25 replies to this topic

[islandcreation]

So I started using a new salt (red Sea coral pro salt) can you say shoot me NOW! I was always a IO fan and just added whatever was needed to get to the parameters I was shooting for. I wasnt paying attention to the salts specs and saw my Alk in my tank at low 9's so I was fine with that. Did a 40 gallon water change and saw my alk jump to 10. Keep in mind no dosing since the volume of water and how small the corals are wasnt siginificant to dose. I started to see monti/birdsnest/digitat's looking like A$$ the last 24-36 hours. I take total blame for not looking at the red sea salts specs. At 1.025 salinity, PH 8.2-8.4, good, CA 455-475 okay rather stay at 425-450, MG 1360-1420 awesome, ALK 12.3-12.7 WTF? I have never ever had alk that high and generally set at 9. I want to go to 7-8 no higher than 8 once I fine tune this tank.

Does anyone here keep their tank at 12 alk?

What salt combo or salt are you guys using? I'm going back to IO!

Again, I take total blame for not paying attention to the salts specs. Just a bone head move along with wanting to even go with this brand.

[diablo corals]

Their alk is high.... i sell a ton of aquavitro salinity n the seachem reef salt

[Mavjoy]

I try to keep mine around 9-10, but having a high or low alk is fine, as long it's stable and no big fluctuations in short period of time.

[Smiley]

ive been sticking with microbe-lift.. havent had a single problem with it, and i can use it right away with no cloudiness.

[islandcreation]

Their alk is high.... i sell a ton of aquavitro salinity n the seachem reef salt

What do you use as far as the store? And what do you keep your Alk at? Heard of seachem but not the aquavitro. Just trying to find a consistent salt with a lower alk. Thanks for the input.

[islandcreation]

I try to keep mine around 9-10, but having a high or low alk is fine, as long it's stable and no big fluctuations in short period of time.

Yeah I understand being stable with no sudden swing in alk. But I don't see tank of the months running at 12 alk? If thats what the salts specs are at when doing a water change I'd assume more tanks would be higher in regards to alk. Unless their calcium is low and additives need to be added to be at 450 allowing alk to lower. I just looked at some of the tank of the months on RC and out of 5 I saw 3 having 7-8, 1 having 8-9 and one with a 10 alk.

[diablo corals]

We use seawater in house n dose 3 part when needed

Alk-8-9
Cal-450-460
Mg-1400-1450
Salinity-.024-.026

Edited by diablo corals, 15 April 2012 - 08:29 PM.

[islandcreation]

ive been sticking with microbe-lift.. havent had a single problem with it, and i can use it right away with no cloudiness.

What has your Alk been with microbe-lift? How long have you been using it? I know only another person using this salt and swears by it. Only reason I ask cause usually when its a great salt alot of individuals are on it along with everything else in life. Let me know. Thanks

[islandcreation]

We use seawater in house n dose 3 part when needed

Alk-8-9
Cal-450-460
Mg-1400-1450
Salinity-.024-.026

When you say sea water are you referring to scripps or catalina?

[Mavjoy]

ive been sticking with microbe-lift.. havent had a single problem with it, and i can use it right away with no cloudiness.

+1 with microbe-lift, mixes crystal clear and fast.

[Smitty]

I myself use the E.S.V. B-Ionic Seawater system. The parameters are always
Alk 9.5
Calc 440-460
Mag 1400

What I like about it, is it can be used as fast as you can mix it.
I had been fine tuning my dosing unit and had let my Alk creep up to that 11.5 range. I have only noticed an explosion of growth in my sps. I have backed down the dose though as obviously my tank wasn't consuming the amount being dosed.

[Smiley]

What has your Alk been with microbe-lift? How long have you been using it? I know only another person using this salt and swears by it. Only reason I ask cause usually when its a great salt alot of individuals are on it along with everything else in life. Let me know. Thanks

ive been using it for almost a year, i also dose 2 part.. alk stays 10.5, calc is 500, and mag is 1500. i do 25-30% wc once a week or so.. if i go more than 2 weeks my phosphates go up too high.

[islandcreation]

I myself use the E.S.V. B-Ionic Seawater system. The parameters are always
Alk 9.5
Calc 440-460
Mag 1400

What I like about it, is it can be used as fast as you can mix it.
I had been fine tuning my dosing unit and had let my Alk creep up to that 11.5 range. I have only noticed an explosion of growth in my sps. I have backed down the dose though as obviously my tank wasn't consuming the amount being dosed.

Yeah, I noticed higher ALK have greater growth but there has to be a reason why you don't see ranges of 10.5-12 in these tank of the months (a majority).

[islandcreation]

ive been using it for almost a year, i also dose 2 part.. alk stays 10.5, calc is 500, and mag is 1500. i do 25-30% wc once a week or so.. if i go more than 2 weeks my phosphates go up too high.

I see it says 8.12 when converted to DKH which I'm happy about. So are you adding to your alk to be at a 10.5? I'm very happy with the rest of the parameters.

http://reefbuilders.com/files/2010/07/microbe-lift-reef-salt-parameters.jpg

I'm just scared of consistancy next, due to hearing about bad batches with other salt brands. Thanks for the lead. I'm gonna do more research. Where do you buy this salt at?

[Smiley]

I get mine at Neptunes. I dose to keep alk at 10.5.

[Will @ SR]

Aquavitro is seachem's "higher end" brand
You can only get it in stores, it is not technically able to be sold online.

Thats what I use at SR
I also sell it pre mixed by the gallon for 1.00.

[islandcreation]

Aquavitro is seachem's "higher end" brand
You can only get it in stores, it is not technically able to be sold online.

Thats what I use at SR
I also sell it pre mixed by the gallon for 1.00.

You can buy it online. Just looked it up. And it's weird cause it gives ranges for their parameter. Like for alk it's 8.9-10.6, never seen a range given. I guess it covers their butt if their batch is off?

[bookfish]

I'd be willing to bet that all salt Mfg.'s have a range of values on their salt batches, Seachem is just being honest about it.

[Roc]

I use Salinity by aquavirto, I always get the same peramiters when useing it, it mixes fast, been very happy.

[Hendogg0]

I'm with you Roc I've been using salinity and it's been very stable. I like it enough that I bought two large buckets for use when my current one runs out.