caused problems in my own aquarium. (I can't say that about any other salt mix I've tried.) Additionally, I've not had the best results in reef aquaria when constantly switching blends (brands) of salt mixes.

 

[tmz]

That article in post #1 is 7 years old. Many have problems with the conclusions and particularly the Bio Sea and and Bio Assay mixes.
Too many ammines or something. Can't recall exactly.

Most tanks are high in metals relative to seawater concentrations because the closed aquarium accumulates them from salt mixes, foods and supplements. Fortunately 99% of them are bound to refractory organics and do no harm in that state.

FWIW, I've used the same salt mix since I started. It happens to be Coralife . I've never had a bad batch in a hundred buckets or so.

Consistency is helpful in my opinion whichever salt you choose.. Even if salt mixers have markedly different levels of metals, which I doubt ,switching may just introduce a higher level of one or the other or some other impuritiy that you animals are not accustomed to. Most metals are at such low concentrations they can't be measured; manufacturer's who claim otherwise are blowing marketing smoke.

I also prefer doing a series of small changes vs a large one for a better shot at stability in the tank.