Calcuim level of salt mix question

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any numbers of calcium in synthetic salt? I tested some instant ocean that I mixed up, and it only had about 360 ppm, seemed awfully low considering water changes are supposed to help with calcium

I'm wondering if anyone has seen a study, or tested themselves and come to a similar conclusion, or has numbers for a different brand.

Would dosing with some Kent Turbo Calcium or something while you're mixing be a useful/wise thing to do?

 

[Anonymous]

If you got that out of IO then you are lucky.

I tested a few on my own

IO - 260
Tropic Marin - 390
Oceanic - 550
Coralife - 370
_________________
BMW R27

 

[Anonymous]

when I just mixed up the IO I got a reading aroudn 260.. but then I waited a few days and tested it again and got 360.

 

[Anonymous]

IO is famous for being low on calcium...in fact the lowest there is. I found that out the hard way;-)
And yes, I had seen an article of every salt mix vs. ocean/reef water, and when i fnd it again I will post it

 

[Anonymous]

Well damnit, makes me wish I didn't buy so damn much of it

Out of curiosity would there be a prefered method for adjusting to another salt mix as I have heard of issued due to different chemicals composition. Could I slowly do water changes with the rest of my IO and then mix in say Oceanic in with it?

 

[Anonymous]

I found the article, and will attempt to attatch. It is very good, with comparisons of all salts, what each has and is lacking.:

 

[Anonymous]

Also, as I just learned from a fellow reefer, which makes sense, is never dose calcium in your mixing water as a precipitation event can occur. Always dose in your tank as per instructions

 

[Jamesurq]

with baking soda so cheap - I find it's easier to just use Oceanic and add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the tank after I've made the change...

 

[ChrisRD]

OTOH, Calcium chloride is very cheap too, so you could take the same approach with IO... :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Well damnit, makes me wish I didn't buy so damn much of it

Out of curiosity would there be a prefered method for adjusting to another salt mix as I have heard of issued due to different chemicals composition. Could I slowly do water changes with the rest of my IO and then mix in say Oceanic in with it?

Sure...do it slowly, and test often during the changeover for your alk, calcium, ph, iodine etc. I wouldnt mix the two though. However....

I stayed with IO salt mix because i think except for the calcium, which is easy enough controlled with the 2 part b-ionic, it has great overall parameters.

 

[Anonymous]

i have yet to see ANY salt manufacturer give reliable,consistent bag by bag, bucket by bucket, batch by batch, matching results/levels for anything stated on their respective bags/buckets of product, from Ca to phosphate

some just come closer, on avg., than others, ime


this is why i always recommend to customers to test all make up water before use, to see if and what needs to be corrected first, before introduction to their systems.

 

[Anonymous]

Well I dont think there is much difference in salts. I have tried IO, Oceanic, Trpoica Marin and Coralife.

Coralife when I started was workign good - Dont ask me why I switched, probably jumping on the IO bandwagon.

I went to IO - Just have to dose CA

I then tried Oceanic due to higher CA. - Mistake - Ca was 550, Magnesium was 1650. Plus I noticec a brown scum line in my mixing bucket.

Tried Tropic Marin - Good salt but cant find it locally cheap.

Back to IO and we'll see what happens.
_________________
Sp-8

 

[Anonymous]

ctgretsky, ahh yes I've seen that article (published in AdvanceAquarist), while it is informative for all the other junk in salts, it really doesn't mention calcium but once in the whole thing (and never gives any numbers on the subject).

But yah I was thinking of just dosing the IO with liquid calcium or kalk just to get the calcium level up then using that since I've never had any issues while using it (except for calcium of course ).

Thanks for the info everyone.

 

[wstellwagen]

As has been noted innumerable times maintanence of appropriate calcium and alkalinity levels in reef tanks (where they matter) is a function of additives and nearly impossible to acheive through the choice of salt .The problem being that the growth of corals and coraline algae is constant and depletes the calcium in the water and co*2 affects the alkalinity .To control with salt mix would require constant waterchanges.

Walt

 

[Anonymous]

ctgretsky, ahh yes I've seen that article (published in AdvanceAquarist), while it is informative for all the other junk in salts, it really doesn't mention calcium but once in the whole thing (and never gives any numbers on the subject).

But yah I was thinking of just dosing the IO with liquid calcium or kalk just to get the calcium level up then using that since I've never had any issues while using it (except for calcium of course ).

Thanks for the info everyone.

lol...is it any wonder they didnt post calcium more than once? The research was actually by Instant ocean, so of course, the one thing they are lacking in is going to be the one thing that they won't discuss too much.
It is an informative pdf. in the other respects. I think it kind of gives you a window of what you may need to/not need to dose in your tank.
Having just finally learned the ph-alk-calc relationship, I think the io works best for me.