ok to change salt?

[sir_dudeguy]

is it ok to change to a diff. brand of salt? i've been using oceanic because it was dirt cheap, but now i'm finding my pH is down...what would be a good somewhat cheap salt to switch to? IO is kinda cheap here...is that any good? also, if i was to add buffers...how often would i have to? if every day, i'd rather just pay a little more for a better salt.
and also, i just had lace rock in there, but i just added a bit of live rock...mostly figi, but it had a bit of others...i think one was marshall, and maybe a bit of tonga branch...would adding this live rock help the pH or anything? i mean anything besides filtering.

thanks
mike

 

[2revup]

there should be no issues with changing brands of salt I use Instant Ocean not the cheapest but one of the best IMO, PH is always at 8.3 and buffers you really shouldt have to add everyday unless it is low ph and then only increase is slowly if you have livestock. but otherwise it should be a add buffer on a weekly water change but thats it. or maybe if you do fornight water changes test ph one a week, when it has settled.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

k, i'm switching to IO...my pH is freakin 7.7 and sometimes a little lower. only damsels now, but i want everything to be perfect for when i get rid of them and get my flame angel and chromis.

thanks for the info..
oh and when i switch to IO, (unless someone knows a better, cheaper brand) should i do regular size water change when i change, or should i only do a smaller one, but then a few days later do another smaller one to slowly bring it back up?

thanks

 

[roka64]

my pH is freakin 7.7

Do you have a lid that covers the top of the tank? The reason I ask, is I had a lid and I didn't get enough gas exchange to keep my pH up. I bought a lighting system that stands over the tank, and presto, my pH stays steady at 8.3.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

hmmm that might be too...but to answer your question, no, i dont have it on there now...i'ts been off for about a week or 2. but i took it off at about the same time i last got it tested (i just did it for heat issues tho) so it might have made a diff. I'll get it tested today.
do you think that it might change it much? as in 7.7 all the way up to 8 or so?

 

[roka64]

do you think that it might change it much? as in 7.7 all the way up to 8 or so?

Mine went from about 7.8 to 8.3, but I had to play around w/my PH to get a little more movement on the top of the water.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

wow, i didnt think it would go that much. I'll check it later today and let you know if takin the hood off did anything

thanks

 

[melosu58]

I`m a big fan of oceanic. It is a little higher in calcium then others IMO. But yes glass covers will make a difference. It would be the difference from 7.7 to 8 or 8.2.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

well, i guess that takin the cover off didnt make a difference...still at 7.7.....
oh, and the cover wasnt glass, it was just plastic w/2 holes coverd by glass for the light to shine through. but the back was open, about 2 inch gap going along the whole back.
If i was to add a buffer, what brand should i use, and how often would i need to use it? if its gonna be somethin i gotta use every few days, and every day for sure, then i'd rather just switch salts...but i am w/melosu on that one...i like oceanic because its really cheap w/no problems really, except my pH is 7.7

let me know what you guys think.

oh ya, the pH has been constant tho, no fluctuations really.

 

[roka64]

Hmmm, how much water movement do you have on the surface? I'm not sure how long it takes pH to rise or fall. I have a 55G FOWLR with a fluvial 304 and only one PH rated for a 30G tank.
The reason I bought the new lights, was they were on sale and I wanted to try to keep my tank as natural as possible. I tried the pH buffer and ended up having to do it every day, and it didn't seem to stay steady. I also am running on well water (with a water softener).
Now I also premix my water about 24 hours prior to a PWC, so this might help my pH as well.

2 holes coverd by glass for the light to shine through. but the back was open, about 2 inch gap going along the whole back.

It sounds like you have the same type of lid that I did. Two lights, plastic cover, "punch out" slots in the back.
I'm sorry removing the lid didn't help! Again, I'm not sure how long it would take pH to change naturally...maybe 24-48 hours for it to completely stabilize....

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, i do mix my salt at least 24 hours before pwc.

It sounds like you have the same type of lid that I did. Two lights, plastic cover, "punch out" slots in the back

ya, except my light is all one...just a single tube running across the top, but now i took the top off, so the light strip is just sitting on top.

as far as flow tho...i've got 2 aquaclear...301's i think...i think they're the ac 30's now tho. But those are rated to 175. I've got one on the left about halfway to the bottom of tank, so thats not creating surface flow...then the other is on the other end at the top of water, probably not high enough, because its not agitating the water that much...just kinda heavy ripples i guess you could call it.

then i've got the fluval 304, which does 260 gph, and thats in about the middle, facing diaganally (more towards the front glass tho) kinda the same direction as the second ac 301. This is about 4 inches under water tho, so its not realy agitating the surface much.

So i'd rather not do the buffer since i'd have to add it so often. So i'll probably end up getting IO as my next salt, or maybe something similar (any recomendations would be good) Is that red sea salt any good? I really dislike most of their supplies, but i've never tried the salt.

 

[roka64]

You will definitely want to get som more surface agitation.
My fluvial 304 is barely below the surface of the water, just to the point it doesn't make any "gurgeling" noise. Sometimes I point it out of the water a little to move around the oily stuff on the surface, that seems to clear it up. I had to play around with the filter output and PH in order to find the right combo.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya i figured...and what are those things called where you can hook em' up to the return and like, twist it and bend it so you can make the flow go wherever? Is that was a spray bar is or is that something completely unrelated? The thing i'm thinkin of has a bunch of little plastic pieces connected and its bendable...its either black or charcoal grey...anyways, can i hook one of those up the return, and just point that upwards? because the return on the fluval...i cant change the angle its at.

thanks

 

[roka64]

I have seen those in someone's tank, but I don't know what they are called.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, i see em' all the time, but i dont know what they're called, or if i can put on on my fluval

 

[roka64]

Here it is:
http://www.petsolutions.com/Customflow+Water+System-I-88350128-I-C-42-C-.aspx

 

[sir_dudeguy]

holy cow! 50 bucks for THAT? i'd rather just go to home depot or somehting and make one lol.

 

[roka64]

Or use a crazy straw!!!!

 

[sir_dudeguy]

hahaha!!! ya that too lol. but does anyone know the size tubing the fluval uses? I've lost my book somewhere and i've been lookin for it all day.

 

[roka64]

I have been looking all over the place and can not find the demisnions of the outout, not even in the directions, they only give you a replacement part...you may just have to measeure it and go from there...