Anyone switched from CS to IO?

iceman16238 · #1 06/07/2005, 08:34 PM

Hey all. I know about the whole mixing and bleaching stories. I started off my tank with Crystal Sea bioassay and i want to know if you think it would be ok if i went from CS to IO, not IO to CS. Has anyone tried this? I am having some problems with some of my corals and the only thing i can think of being wrong is the salt. Ca,mag, alk is ok. Temp is controlled with a chiller. No nitrates or phosphates detected. Any1 have these experiences or did what i described? Thanks
Alex

FishnWishn · #2 06/07/2005, 09:59 PM

I went from CS to Tropic Marin with good results. I also had problems with SPS but I don't know if I can blame it on the CS.

iceman16238 · #3 06/08/2005, 10:01 PM

Have you seen results or problems since you switched? And how did you do it(5% at a time or a lot more)? Thanks.

iceman16238 · #4 06/09/2005, 08:06 PM

Any1? Some of my acros and most of my echinophyllia dont look so good. Fishnwishn? I am getting worried.

ctsieber · #5 06/09/2005, 09:04 PM

what lighting do you have? what kind of flow in the tank? I take it, its the 75g listed in your signature?

Mike O'Brien · #6 06/09/2005, 09:27 PM

I'm getting ready to do the same thing. IMO crystal sea is horrible. Switching to CS was the worst thing I could ever have done. First most of my corals bleached, I kept up with the changes, and things did improve, a few months later all the corals that had previously bleached started to rtn. I have been wanting to switch for a while now, but I am also worried. I really dont want to lose anything else. Now I just ordered a bucket of IO, and I'm going for it. This is certainly because of the salt. There is no question about it at all. People that switched to CS know what I mean. My tank has never been the same with CS, and hopefully it will be back to normal with the IO.

maxvan1 · #7 06/09/2005, 10:25 PM

Have you thought about lowering your bioload? Maybe that would help...

5 tangs is alot.... (unless thats a joke...?)

iceman16238 · #8 06/09/2005, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by maxvan1
Have you thought about lowering your bioload? Maybe that would help...

5 tangs is alot.... (unless thats a joke...?)

Yea its a joke. It's a 75gal. I have about 13 fish but that is not the problem. My tank does not look crowded. I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates according to salifert. I honestly think its the salt. I did not switch salts like others. I started with it. I am worried because some of the tips on the acros are starting to receed and i am losing some color. I lost 1 echinophyllia and am losing 2 others. I do not want to lose more or have bleaching from switching, but i may be forced to do so within the week.

FishnWishn · #9 06/10/2005, 01:53 PM

I had fish, Inverts, and LPS with no problems while I was using CS. But when I added a couple of SPS they RTN'd. I started using Tropic Marin with my 10% weekly changes and now I have great growth and color in my SPS.
I should add though my tank at that time was about 8 months old. I was dripping B-Ionic to get a stable ALK, CALC, and PH reading. PH IMO was giving me too much of a swing (7.8-8.3). I think that's what caused the corals to go. That's why I said I can't blame it on the CS.
When I changed salt I also upgraded my tank and equipment using the Tropic Marin. Even though I think the Tropic Marin is a lot better than the CS, I think upgrading defiantly increased my corals survival rate.

iceman16238 · #10 06/11/2005, 07:53 PM

Thanks for the response. The odd thing is that i also am using bionic. I was dosing 200ml of each everyday!!!!!!!!!!! Not dripping it in but pouring it in the sump. I did notice that my ph monitor jumped quite a bit each time. So now I can't pinpoint it on the salt. I really need to get this regulator for my reactor so i can stop dosing bionic(which will stop the ph swings).
So i will try switching to tropic marin too and see if that helps. So you noticed no bleaching from the change? And you did 10% changes?thanks

iceman16238 · #11 06/12/2005, 10:34 AM

^

iceman16238 · #12 06/13/2005, 01:39 PM

^^

iceman16238 · #13 06/14/2005, 10:21 PM

I guess i will be switching to Tropic Marin this week. So i understand there was no bleaching? Should i let my friend hold my best corals so they dont die or bleach? And when u mixed new saltwater, did it mix with good Cal, Alk, and Mag? Or did u have to does it before you did the water change?

iceman16238 · #14 06/15/2005, 11:02 PM

Last sad bump. I ordered a 200 gal mix of Tropic marin today. Hopefully i have the same results that you had.

Typo · #15 06/15/2005, 11:43 PM

tropic marin is excelent salt. i recommend it or hawiian marine over any other brand of salt. also with that many fish in your tank you may want to test for organics as well.

FishnWishn · #16 06/16/2005, 01:20 AM

iceman, I have had nothing but good results using the Tropic Marin. However like I said I also upgraded my equipment. I went from 2- 250W 10K ushio's to 2- 400W 20K Radium's plus 4- 54W 11K T-5's. After using Tropic Marin for awhile I upgraded my skimmer from an ASM G1X to an ASM G-3. I added a Korallin 1502 Calc Reactor. Installed a closed loop with an Iwaki 70-RLT (1500gph) along with my quiet one 6000 (1500gph) return pump. I still drip Kalk as needed and add magnesium to get it too the levels that my tank needs. I also add Iodide, and strontium occasionally. This is a 90 Gal tank.

Here are my tests on the T.M. when I first tested T.M. about 6mths ago and a gallon that I just mixed. keep in mind I did not heat up todays mix or allow to sit, due to time, it's late. 1st reading is the initial test and the second is the 1 gal mix that I mixed 10 minutes ago. Todays tests are lower, but to me still acceptable. I just do the water changes and do not dose/drip until 24hrs after water changes to see what the tank needs and avoid drastic changes.

Salinity- 1.024........1.024
Temp- 78........70
PH- 8.3........8.2
ALK- 11........10.2
Calcium- 400........390
Mag- 1290........1200

Using RO/DI water(TDS increased from 1st test, 0 to 7), Salifert test kits, Milwaukee PH monitors/controller, and Milwaukee Refractometer. Do your own tests for your references.
I would always think it is a good idea to keep a frag of your favorites in a friends tank. Just for that aw$hit factor. but I don't think it is necessary to move your corals. I think the corals will be stressed even more by switching tanks too often. My corals are all growing, the browned out sps, and bleached corals that have found there way into my tank have flourished. I have not lost 1 coral since (knock on wood) my last episode. I just got a new camera so I will see if I can figure it out and post some pics.
Sorry so lengthy, I hope this helps.

gweezpie · #17 06/16/2005, 03:41 PM

I just went from CS to Tropic Marin...Believe it or not my CS was testing high silica....

I had no problems with a gradula shift a my corals seem healthier. I also saw a boost in coraline growth and my mag levels seem much better.

Good Luck

Mike O'Brien · #18 06/16/2005, 07:35 PM

I started the switch to IO taday, 10% change My skimmer did overflow a few hours after the change, but everything looks fine as of now. When I started with CS things started changing for the worse as soon as it got in the tank. I have my fingers crossed.

iceman16238 · #19 06/16/2005, 10:30 PM

Thanks guys. This is exactly what i needed to hear. When you say test for organics, is there a organics test? I did give one frag to a friend for this reason. Its a solid purple mille with white polyps. hopefully all goes well, but he is my backup. High silica eh, im sure thats not good. Maybe a buildup of silica over these past 2+ years. I just changed the cartridges in my rodi and got my 40gal bin filling up till tomorrow night. Do you think it will be ok to do a 30gal change or should i do smaller ones at first? Some acros look like they wont hold on for much longer so i am not sure if i should do the big wc to help them asap or smaller ones not to shock them.
Thanks for the lenghty responce fishnwishn. I like reading, especially others going through what i am. You helped a lot man. And thanks again to everyone else that chimed in. I will post an update next week after i do the wc.
Alex

iceman16238 · #20 06/19/2005, 02:23 PM

Well i did the wc today. i say i did 30-40%. The TM salt mixed:Alk-9.6, Ca-380, Mag-1180. I dosed some mag and bionic part2 to the water before i did the change. Still mixed a lot faster(less than a day) than the crystal sea(was still cloudy after mixing for 5 days!!!!), and the alk ca and mag were all better too. So far, all of my acros slimed up a hell of a lot and all of the polyps are withdrawn a lot. I hope all goes well. I'll keep an eye on things today and the rest of the week hoping no bleaching or rtn occurs.