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TROPIC MARIN SALT (1 Viewer)

reef crystals are little different. IO is good for FO. This is all I have used fro the past 10 yrs, many others have too. Fritz, Ken Silvey, Scott Olson and Harve for instance. Top end guys, and they use is exclusively. I think you are overpaying, dude. RC goes for about 39.00 for a 160 pail, locally. You don't even have to pay for shipping! And yes, I think 10 gal aweek is overkill, 1% daily is Ideal. David Griggor is the king on this one. Skimming is the most important factor to keep a clean tank.

Chuck
 
I would like a tang but does anybody have any ideas of which kind besides a yellow tang, something a little different.
 
Since this has strayed off of the OP, the reason I haven't switched to Reef Crystals is because I've read that some of the supplements that have been added to it probably should be kept in oxygenated water to maintain their potency. I like to mix up big batches of saltwater and keep it for a while but I don't like having to keep an aerator on my maxi-jet mixing powehread for weeks, it's a little noisy.

Maybe I'm mis-rembering or misunderstanding but I think that's what I read on RC from Randy Holmes-Farley.
 
If you like Tropic Marin, use it. There are differences in salt mixes, some are well documented others not. Yes, there are some 70 trace elements and little is known about the organisms utilization of them. There are some that are used, some that accumulate. The impact? Unknown. Measurement of these trace elements, very challenging. I wouldn't use IO if you paid me. I keep myn params close to NSW, IO and RC are both out.

Just because two salts are made in the same plant doesn't mean they are the same formula.
 
I used some Tropic Marin for awhile last summer (I got some free at a trade show). All of my stony corals went nuts. Now, as with anything in this hobby, you gotta take results with a grain of salt. There are other factors that changed also - I got a new heater/controller so my temps were more stable, I also switched bulbs about a month before also. However, after I ran out of the TM, my growth definitely slowed. I liked it, but can't afford it my any means.

As for the 70 trace elements......I feel it's a bit misleading to advertise "We have over 70...." because as Matt said, the impact of the elements isn't well understood. Chemical analysis of coral skeletons shows some elements besides calcium, alk, mag, but to what extent are these elements NEEDED for coral development, and to what extent are they just included in the skeleton because they are there and it would be hard NOT to include them?

Bottom line, if you find a salt that seems to work for you, and you can stomach the bill keep rolling with it!
 
curlyq said:
I used some Tropic Marin for awhile last summer (I got some free at a trade show). All of my stony corals went nuts. Now, as with anything in this hobby, you gotta take results with a grain of salt. There are other factors that changed also - I got a new heater/controller so my temps were more stable, I also switched bulbs about a month before also. However, after I ran out of the TM, my growth definitely slowed. I liked it, but can't afford it my any means.

As for the 70 trace elements......I feel it's a bit misleading to advertise "We have over 70...." because as Matt said, the impact of the elements isn't well understood. Chemical analysis of coral skeletons shows some elements besides calcium, alk, mag, but to what extent are these elements NEEDED for coral development, and to what extent are they just included in the skeleton because they are there and it would be hard NOT to include them?

Bottom line, if you find a salt that seems to work for you, and you can stomach the bill keep rolling with it!
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IMHO, trace elements are necessary. It's less that they may be deposited, but more important what are the cellular processes that require specific trace elements. A good example, though not a trace element, is Potassium, K. A couple of years ago, many of us who were keeping heavily dominated SPS and running probiotic systems noticed that at time, the corals would look very bad, especially Montipora (looked "dry"). Sure enough some aquarist with a colorimeter (in Germany) tested and found K to be low. When K levels were supplemented back to NSW params, the "dryness" of the Montiporas disappeared. NO ONE knew the impact of low K levels, the scientific literature shows that there are a couple of key biological processes that require K. Thankfully, there are a couple of test kits in the hobbyist market now.

This simply illustrates how little is known about elements (other than the basics- Ca, Mg, alkalinity, pH) impact our corals. There are a lot pet theories about specific trace elements (Iodine seems to be one of those), that perpetuate in the hobby, with little understanding of why, how, and the actual science behind them. IMHO, trace elements ARE very important to maintain at NSW levels. Also note, that Cu (Copper) is one of those trace elements that are vital for corals as well :) So too much isn't necessarily a good thing either, at some point there is a toxicity.
 
The Pro-Reef is meant to be used with a CA Reactor or fow those wanting to have a lower NSW. The Regular is for normal use and will be fine for most people not-keeping sps.

Pro Has higher CA, lower ALK, higher MG
 
FastFish720 said:
The Pro-Reef is meant to be used with a CA Reactor or fow those wanting to have a lower NSW. The Regular is for normal use and will be fine for most people not-keeping sps.

Pro Has higher CA, lower ALK, higher MG
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That's how they are positioning their salt?!? I don't see how a Ca Rx fits into that positioning at all. You'll need some sort of Ca/alk supplement. I also didn't think that it was very high in Mg. Everytime I tested it, it was ~1250ppm, which is the lower end of values found in NSW.
 
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