Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt

[MarkW19]

Has anyone had chance to try this yet? Is it really much better than the rest? I'm using Instant Ocean at the moment.

I plan to change over to a new salt with higher calcium levels etc. when I get my corals in a few weeks. I'll then be using only the new salt for each waterchange, until finally the whole tank is filled with the Tropic Marin (which I guess will take a few waterchanges).

A general question on salts: I guess they all give a different pH, but only a slight variation...

And, I currently put 775grams of Instant Ocean salt into my waterchange container, which gets the SG to 1.024 with the water I use.

Will the Tropic Marin salt be exactly the same levels, ie. I add 775g of it and I get 1.024 as I did with the other salt, or do different salt mixes vary in the amount you have to use to get the same SG?

Could the changeover to the new salt cause any problems in my tank? Everything is very stable at the moment and I dont want any of the parameters to change! pH is at 8.2 and very stable, etc.

Can different salts cause more or less evaporation, possibly?

 

[ReefRaff]

I can tell you this. You should change the salt over very slowley. like only 5 or ten percent water change each time.

 

[MarkW19]

OK - I guess I shouldn't be mixing salts though? ie. I do a 20% waterchange (as I usually do) and add 5% new Tropic Marin and 15% Instant Ocean?

 

[reefrunner69]

If there are no iverts in the tank...there should be no problem just switching to the tropic marin, if there are...then do not mix salts, just start off with smaller water changes with the new salt. FWIW, I have used TM for over a year and have been very happy with it, switched from IO

 

[MarkW19]

I have a blood shrimp, and 11 blue/red-legged hermits. No sessile's as yet.

10% waterchange every week then I guess, just using the new TM. That OK?

Any ideas on the amounts? Will I have to use more, or less, TM than IO to achieve the same SG?

 

[reefrunner69]

Your plan sounds fine to me. Should be about the same, I have no idea what the difference in density is.

 

[MarkW19]

I'm either going to do 10% waterchanges every week with the new salt over 12 weeks, then going back to my normal 20% every 2 weeks (as I'm doing with the IO now), or I'm going to just do the same amount I do now but use the new Tropic Marin, ie. 20% every 2 weeks.

I've been told most of the modern salts vary very little in this regard, and that simply switching to the new salt with the next full waterchange (ie. no need to do smaller ones) will be absolutely fine and won't upset anything.

Anyone? 8O

 

[reefrunner69]

There is the possibility it could adversly effect any inverts in the tank, it's happened before, it should not bother fish in the least.

 

[MarkW19]

So you'd recommend doing the 10% waterchanges every week for 12 weeks with the new salt, then reverting back to my usual 20% every 2 weeks?

 

[reefrunner69]

I'd actually do 5% every week for a month then go back to normal schedule.

 

[Shultz]

Mark,

got my TMRP today, just started a mix tonight, seems to mix real well I'll let you know if it requires the same amount of salt to get the same SG as the old one if you are interested?

Gonna test the Alk/Cal/Mag tomorrow night when its been mixing for 24hrs, you wanna know the results?

Cheers Shelton.

 

[MarkW19]

But, after 4 5% changes that'd only be 20% of the water changed to the new salt?

 

[reefrunner69]

Yep, your just getting them used to the difference, that is how I switched to tropic marin from IO and it worked fine.

 

[MarkW19]

Cool, thanks

 

[MarkW19]

So, 5% for 4 weeks then back to 20% every 2.

Shelton: Does it dissolve just as well as the IO?

I'd love to know the results - if it requires the same amount as the IO as far as SG, and how much more iodine/calcium/alk/mag it has in it over the IO!

 

[Shultz]

Shelton: Does it dissolve just as well as the IO?

I'd love to know the results - if it requires the same amount as the IO as far as SG, and how much more iodine/calcium/alk/mag it has in it over the IO!

Disolves well, although it wasn't clear after just 5 mins I could see the PH at the bottom of my container, this was cold water as well!

I'll give you the results tomorrow night once tested....

Cheers Shelton.

 

[MarkW19]

Shelton - cool, should be clear by now I guess?

Reefrunner: if I do the 5% every week for 4 weeks, that'll only be half the normal amount of water changed in my tank for that month, as opposed to the usual 40% (made up of 2 20% waterchanges)...this doesn't seem a lot!

 

[MarkW19]

Or will it be ok changing the smaller amount just for the 4 weeks, then going back to the normal 20% every 2 weeks after that?

 

[Shultz]

Did the tests on the TMRP salt a few mins ago, after 24hrs has mixed to totally clear:

Temp: 82f
SG: 1.025
PH: 8.4
Mg: 1250
Cal: 435
KH: 2.55/7.2

Surprised at the KH value, would have expected 3/8 really? What do you think to the mag level as that seems a tad low to me also?






Cheers Shelton.

 

[MarkW19]

Did you use the same amount of TMRP as IO to get the same SG mate?

And, is the pH the same as the IO?

Reefrunner: 5% every week for 4 weeks means only 20% of the water will be changed that month - it seems low?