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Whats the best salt W/ parameters

Skaters216

Skaters216

So I ask this question and I know it will get different opinions, BUT,,, I am using Reef Crystals now and since I switch to that from regular instant ocean I seem to be having a lot higher Alkalinity readings (9.75 - 10.5 )and a tough time getting it down and was thinking about switching to another brand, maybe Red Sea , I have a calcium reactor with an Aquarium plants Regulator and my Calcium has been around 440-465 for a couple of months now so I am good there. And my Magnesium is around 1150-1275. So I was wondering if anyone else has had better Parameters after they switched salts. Also I don't Dose anything and do 20% water changes every 2 weeks. Thanks
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
All preference. If you're going to be keeping LPS and SPS corals eventually you're probably going to have to begin dosing. Personally I use Red Sea Pro, a bit more expensive but it's high in elements so I don't have to dose Alk or Ca as much and never dose Mg.
I've varied once or twice but came back to RSP, probably as its what I started with and what I used while learning to control tank parameters, so I'm familiar with it.
Also, if you are going to get into stony corals, an alk of 9-10 isn't necessarily a bad thing as, in many circumstances, a higher alk and Ca can be beneficial to growth.
 
Skaters216

Skaters216

i ask this because i recently lost a pink birds nest colony as well as my green birds nest colony and nothing else in my tank was affected and my Alkalinity was around 10.75 and the only conclusion i came up with as well as others i have asked wash Alk burn? all my other parameters from top to bottom were all very good or within range. Since i switched to reef crystals ive been fighting getting my alkalinity down, its around 9.5 now and would like to keep it around 9 if possible. dont need to loose any more colonys.
 
njtiger24 aquariums

njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
I been using RC for over a year and my Alk never gotten above 9.9 (and I am trying to aim for 10) My normally sits around 7 or 8. Now I have a mix reef and I lost a pink birdnest and a green birdnest but nothing else as well. I got another pink birdnest from (@redfishbluefish ) from a meeting and its been doing fine. I am chopping my other two losses to me not adjusting my lights correctly when I added them to the tank. Now when ever I add a new coral I set my Kessil 360 in a 7 day acc mode (ramps up over 7 days) and I disable my two A150s for 7 days.
 
H

horseplay

NJRC Member
There is a thread on R2R that has the triton test result for most salts on the market. For an estabalishing reef most of the salt will work because whatever excess alk and calcium are quickly consumed by the growing corals. However for a new reef that does not have a lot of alk demand yet it is better to get a salt with parameters close to those of NSW (natural sea water). This means an ALK level around 7. It is very difficult to lower parameters. Much easier to get a salt that already mix to the levels you need.
 
Skaters216

Skaters216

So after a little trouble with my pocapora turning white but seeming to do better I am holding off on switching salts as I not want to change anything during a problem issue,,,, so I will wait until I run out of another box of Reef crystals...and see how it goes
 
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