Ca/Alk/Mag Mess . . . How to fix?

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Wow, $85 for RBS vs $35-40 for IO
I think I'll stick with my buckets that are giving me grief

Wait a minute. Your calcium is testing that high and you're not using Reef Crystals? Just the regular IO? Holy smokes. I find that very surprising.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

What's RBS salt?

I'm hoping to change to a brand that will cause me less grief. Since the beginning I've had issues with Alk. And, when I finally get them corrected, calcium goes to poo.

Reefers Best. it will give you less grief, but will take more of your money. It's probably the most expensive salt I've seen. J&L sells for about 85 I think. Which is a good price..I pay more than that on the Island..

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Wait a minute. Your calcium is testing that high and you're not using Reef Crystals? Just the regular IO? Holy smokes. I find that very surprising.

That's what I said!!!!!

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

That's what I said!!!!!

I think his test is faulty. I think that stuff is supposed to mix up around 380.

Or, he's getting buckets of regular IO that are actually filled with Reef Crystals.

[LeanneP]

I will vouch for Greg on the high calcium in the IO salt as I have the same problem too. My calcium was measuring over 500 from the IO salt and I was also getting really high alk as well around 17 at Christmas time.
Leanne

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by LeanneP

I will vouch for Greg on the high calcium in the IO salt as I have the same problem too. My calcium was measuring over 500 from the IO salt and I was also getting really high alk as well around 17 at Christmas time.
Leanne

Well, if it happened to two of you . . . I'll cut Greg some slack.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Well, if it happened to two of you . . . I'll cut Greg some slack.

Ok, maybe Greg isn't crazy, but something is still wrong. IO should not read that high in Ca..

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Ok, maybe Greg isn't crazy, but something is still wrong. IO should not read that high in Ca..

I'm pretty sure that IO must have terrible quality control on their salt. Coralgirl and I have both had alkalinity issues with the Reef Crystals: virtually impossible to maintain Alk above 6 without dosing. This was even the case in my NC12, where I was changing 50% of the water per week (and had no Alk suckers in it).

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Enigma

I'm pretty sure that IO must have terrible quality control on their salt. Coralgirl and I have both had alkalinity issues with the Reef Crystals: virtually impossible to maintain Alk above 6 without dosing. This was even the case in my NC12, where I was changing 50% of the water per week (and had no Alk suckers in it).

im going to do a water tets today not because i need to but because im going to show you guys that less is more.

all ive done in forever is a water change , i only did that because i transfered tanks , i bet my parameters are bang on.

because i dont mess with it, i dont add to change it.


i have over 300 pieces of coral , safe to say if anyones using up stuff it would be me , i honestly dont understand what the big deal is?


ill tell you this though ,trying to compare one persons tanks alkalinity to anothers tank alkalinity is pointless....different salts, water sources, different temps , plus the ability to buffer differently........it will never happen.


what you do to keep your alk up is probably different then what someone else will have to do.


unless your running a sps dominant tank and going for growth of the year award....id forget it...crack a beer and go away for month


that last part is important and the steps may need to be repeated untill the tank is how you like it lol

[Coralgurl]

To some extent I will agree with Denny.

I was using sachem salinity salt for over a year and could never get my alk above 6. This affected my ability to keep sps, they never did well for me. Ive switched to reef crystals and have only done 1 test for mag, still at 1250, haven't tested for anything else as my corals look like they are doing better regardless.

When I first set up my 55, I tested all the parameters all the time. After 6 months I stopped as things were fine, corals growing, fish happy, tank is now 1 1/2 years old. The 180, tons of coral loss, lps, sps, but then others were doing great. Tank is only 6 months old, so I stopped messing with it and stopped adding corals. I can't keep up Witt the experienced reefers and have a full tank in months, that is my biggest challenge. Tank envy

I've switched to reef crystals and halfway through the bucket, things look better but not testing.

The argument over water changes, to do or not, there's points to both sides. I've increased the 180 weekly, the 55 has always been every 2 weeks. Not a strict schedule as summer kinda says there's funner stuff to do.

Shelley I'd say leave the tank alone, do what you can for water changes, but if the corals are happy, growing and good color, then whatever is in the tank is working.