Are you now using the Seachem Reef Salt?

If so your ALK tests may be inacurate causing your issues. Seachem reef salt has a high borate content giving false result to true alk.

The high borate alk-portion involved with Seachem Reef Salt does not contribute to the bicarbonate & carbonate, which are the main components of alkalinity in our tanks but our alk. test kits read it as such, thus with Seachem Reef Salt, if your test result reads say 9.5 DkH the real, effective alkalinity is in the low 8's. In order to keep the DKH stable with Seachem you need to account for about 1.2-1.3 DKH to borate ALK meaning you need to keep your level about this much higher than with IO salt.

Make sense? :neutral:

Colin, I had switched to Seachem at one point. All it took was one bucket and I was back to IO. My corals weren't happy campers and I attributed this to the higher borate levels (I cant' remember specifically what it was doing to my tank though). This time I had to get Seachem as my LFS didn't have anything else and I was desperate. I just did a couple of small waterchanges with it and by the time my next waterchange they had IO in. I've been mixing the two equally until the seachem bucket is done and then I'll be back to IO. I have heard some people use seachem without problems but I'm not a fan.

I also tried one bucket of sea chem and changed back to reef crystals within a few weeks as I thought the stuff was terrible. I'll never use it again. FYI, I have dosed iodine for years as well. Something else you may want to try is iron, is helps the greens stay brighter. Like Chin said and I eluded to earlier, carbon isn't very selective about what it will absorb so you need to replenish some of the elements from time to time.

Exactly right on with the iron suggestion!

wow, lots of awesome info guys thanks. i'll go back to IO. the last time i switched i told myself i wouldnt do it again, well that didnt last long. i gotta go pick up some stuff by the sounds of it.

i guess salt is liking going to a party. if you stick with one salt everything usually stays happy and healthy, when you change it up disaster is on the edge. well when you go to a party and drink beer only, you are good to go and have a good time, then if you switch to shots or hard liquor then again disaster is just around the corner waiting for you......:biggrin:

I know what you mean... about the switching salt thing. Not sure about the shots and hard liquor analogy, I don't see a problem there.

:rofl:

I was going to say I've usually never had a problem waffling between salts but then there was that kent issue I had awhile back.... :razz:

Any updates on the tank?

well it seems death has stopped i've done 30 gallon water changes for the past 4 days with IO salt. i'm letting it settle and then do another 4 in a couple days. i've some of my favorite pieces, **** me off, but thats reefing for ya