Switching salt brands? - Aquarium Advice

BigTruck6o2 · 04-11-2006, 03:59 PM

What kind of precautions do I need to take if any while switching brands of salt. I was gonna go from Kent, to IO..anything i should be careful with or watchout for? TIA

tecwzrd · 04-11-2006, 04:10 PM

I assume you will just be replacing the current SW with the new SW when you do a PWC. Kent usually has more ca then IO so you may have to supplement IO to get your ca reading up to 400. (add to PWC water, not the tank)

Other then that if switching I would stick with this salt for a while and not go back and forth between salts often.

Also make sure you mix the salt for 24 hour with a ph and bring up the tanks temp/sg/ph before adding to the tank.

Brenden · 04-11-2006, 04:27 PM

Just do it slowly with PWC's. If you do not have corals do not worry about supplementing CA.

BigTruck6o2 · 04-11-2006, 07:24 PM

Alright thank you.

cmor1701d · 04-12-2006, 10:51 AM

Why are switching? Price? or are you having low pH/alk problems with the Kent?
They seem to be having a problem recently.

BigTruck6o2 · 04-12-2006, 01:43 PM

Ive always heard good things about IO. And i have also heard about kent having problems so figured ill just switch. I could always use a buffer to get my Ph/alk up.

**melosu58** · 04-12-2006, 01:47 PM

I used to use IO but I`ve switched to oceanic because I can keep my calcium where it needs to be by just doing PWC. It was always low when I did IO.

Lagger · 04-12-2006, 03:44 PM

Then why not switch to IO Reef Crystals? It's basically IO with added calcium, but will still test low if using ro/di. Oceanic is the best for maintaining calcium levels with just PWC, like melosu58 said. Reef Crystals is what I'm using cause it's available and cheap, but I've heard great things also about Tropic Marine.

And why are you adding buffer for ph/alk? Is that the problem you're having currently with Kent? If so I would definitly switch.

zuzecawi · 04-14-2006, 05:59 PM

I'm not digging the Oceanic, I switched to it from Pacific Coast, and I'm going to switch back. The high calcium is great, but the low ph sucks pig butt. Even with buffer, I can't get my ph above 7.8 without exceeding 14dkh while using the Oceanic salt. I never had that problem with Red Sea when I used it, or with the Pacific Coast brand we have here. In addition to that, the Oceanic made my cyano take off and I had a lot more diatom-like growth after switching to it. Actually, I had great readings off the Pacific Coast, it just didn't have as high of cal-mag as the oceanic, and I thought I'd try the Oceanic. Shoulda stuck to what worked!!!

Brenden · 04-14-2006, 09:09 PM

I also switched from oceanic to IO because of PH issues. IO is also much cheaper in bulk.

04-11-2006, 03:59 PM	#1
BigTruck6o2 Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 85	Switching salt brands? What kind of precautions do I need to take if any while switching brands of salt. I was gonna go from Kent, to IO..anything i should be careful with or watchout for? TIA

04-11-2006, 04:10 PM	#2
tecwzrd Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: VA Posts: 3,152	I assume you will just be replacing the current SW with the new SW when you do a PWC. Kent usually has more ca then IO so you may have to supplement IO to get your ca reading up to 400. (add to PWC water, not the tank) Other then that if switching I would stick with this salt for a while and not go back and forth between salts often. Also make sure you mix the salt for 24 hour with a ph and bring up the tanks temp/sg/ph before adding to the tank. __________________ -Micah- If you haven't figured it out yet I like to BOLD links :P Vote for AA at Aqua Rank

04-11-2006, 04:27 PM	#3
Brenden Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Piedmont, NC Posts: 3,878 Images: 32	Just do it slowly with PWC's. If you do not have corals do not worry about supplementing CA. __________________ The fact that no one understands you doesn't make you an artist. If guns kill people...Spoons make Michael Moore fat.

04-12-2006, 10:51 AM	#5
cmor1701d Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 3,728 Images: 43	Why are switching? Price? or are you having low pH/alk problems with the Kent? They seem to be having a problem recently. __________________ Click here to Vote for Aquarium Advice on AquaRank . Vote EVERY day! Click Here for a list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations. ____ Cmor

04-12-2006, 01:47 PM	#7
melosu58 SW 10 yrs and over Community Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 11,986 Images: 73	I used to use IO but I`ve switched to oceanic because I can keep my calcium where it needs to be by just doing PWC. It was always low when I did IO. __________________ View My Tanks Click here to Visit FantasyReef

04-11-2006, 07:24 PM	#4
BigTruck6o2 Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 85	Alright thank you.

04-12-2006, 01:43 PM	#6
BigTruck6o2 Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 85	Ive always heard good things about IO. And i have also heard about kent having problems so figured ill just switch. I could always use a buffer to get my Ph/alk up.

04-12-2006, 03:44 PM	#8
Lagger Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 148 Images: 3	Then why not switch to IO Reef Crystals? It's basically IO with added calcium, but will still test low if using ro/di. Oceanic is the best for maintaining calcium levels with just PWC, like melosu58 said. Reef Crystals is what I'm using cause it's available and cheap, but I've heard great things also about Tropic Marine. And why are you adding buffer for ph/alk? Is that the problem you're having currently with Kent? If so I would definitly switch.

04-14-2006, 05:59 PM	#9
zuzecawi Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Salem, OR Posts: 269 Images: 7	I'm not digging the Oceanic, I switched to it from Pacific Coast, and I'm going to switch back. The high calcium is great, but the low ph sucks pig butt. Even with buffer, I can't get my ph above 7.8 without exceeding 14dkh while using the Oceanic salt. I never had that problem with Red Sea when I used it, or with the Pacific Coast brand we have here. In addition to that, the Oceanic made my cyano take off and I had a lot more diatom-like growth after switching to it. Actually, I had great readings off the Pacific Coast, it just didn't have as high of cal-mag as the oceanic, and I thought I'd try the Oceanic. Shoulda stuck to what worked!!! __________________ Only thing more dangerous than a 2nd lieutenant saying "In my experience" is a warrant officer saying "Hey guys, check this out!"

04-14-2006, 09:09 PM	#10
Brenden Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Piedmont, NC Posts: 3,878 Images: 32	I also switched from oceanic to IO because of PH issues. IO is also much cheaper in bulk. __________________ The fact that no one understands you doesn't make you an artist. If guns kill people...Spoons make Michael Moore fat.

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