I've decided to buy IO RC and Oceanic from Dr F&S. I'm switching from crystal sea marine mix i got at a LFS a while back. its fine for fish but has to be supplemented heavily for a reef environment.
I'll mix IO RC and Oceanic to give high numbers on calcium, alk and mag. I'll mix and match depending on current tank needs for water changes.
I might have bought from petsmart, with their free shipping, except that I need to buy some other odds and ends.
I feel sort of bad not buying salt from the LFS but it just dosn't pay to do so, and for someone like me that uses public transportation its just such a pain.
A little background ..Zeb (Iconoclast) & I were talking via PM since I read that entire (man... it's long) thread on the salt testing that a fella over on RC did..and I suggested he rethink his plan to switch to Oceanic salt..for a few different reasons. Remember, I had the benefit of reading the whole thread and know what Zeb plans to keep in his reef. (makes a difference when chosing salt..apparently!)
soooo...Zeb wrote back to me with basically the same info he posted above regarding what salt he was NOW thinking of switching to..and he asked if I could 'extrapolate further' with whatever else I got from that thread... Still with me?
Well Zeb..here are a few more of the high points from the thread...and a couple of opinions from me relating to what Zeb now plans
The folks discussing this suggested strongly that most brands of salt SHOULD be fluffed/mixed/stirred before you use them as they DO tend to settle from shipment. They got a number of different test readings from the
same unstirred bucket that were real eye openers!
IMO...at least the new Corallife salt buckets I recently changed to come with 3 individual bags of salt inside of the bucket..which will make it easy for me to 'shake' up each bag before use. I don't want to have to try & shake a bucket that makes 200g !!Yikes!! But it sure seems like this is the best thing to do before you start to use a new bucket..again..IMHO
A few of the folks on the thread decided to mix 2 different brands since some are inadequate in opposing things..i.e. some have higher CA but lower Alk, some lower CA but higher Alk & Mg....figuring they would have a nice balanced mix. Probably true I'd think...
I see Zeb wants to mix 3 ..that a lot of salt to purchase! Though I'm sure you'll not need any for quite some time doing that!!! lol
Then there was a whole big discussion about HOW to change brands..and this is why I decided to post this...of ALL the salts they spoke about switching to & from..the one that stood out as likely causing an issue (I'll get back to that in a sec..) was the brand that ZEB is changing from...which is Crystal Sea Marine Mix. (which I had never heard of before reading the thread..many references on the thread call it CS...)
I really don't know why so many folks claimed it happened, but they did suggest you go VERY VERY SLOWLY when changing from that particular brand to a new type of salt. Apparently numerous folks lots numerous corals due to the change. IMO, had it just been one or 2 people, it could have been that they switched salt brands too fast...but the thread read like it happened to everyone who changed from this brand...so Zeb..please be very careful! :splitspin
Usually it is suggested that you either mix your old & new salt together and do a 20% water change..and on subsequent water changes you decrease your old salt ratio & increase your new.... Others (like me) are just doing whatever % water changes using the new salt (already seeing positive responses in both of my tanks!!)
From what 'they' say..Zeb would want to go 75 old/25 new..and small 10% changes..then 50/50..then 25/75..and so on...BUT while carefully watching the reactions of his corals!!
..and yes Zeb, you can have too much if a good thing
I'd also like to buy my salt at my LFS..but I've seen a good friends pricing book and he can't touch what places like Drs F & S and the others are paying by buying so much in bulk. It's really a shame, but the weight of the product precludes the shipping discount to the smaller stores...
