Changing salt mix

[Scooterman]

I think that makes since to me, I'll have to go that route next time, I guess I was in the habit of testing so much before adding the new batch of salt water that I could of just adjusted a day later after the wc is done.

 

[mattseattle]

oh i know and i hope you didn't take my comments as saying Oceanic is the only salt either. I am mainly curious as to what type of issues you were having in case I am having them and don't see them or they may arise in the future.

I just did my weekly water tests and my Mg level was 1470. The weird thing though is on the Salifert test kit is says NSW is from 1300 - 1500.

I am running my reactor with an effluent alk of 30. My alk has been stable at 10.9 and Calcium is at 440 so luckily I am balanced right now.

Are you using ARM media or some other type of media?

It just always boggles my mind that 2 systems can be so different. I always thought chemistry was an exact science but with Aquariums that seems to be tossed to the way side.

I think you have to look at systems on an individual basis. Please understand I'm not comming down on Oceanic.
I run my reactor at 60dkh. This is way to high and a waste of media and co2. Even at this I have to buffer the 7+ gallons of RO water top-off. At this I can maintain a constant 9dkh (out of balance).
So basicly the ca goes up and the alk goes down. Based on the high Mg 1500+ I say "+" because I stop the test at 1500 to save regents. This is exactly what should be happening. With the Oceanic and the ca reactor dumping so much mg there is no way to stabilize the alk. In return I get slow to no SPS coral growth.
Hope that makes sense, I'm no chemist.

 

[DonW]

I'm on the other side of the fence. I know my ca reactor keeps ca alk and mg in good shape. I do not want to have to add anything directly to my tank. I only test the first batch out of a bucket then adjust accordingly until the bucket is gone. Oceanic is predictable every five gallons of water mix gets 1tsp BS. I hope the Instant ocean is as consistant.

Don

 

[DonW]

I just did my weekly water tests and my Mg level was 1470. The weird thing though is on the Salifert test kit is says NSW is from 1300 - 1500.

I am running my reactor with an effluent alk of 30. My alk has been stable at 10.9 and Calcium is at 440 so luckily I am balanced right now.

Are you using ARM media or some other type of media?

It just always boggles my mind that 2 systems can be so different. I always thought chemistry was an exact science but with Aquariums that seems to be tossed to the way side.

Matt,
I use arm, so its easy to disolve. I think chemistry is a pretty exact science. My system is in no way close to yours. My usage rates I'm sure are very different. You may have something that uses alot of Mg. that is helping to keep it down. Heck if it isnt broken dont fix it.

Don

 

[mattseattle]

well let me know how your experience goes with switching and to what extent you have to add additives to IO.

 

[mattseattle]

Matt,
I use arm, so its easy to disolve. I think chemistry is a pretty exact science. My system is in no way close to yours. My usage rates I'm sure are very different. You may have something that uses alot of Mg. that is helping to keep it down. Heck if it isnt broken dont fix it.

what pH do you have to run ARM in order to get an alk of 60 out of it? are you running a dual chamber reactor?

 

[DonW]

what pH do you have to run ARM in order to get an alk of 60 out of it? are you running a dual chamber reactor?

Beats me never checked it, dont care. I only test Alk of the effluent. Since alk is what its adding. The ca mg and other trace element should all be in balance with the alk. No just a single chamber.

Don

 

[mattseattle]

Beats me never checked it, dont care. I only test Alk of the effluent. Since alk is what its adding. The ca mg and other trace element should all be in balance with the alk. No just a single chamber.

i was just curious if you knew the pH and how you got such a high alk out of ARM. i'm running it at a pH of about 6.7 and my alk is only 30 coming out of it.

thanks for the info!

 

[mojoreef]

I agree starting a little lower is alot easier to fix then when the levels are at the point of saturation. NSW at a salinity of 35ppt or 1.026-5 is supposed to be 1290, IO comes in according to bingmans testing at 1260..good enough. Calcium at NSW levels comes in at 415, Io is a little low at 355, some were in thier and alk should be 7-8 dkh, so again a little low. The way I see it is that regardless of it being low I have to use a reactor or additives, so no real concern thier.
The big problem with the oceanic is the mag., If were normal and it was just calcium it wouldnt be a problem, you could balance it with alk and call it a day. But with the mag so high, it take the alk out of the picture and calcium runs wild and your buffer is gone.
Calcium inhibits growth in corals so running the levels so high is a big stress factor on your corals. They have a built in system to remove the calcium and waste it onto thier skeliton, but carbonate is what they use, and when you dont got it, it dont happen.

Side question?? anyone seeing any red cyano growth since using this salt (oceanic) ??????



Mike

 

[DonW]

i was just curious if you knew the pH and how you got such a high alk out of ARM. i'm running it at a pH of about 6.7 and my alk is only 30 coming out of it.

thanks for the info!

Yours is where mine should be. Hopefully dropping the mg will take care of that. I use about 30bpm, drip to fast to count and use 4.5 cups of media per month. All of this is about double what it should be. My old tank used exact half and was covered in coraline and more coral. I assume the coraline used more mg keeping it at 1250. (just a guess).


Don

 

[mattseattle]

nope - no red cyno here using oceanic. i've been having a little hair algae but that is about it.

Don - keep us up to date on if dropping the Mg level solved the Alk issue.

Is there any harm to mixing IO and Oceanic? I have quite a bit of both.

 

[DonW]

Mike,
No cyno at all.

Thanks the help is greatly appreciated
Don

 

[mojoreef]

Don how due you plan on dropping te mag??


Mike

 

[mattseattle]

water changes and a different salt are about his only options, right?

 

[DonW]

Mike,
I was just going to start doing small water changes with IO. Slowly increase the amount over the next few months. I think I'll turn the reactor down to, assuming its adding Mg also. I figured I'd keep the alk up with BS and ca with seachem powder until its back in line. I guess I wont be getting any new corals for awhile.

Don

 

[mojoreef]

Ah ok. I would hold off the calcium to. Remember calcium percipatates out alk to. What salinity do you run??

Mike

 

[DonW]

Ah ok. I would hold off the calcium to. Remember calcium percipatates out alk to. What salinity do you run??

Mike

I just meant adding if it drops below 380. Salinity is 35ppt.

Don

 

[DonW]

Mike,
My second thought was draining my tank into my wifes bath tub. Fire up the jets for circulation and drop in a skimmer. Make all new water for my tank then reacclimating the corals. Then I would just tell my wife that you said that was the only way it could be done. You also told me that I need to add at least a dozen new colonies to help lower the Mg.

Don

 

[NaH2O]

I really dont like to add anything to the salt(any brand)while is mixing overnight.I find that adding any supplements in such small ammount of water could precipate Ca and skewed things up and way out of solution.

I find this interesting, as I figured adding supplements to the mix water would be the best way to keep your tank in balance (once it is in balance). That way you aren't trying to change a whole tank full of water, since you added water that was out of balance. Instead, adding balanced water would be best? Not sure, could someone elaborate?

Mike - I was talking with a local reefer about some cyano problems, and he indicated he began having cyano problems in his tank when he switched to doing more frequent water changes (also problems in a very large system). Same with some customers. People doing more frequent water changes have cyano issues, while others don't. Are you thinking there is nitrogen in it?

I have that fricken hair algae. Hopefully on it's way out.....I've been tossing around the salt change, and now maybe I'll go ahead with it.

 

[DonW]

Nikki,
In my opinion its not the water change that causes the cyno. I think its the die off fueling the cyno caused by shocking the tank. To large of a WC, wrong temp, High levels in salt mix.

Don