Pricier saltwater?

Titans · #1 10/08/2007, 12:24 AM

Anyone ever use the pricier saltwater at Coral Oasis instead of the catalina? Is it worth it?

sammoorefield · #2 10/08/2007, 01:09 AM

If quality is more important than cost, by all means buy the premixed salt water over the catalina water. The pricier water contains trace elements needed for proper water chemistry. Even better yet, buy a rodi unit and a bucket of salt mix and make your own salt water. You will notice a increase in the growth rate of your corals.

gunnwong · #3 10/08/2007, 01:38 AM

How about a free natual sea water at Corona Del Mar(I think sea urchin reasearch). Is it better than mix salt? I mean it should have all the necessry elements for growning coral??

Badmort · #4 10/08/2007, 01:53 AM

Completely depends on what Ben is mixing up there.
At some point you will want to control exactly what is going in your tank via RO/DI water, a TDS meter and choosing a saltmix your comfortable with.
Catalina water is pulled out of the L.A. harbor and purified, Ive had bad experiences with it, Corona Del Mar is the same thing.. pulled from local waters and run through purification units. Scripps seems to be the best choice

Given the choice Id always take ro/di water and salt mix I made myself
over something I have no control over.

reefer1024 · #5 10/08/2007, 01:59 AM

I always assumed that natural seawater would be better. That is what I alway get and have never had a problem with it.

sammoorefield- What trace elements are you talking about? Have you tested and found something to missing in natural seawater? I'm not trying to start a fight. I really am curious.

The only downside I can imagine to using seawater is possible pollution.

gregm5 · #6 10/08/2007, 02:10 AM

there is nothing wrong with using natural seawater. however like Badmort said, it is nice to have control. also, ocean water is not the same worldwide in regards to salinity and concentrations of different elements

Badmort · #7 10/08/2007, 02:26 AM

You hit it on the head with the pollution thing..

reefer1024 · #8 10/08/2007, 02:37 AM

Oh no!!! pollution!!

I'm going there tomorrow to get some water, I'll give the pre-mixed a try and see if I notice a deference.

Badmort · #9 10/08/2007, 02:44 AM

Hehe.. Ive met Ben seems like a stand up guy but Id ask him what is in the mix hes selling...

Dont get me wrong, you can use Catalina for years and not have a problem, I used to .. Only takes one time when you nuke your tank with it that you will be ****ed

Project Reef · #10 10/08/2007, 02:46 AM

There's nothing wrong with using NSW for a typical mixed reef. When you get into keeping Acropora, and seek that nutrient poor environment, then as Badmort mentioned, you want something you can have control over. I know my RO/DI and good quality saltmix will give me good clean/pure saltwater all the time.

With that said, you can still run a very successful Acropora tank with NSW, however, you'll have to run a good quality phosphate remover and utilize a well functioning skimmer (skimming wet). Running kalkwasser also will help out significantly.

reefer1024 · #11 10/08/2007, 02:49 AM

hopefully without starting a debate. What are some good salt mixes and what are the ones to stay away from?

Project Reef · #12 10/08/2007, 02:56 AM

Tropic Marin, Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals, Tropic Marin Pro and Ocean Pure Pro are my personal favorites.

I personally stay away from Oceanic, Kent and pretty much everything else.

I haven't had experience with the new Red Sea Pro salt, however I am hearing good feedback on it.

reefer1024 · #13 10/08/2007, 02:57 AM

thank you for your help

bsk997 · #14 10/08/2007, 09:38 AM

btw, ben uses tropic marin
i got some catalina from him instead cause i'm poor & couldn't justify the price.

I normally make me own and like to control all aspects of my water quality but was just too lazy to make my own. lol

All Delight · #15 10/08/2007, 10:06 AM

Does Ben use the Tropic Pro or Regular? There is a difference.

reefer1024 · #16 10/08/2007, 02:01 PM

I just talked to them. They use the regular Tropic Marin.

All Delight · #17 10/08/2007, 02:28 PM

You'll like the Pro version better. CFC uses Red Sea Pro. I'd rather go that route. I don't know all the specifics on trace elements, but if you talk to Lui at CFC she'll go into detail.

If you stick with the regular mix, you'll have to dose suppliments.

Scissorhand · #18 10/08/2007, 02:35 PM

When you're lanky and have as much muscles as Peewee Herman like me, you'll make your own salt so you don't have to carry 5 gallon buckets to and fro.

reefer1024 · #19 10/08/2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scissorhand
When you're lanky and have as much muscles as Peewee Herman like me, you'll make your own salt so you don't have to carry 5 gallon buckets to and fro.

Maybe you're lanky and have no muscles because you never carry around 5 gallon buckets.

What and where is CFC???

Project Reef · #20 10/08/2007, 04:10 PM

He's being sarcastic. Anyone who's met Scissorhand knows he's a beast!

phender · #21 10/08/2007, 05:39 PM

I'm not sure there is a right answer on this one. It is hard to argue with success, and I have seen very successful tanks using both NSW and/or mixes.

In most assays I have seen the "trace elements" in all mixes are way off. They are either nonexisistant or they are 10-100x that of natural sea water. Remember of course that many of those trace elements are heavy metals, and are needed in small amounts, but poisonous in higher concentrations.

On the other hand, when I have tested both Catalina and Scripps water, both the Calcium and Alk are low. I don't know if my tests are bad or if things precipitate out during the collecting, filtering, holding process. It leads me to wonder that if the Cal/Alk aren't quite right, what else has been lost to the processing.

sammoorefield · #22 10/08/2007, 07:41 PM

perhaps the cal/alk are low because the concentration of calcerous coral skeletons in the catalina/LA harbor are way less than what is found in the tropical coral reefs. breaking down of dead corals and calcerous algae reintroduces the trace elements back into the water allowing the living corals to take it up in their skeletons.

phender you do have a good point about the concentration of the heavy metals. Thats something worth looking into. in the past I just have been relying on the maker of the salts reputation as a guide to what type of salt to use.

I personally do not know the concentrations of elements in the waters where reefs are found. however I do trust the makers of the salt mix when they state that they have tested it and have included these elements in their mixes...TM pro is what I use.

sam

SurfOnH20 · #23 10/08/2007, 11:28 PM

I have been using the Corona Del Mar water now for 7-months. Not very impressed with the results. The growth of my corals seem to be on the weak side and colors not so vibrant. Since I have a RO/DI unit for my ATO, I said what the heck try mixing your own saltwater. In just two weeks of using pre-mixed DI water, my corals and everything else seem to be coming along much better. Yes, two weeks and very visible results. The water at Corona is only sand filtered, meaning chemicals and whatever else floating in the water was inside my tank. Jesh to save a couple of bucks, not worth it. And yes I still have my tank. I decided to stick it out and make the best of it..

therealw00 · #24 10/09/2007, 01:21 AM

oh oh, has anyone seen the 5 gallon boxes of natural saltwater for sale at petco?? It is said to be "Catalina" water. At nearly 3 dollars a gallon that is the most expensive saltwater I have ever seen.

http://www.petco.com/shop/product.as...4-_-image_link

Project Reef · #25 10/09/2007, 01:30 AM

We unfortunately have a lot of lame products in this industry, however that has got to be in the top 5, right up there with the MW products.