Artificial or Synthetic?

[Pumba]

Just seeing who here uses synthetic salts for breeding, what their success are, and why they would reccommend it.

Those that are using natural, do you find it better than synthetic or what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of using one over the other.

I am currently using NSW, which I havent had any losses with, nor any real success. I have recently been told that where I collect the water from has one of the highest known concentrations of lead on the eastern seaboard.

They both work out about the size cost- wise. Just driving 6hrs to get 400l of fresh water every few weeks is becoming a hassle.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Matt

[oceanarus]

I use Instant Ocean and it does me just fine. I do live w/in 45 min of the ocean, but the thought of switching over to NSW is kinda scary. The public aquarium here does go and collect somewhere around 10K gallons a day which they clean up b4 use. Hmmm, maybe I ought to look into buying some from them...

[Pumba]

Thanks for your help oceanarus,
Have you been having much success using synthetic salts? Do you dose with any supplements?

Cheers,
Matt

[oceanarus]

I guess we've been successful, don't really have anything to compare our #'s against, but from one pair of clownfish we raise somewhere around 1500 babies a year. The only suplement we use is Iodine, wife does the dosing so I don't know the brand or concentration off the top of my head now.

[Pumba]

Thanks again,
Do you drip with kalk?

Cheers,
Matt

[oceanarus]

Nope.

I believe the small daily water changes (which also removes any uneaten food) we do keeps whatever necessary minerals at the right levels. I am no expert but I do not believe minerals/trace elements are as critical to fish as they are inverts.

[Pumba]

Oceanarus,
I was thinking about kalkl more of a way of stabilising water param's, like pH, alk, calcium, etc. As well as a way to help control algae.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers,
Matt