SPS growth

[ccCapt]

what salts are you guys using, im outta kent and have to pick up another bucket tomorrow but wanna switch brands, but with the fluctuations RC has had im hesitant to use it

Red Sea Coral Pro
I add slightly less than 1 tblspn of baking soda to a 20g mix to bump the alk to around 10 dKH. Out of the bucket it mixes to about 7-8 dKH.

randy holmes farley tested oceanic and its calcium tested at 580ppm, seems very bad, not good

Actually, Billybeau1 did the salt tests, but close enough :)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

 

[yote]

You'd be surprised at how quick the excess calcium will get used up Dustin.
I've been using the SeaChem Reef salt.The calcium tests at 540 right out of the bucket and I still had trouble keeping it above 400 before the dino outbreak.
I like the SeaChem,but if I ever need salt and my LFS dont have the SeaChem when I'm ready to get it,then I'll get a bucket of Oceanic.

 

[dustin_P74]

not in my tank, for some reason my calcium doesnt drop below 500, with kent it tests at 540 and every time i test its above 500

 

[JAG107]

You need more SPS Dustin. LOL
I do 10% changes w/ oceanic weekly, my calc is (recently)regularly between 380-420ppm. Not too bad IMO. I need the mag also, for some reason I have trouble keeping it over 1300. Supposedly your mag is triple the calc, roughly. But if I raise my calc too much, my alk gets WAY too low (7 dkh) for my liking.

 

[dustin_P74]

i have no more room for SPS until my new rocks arrive, and also if you add calcium you need to add alk too

 

[ccCapt]

If you want to drop your ca, switch to Instant Ocean. Once you get the ca where you want it, you can just supplement the IO like Randy H-F and a ton of others do. I was going to switch to IO, but when I was at the swap at TFP the RedSea was on sale and alot cheaper than IO. My next bucket will prob be IO.
I like the Red Sea Coral Pro, but the ca is a little higher than I normally keep my tank. I dose equal amount of DIY 2-part every day. So after a few months my ca starts to drift up. It just makes it a little harder to keep my ca in line. I normally keep it at 420, but if I don't modify my dosing (not add equal parts) ca will keep going up since a fresh mix of RS Coral Pro mixes to about 470. I caught this upswing by always testing to figure my dosing needs. With IO, I can dose the mix to get it right to 420 and not have to worry about messing around with different dosing amounts.
Just my :twocents: ;)

 

[dustin_P74]

i would use IO but since im running the NeoZeo system i cant have a high alk, it needs to be in the 7-9dKH range

 

[ccCapt]

See if you can get regular Red Sea anywhere. I used it for years until they came out with the Coral Pro version. None of my LFS carry it anymore.

 

[JAG107]

I have half a bucket of red sea. It mixes horribly. Probably really good for FOWLR systems, I was cutting it 1/3 to 2/3 oceanic for a while.

 

[dustin_P74]

im gonna see if my LFS carries the tropic marin pro because that has great parameters. if they dont have that then ill look into red sea/pro and oceanic

 

[ccCapt]

I have half a bucket of red sea. It mixes horribly. Probably really good for FOWLR systems, I was cutting it 1/3 to 2/3 oceanic for a while.

I never had problems with it. I used it probably 10 yrs.

 

[JAG107]

Maybe I have a bad bucket. Its the only one I've had

 

[JAG107]

im gonna see if my LFS carries the tropic marin pro because that has great parameters. if they dont have that then ill look into red sea/pro and oceanic

I have heard great things about Ocean Pure Pro reef salt. I'm going to switch to that for a while when my oceanic runs out. Very well balanced, not as pricey as Tropic Marin. Although, everyone seems to have very good, consistent results from TM.

 

[lightcs4]

Red Sea Coral Pro
I add slightly less than 1 tblspn of baking soda to a 20g mix to bump the alk to around 10 dKH. Out of the bucket it mixes to about 7-8 dKH

Capt, do you have to bake the baking soda first? I read something about baking it for an hour. I haven't had time to do that yet so I'm still a bit low on alk, per the test kit.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dustin_P74]

correction, baking it will raise your pH, not baking it will lower your pH

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1606116

 

[ccCapt]

Capt, do you have to bake the baking soda first? I read something about baking it for an hour. I haven't had time to do that yet so I'm still a bit low on alk, per the test kit.

Thanks in advance.

When I'm just dosing my fresh mix, I use regular baking soda.
The DIY 2-part I make uses baked baking soda.

 

[ccCapt]

Let's keep this thread going.........

Tyree Tricolor valadia
4-14-08

4-12-09

a.millepora
11-3-08

4-12-09

 

[dustin_P74]

awesome growth as usual capt

 

[JAG107]

ok my turn:

 

[JAG107]

Here's a little ORA pink BN growth, my fastest grower right now:

ORA Scripps acro:

Joe the Coral growth:

ORA Turquoise Stag growth:

unnamed (that I know of) green w/ purple polyp encrusting montipora:

Later this year, maybe I'll have some bitchin one year timeline growth pics like cccapt, lol. Til then, this is the best I got. :)