sps tanks salt choice
- Thread starter rogergolf66
- Start date
For me I kept my pumps on, I would mix 20 gallons at at time and use 5 gallons a week. But I stopped making saltwater in advance, suprisingly ALK and CA would drop a lot in a week so I was having to test, raise the levels, and retest before use. Just became to much of a task and I found it easier to just mix what I need the day before I do a water change.
rogergolf66
im an addict lol
I keep pumps on takes about 3 weeks to a month to use up the water.
Yariel0527
New member
reef crystals........
MikeTR
New member
Me too, switched from Tropic Marin bioactif..and at $99/bucket it wasn't doing anything special for the tank. Just tested RC batch yesterday.. alk 11, calc 420, mag 1300, phos 0.00
Alex T.
Active member
Atlantic City, New Jersey my friend. Some people on the chemistry forum a few years ago (one of which does work with NOAA) advised me that the waters coming into the Absecon Inlet (that's the area between Atlantic City and Brigantine) have very clean, consistent water. I should have known it was good because that's where all the great fish are caught around here. Until a few summers ago, the long standing world record Striper (84 pounds) was caught off the same jetty that I collect my water from. It's consistently produced many 50+ pounders since then.
Since it's very windy and cold in the winter, I don't do as many nsw changes. I believe I used half a bucket of regular Red Sea Salt mix during the winter months because that's what I cycled the tank with. I don't carbon dose, but the parameters are somewhat "low" by hobbyist standards. I just keep the parameters as follows:
Calcium: 400-410
Alk: 7-8 dKH
Mg: 1150-1200
I will say that after a water change with nsw my corals extend their polyps for about an hour, whereas with artificial salt mix I don't see a difference at all. My anthias also appear to be chasing things in the water for a half hour or so. Maybe there's live plankton in the water. I don't know. I've also noticed very little salt creep deposits. Maybe with no added buffers and other chemicals there's not much to precipitate.
I collect it at the end of the jetty in a rubber wheeled dolly holding a 30 gallon food grade container. Luckily the jetty is paved on top with a nice flat surface to walk all the way out to the end. At high tide I throw a 5 gallon bucket into the water and fill the container. Then I wheel it back to my pickup truck and use a winch to hoist it into the bed and secure it for the drive home. Then I throw a pump into the container and pump it into its' heating container where I do a water change the next morning. Since I work in Atlantic City it's really not much effort, and gives me the chance to meet some interesting people and enjoy some solitude near the ocean. You have to stop and smell the roses sometimes.
Regardless, many others do it. I use to worry that it wasn't safe to use, but I'm way over that since seeing Paul B's longterm success. Unless I hear of an oil spill, I'll use it until a city official tells me I can't.
bowfront
10 & Over Club
Natural seawater here. It most closely mimics the real thing.
Have to agree. Over the years I've used all kinds of salts but my best experiences with SPS where with natural sea water. Definitely a pain to collect and haul but worth it if you have a good clean source.
dustinc
Active member
Yes they make Reef Crystals, but they also make a salt mix that's just Instant Ocean. The RC has higher levels of Alk, Cal, and Mag for a reef tank.
JPMagyar
New member
So, it's pure anecdote and basically meaningless, but I switched from ESV to IO and my old favorite, Coralife for 2 months and I have had nothing but massive outbreaks of cyano. I changed water in my tank and my daughter's tank which are two separate systems and both experienced the same problem. I then changed back to ESV and all is back to happy, clear, and clean.
Did the change in salt cause the cyano? I have no idea. Even if it did contribute to the cyano, the question is why? Excess iron? Phosphate? Or just coincidence?
Really, I don't know, but it was interesting none the less
Did the change in salt cause the cyano? I have no idea. Even if it did contribute to the cyano, the question is why? Excess iron? Phosphate? Or just coincidence?
Really, I don't know, but it was interesting none the less
MammothReefer
Active member
So, it's pure anecdote and basically meaningless, but I switched from ESV to IO and my old favorite, Coralife for 2 months and I have had nothing but massive outbreaks of cyano. I changed water in my tank and my daughter's tank which are two separate systems and both experienced the same problem. I then changed back to ESV and all is back to happy, clear, and clean.
Did the change in salt cause the cyano? I have no idea. Even if it did contribute to the cyano, the question is why? Excess iron? Phosphate? Or just coincidence?
Really, I don't know, but it was interesting none the less
I find once a year I get a cyano outbreak for a couple months then it just goes away. I can't pin point it to anything different in my routine and phosphates always remain undetectable. (I use IO exclusively)
JPMagyar
New member
I totally have the same experience, but the coincidence of time and 2 tanks in my house was too much to ignore.
On a separate note, I ran out of salt and didn't order online in time so I ended up mixing up 400 gallons of Kent Marine salt today for a water change. (I vacuumed the sump and cleaned the rocks.) The bag says it mixes 1.023 with 450 ppt Ca and 10 dKH and that is exactly what I got, but 1.023 equates to a salinity of 31 ppt which to me is very low. I personally will never, ever buy this salt again even in a "pinch".
