Here We Go Again!

[GeeWizzItsMe]

Sounds good!!!

[Melanie]

Wow, it has gotten cold here fast. Just a week ago it was 90 and now it's in the 60s or 50s or something. Brrrrrrr.

I added 5 tsp. of Mg this morning and I'll have to test again tonight. One of the other girls made a good suggestion, I should test my fresh saltwater and treat IT and not the tank. I'm still contemplating going back to Tropic Marin Pro Reef because my Mg and Ca always stayed high. Maybe I could even try Tropic Marin.

What I SHOULD do is buy a small bag of all the common salt mixes and make a batch of each. Then do tests on them to see which one has what I want. Has anyone already done this? Do you have a link to the results?

[DrHank]

You could certainly go back to TMP if you like it. I don't think that I would mix salts but if I did, I'd keep track of the ratio so that I could mix them the same each time. I think that the stability of the environment can't be over emphasized. Glad that your Ca problem turned out to be micro bubbles.

Are you sure that you wish to continue as President of the Dork club? It was recently pointed out that "Dork" is slang for a male whale's genitalia. Just thought that you might want to know. Christopher could probably take over as President should you choose to resign the post.

[Melanie]

I haven't found a salt I really like. Everything I try has been lacking in some way.

Yeah, I'll keep on as Dork Club president even if also means whale penis. ;O)

[vdituri]

Nice pics Melanie! (as usual)

Sorry to hear about your shock. Lesson learned? lol

[AQTCJAK]

Melanie what salt are you using?

[GeeWizzItsMe]

Thanks for not considering my opinion in the whole whale dick thing... LOL! We should change the club name to the "whale genatilia club!"... Nah...

[Melanie]

Jack, I started my tank with Tropic Marin Pro Reef and it went well until my Ca kept climbing to well over 500. So I bought a few LPS and switched to Instant Ocean for my 10% weekly water changes. The Ca dropped every week until it was normal and then I switched to Reef Crystals for my 10% weekly water changes. Now everything is screwy. Low Mg and Low Ca.

I understand and agree with Dr. Hank that it's not good to use different salts all the time. My problem with that is, I don't like the salts I've used and I don't want to keep using them. I guess the one of the three I liked the best was Tropic Marin Pro Reef. But after googling I think I want to try Kent brand. If that doesn't work, I will just go back to Tropic Marin Pro Reef.

[DrHank]

Melanie, you're not going to find a salt that gives you a perfect balance. Also, each tank uses Ca and Mg at different rates. Generally speaking TMP is often preferred for higher Ca demanding tanks (or for those who don't want to supplement), IO is a good starter salt for reefs and is probably all you need in a FOWLR. Most folks who start with IO move to RC as their knowledge and reef grows.

If you want perfect balance, there is no such thing. You need to find the range you want and then supplement to get (and keep) it there. TMP will probably be your best choice if you want to keep supplementing to a minimum. I would recommend that you skip the Kent brand and go back to TMP. You were happy with it in the past except that you thought that you had a Ca falling out of solution. You'll be happier with it now that you know that there isn't a problem.

[AQTCJAK]

There a basically 2 types of salt in the industry Salt for FO & Reef salts there is quiet abit of controvesy over them in my own testing none of them really are 100% accurate if you have ever used anything else.

When I started the reef @ the shop I was given Seachems Reef Salt I used it from day one until I was out of it the tank is a 40 Gallon & then about 30 in the sump. I was not inpressed. The levels were never what they should have been.

I have used the RedSea product not the new Reef salt as well & the levels were about the same except the green algae growth.

I have not used TM on either side so I can not comment

Oceanic & Kent I wouldnt touch even for curing rock JMO

IO & Reef Crystals I have used both with great success levels really good except when accidents happen like happened in our 175

Swithc salts you have to remember that a 10% change is not going to effect you levels that much as far as raising the good levels. 20-25% will decrease the time to change the levels but it still takes time.

I guess what I cam saying is becarefule switch salts so often you could be creating a bigger headache for yourself than you want.

[BigAl07]

Mel I started with IO and it was good.. but then I started wanting a bit more and switched over to Reef Crystals and thus far am very pleased. My Calc is finally where I want it and I haven't had to dose hardly at all.

Just my short experience

[hma]

Hello Melanie,
I use now already for approximately 3 years Red Sea Coral Pro, Tropic Marine Pro Reef and Reef Crystals and I change the salt approx. each month. I change the salt monthly because with a lab test here in Germany it was found out almost all salts bigger differences in the composition showed. To compensate just these differences I change the salt and succeeds with it up to now. The values of my aquariums (5) are everything within the regular values. I measure merely strontium, iodine etc. there. Jack has already described the differences with 10 - 15% of water changes only very slowly become apparent what is only well for the animals. Now a "clever" person will ask " Why does he mix three salts not to one and does do then his water change? ". Now, because I would have to open then the original packaging. If one gets the packaging after do the mix not again absolutely airtight, the salt from the air pulls water and it comes to chemical reactions what would only damage to the quality. I could write certainly still even more in addition, but this are my experiences.

[Melanie]

Thanks for the feedback on the salts guys. I guess I'm just in the thinking stage right now.

Well, I had a wonderful day today thanks entirely to Lynn (lcstorc) and if you missed my thread about it, here it is Once...twice...three times a fraggie.

Here's a hint....



Here are two photos I took this evening of my new skunk cleaner shrimp and the clown who is so difficult to photograph.

[Craig Manoukian]

Mel, did you check out the infomation I sent you?

[GeeWizzItsMe]

Nice new pictures! My clowns are hard to photograph, too! They wiggle too fast!