Switching From Instant Ocean to Reef Crystals

mluntz

New member
I want to start adding some corals and was thinking of switching to Reef Crystals. Can this be done gradually with regular water changes? What are the main benefits to this and what would you guys recommend as far as a reef mix?
 
i dont recommend it. everyones tank is different in terms of elements that are depleted but for my tank it is just a waste of money. ive tried a couple different salts, kent, oceanic, reef crystals, and IO. i do a 10% water change once a week and haven't notice any betterment from any one salt mix. i just look for the deals on the 200g boxes of IO now and save time and money.
i was using a reef mix for a while and then my Mg got over 1500 and killed my pulsing xenia. i dont know if you can attribute this to the mix since it says 1450ish or something i believe. i stopped using it after that and now have had new pulsing xenia colony for about 4 months.
 
I was running fish only tank before and was using IO and then i placed a couple of corals and moved to reef crystals and it's been okay for me. i switched to tropical marine and it started to give me some issues but i think reef crystals is good as long as you are doing 10% water change weekly it shouldn't matter too much.
 
I use Reef Crystals and have used IO before and I do see a significant difference, atleast in Calcium. However, I do a 17% water change weekly and have a crocea clam and birdsnest in a 28g Nano tank along with other LPS corals as well. What I saw was that IO would keep a consistent Calcium of 380-400 while my Reef Crystals keeps it at 440-460. ALK was around 8 with IO and with RC seems to be around the same but I use buffer every other day to keep it at 10 dkh consistently. I never tested MAG with IO but with RC it is at 1440-1460 consistently.

Good Luck
 
I think IO is fine for a reef tank. I got a screaming deal on a couple of 200 gal boxes (less than 1/2 the price of Reef Crystals), and haven't noticed any difference. I think as long as you are dosing 2-part, or supplementing in some way, IO will be good.
 
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