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#3
12/19/2007, 03:17 AM
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I have just changed from Tropic marine pro because of low calcium/alkalinity, and am now using coral pro reef. i use ro/di water and the coral pro is more suited to this. Everyone tells us to use ro/di because of the quality of the water but not many salt brands are suited to it, they seem to have low levels of calcium and expect it to be raised by the content in the tap water. If i am wrong i am sure someone will put me right.
Barry |
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#4
12/19/2007, 03:33 AM
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All commercial brands of salt mix should be OK with ro/di. Some just have more calcium and magnesium than others.
A lot depends on your tanks consumption rate. Fish only guys aren't concerned so much with this as they tend to keep their tanks around 1.023 or so. Reef tanks who want to be at 1.026 would like their calcium to be around 420 and their mag close to 1300 or so. Where the trick comes in is, depending on livestock, how much calcium and alkalinity does your tank consume in a week. All tanks are different depending on the type of animals and how heavily the tank is stocked. There is no "better salt" Only the salt good for your particular situation. Most commercial salts sold today have a place in someones aquarium. To add to all of this mess, some reefers use a salt and supplement it with additives like calcium and magnesium, while others want it all from their salt mix and do weekly water changes to maintain levels. You have to find your own balance with the salt mix you feel good about. Takes a little time, but you'll find it. 
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#5
12/19/2007, 11:57 AM
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i used to use TM Pro, but have switched to red sea coral pro. Freshly mixed Red Sea Coral Pro has better parameters. TM Pro is very low in mag = around 1100-1150 and low in alk as well. Supposedly TM Pro has levels of phosphate as well but when i was using it i never tested. I can tell you I had pretty bad hair algae issues when i was using TM Pro and it has almost all died off since i started using Red Sea Coral Pro.
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#6
12/19/2007, 05:32 PM
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Cal 410-(elos test kit) Ph 7.4-(elos test kit) Mag 1800 ?(still)-(elos test kit) Potassium 400+ ppm-(KZ test kit) salinity 1.026-(refractormeter) temp 73F 4 gals of water mixed for test. From all this I'm sure i was given another bag of old stuff, the mag is still to high. I don't know how this high Mag will effect my sps? anyone else with this bad batch of ocean pure pro salt?
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happy fish swim around. |
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#7
12/20/2007, 12:23 AM
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I switch to TM from Reef Cystals and happy with my Parms. Mixed at 35ppm it has about 8.0 P.H, 420 Calc., Alk. 10 and Mag. over 1300.
Im happy with the Salt so far but as Billybeau1 said, it all in your tank and each salt is a prefrence. I personally like to fact on how well the TM PRO desolves compared to the Reef Crystals. |
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#8
12/20/2007, 01:34 AM
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Ty1e, I haven't tested Elos kits yet. I probably will after the first of the year as I've heard a lot about them.
BUT, .... and a big but, I don't care what brand magnesium test you have, I find it difficult to believe your magnesium is 1800 ppm. I suspect a testing problem. sditch, that is exactly what I'm talking about. If you like your numbers and the tank looks good, then..... well....... FWIW, As many salt mixes I have tested, I have not tested TM or TM Pro yet. They are on my list for after the Holidays. 
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#9
12/20/2007, 02:34 PM
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Quote:
I think your right, tanks doing great. I'm doing a 4gal water change today I think i'll do like 8 test on just Mag and see what comes up. if that doesn't show some change toward the norm then I may just get a diffrent test kit, ELOS in all other test's are great(Cal, KH,Ph,) highly suggest picking some up.
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happy fish swim around. |
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#10
12/20/2007, 07:30 PM
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less is more |
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#11
12/20/2007, 09:00 PM
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and i went through two bucket of TM Pro and never got magnesium over 1200 so I think his testing is off......... Not only that but multiple people here on the forums have said that TM Pro mag levels are far below 1300 when freshly mixed. I doubt they have changed their formulation since last year.
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#12
12/21/2007, 01:23 AM
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I think I'll put TM Pro on the top of my list after the Holidays.
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#13
12/21/2007, 02:52 AM
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I just got an extremely high test reading on Mg with an Elos kit also, so maybe there is an issue there.
Edit--- MY result was user error. I was testing 5ml of water when the test called for 3ml. Correctly done test read 1200ppm. Last edited by Apercula; 12/21/2007 at 03:10 AM. |
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#14
12/21/2007, 09:23 AM
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Just one question. It's best suited to ro/di because it says that on bucket? Just want to understand why it's "best suited" for ro/di.
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When in doubt ride a bike. |
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#15
12/21/2007, 10:01 AM
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I agree that some mixes are low on calcium. Whether that is for cost purposes, tap water issues, or something else (like primarily marketing to FO tanks that do not need NSW calcium) usually cannot be known. I choose to use one that is low in calcium (IO) and I boost it with MAG flake and Dowflake to boost magnesium and calcium.
In general, however, it is utterly ridiculous for a company (or a consumer) to assume that tap water will provide anything essential to a mix. The MWRA tap water that I use has 5 ppm calcium. To try to make a mix that relies on tap water to provide calcium is just ignorant.
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Randy Holmes-Farley |
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#16
12/21/2007, 10:29 AM
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Marketing gimmick!
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"As Far As You Know!" -Fletch |
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#17
12/21/2007, 11:03 AM
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other then that the tank is looking great, i'll have some new pics up in the new year.
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happy fish swim around. |
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