Seachem Reef Salt

[Doug]

Recently when in Winnipeg to pick up the new tank, the store had Seachem Reef Salt in stock for a decent price. A friend had switched to it and loved the results.
So I took a couple buckets. I have been using IO for umpteen yrs. and adding the calcium & magnesium, following Chemmaster,s plan.
Just mixed a new batch of Seachem.

Mixed very well,
Calcium @ 500ppm w/both Salifert & Elos test kits.
Magnesium @ 1350ppm w/ Salifert
Alkalinity @ 9dkh w/ Elos.

Salinity was 1.026 w/ 2 full measuring cups.

So far impressed. Tomm. water change time.

[Madreefer]

Hope all works out for you. I tried a bucket of it a couple of years ago and for some reason my tank did not do too well. Switched back to IO ever since.

[Doug]

Hope all works out for you.

Thanks. I sure hope so also. My friend I mentioned was using IO, then switched to another top end brand. He has been having trouble with several thinks, including coralline growth. Since switching to SC, his coralline, amongst others things has picked up.

Guessing its the good levels of ca and mag. in the salt.

I have no problems with IO and adding the ca and mag but was curious about his results with Seachem. I think, :lol:, I used it a long time ago but perhaps they have improved the salt?

[Bryan]

When using SC it's best to keep you alk at 10% higher than you normally would. The product uses 4x the borate of NSW, their old formulation was 20X!!

[Doug]

When using SC it's best to keep you alk at 10% higher than you normally would. The product uses 4x the borate of NSW, their old formulation was 20X!!

Ah. I remember something about that. Guess I had better read up. What does the higher alk. do for the increased borate levels.

[Chaloupa]

I've used Seachem exclusively since I first started years ago...and LOVE IT! I use it on the store tanks too, and I gotta say it's great!

[George]

Ah. I remember something about that. Guess I had better read up. What does the higher alk. do for the increased borate levels.

Borate can interfere with alk reading ( alk reading is higher than its actual value). So keeping alk reading 10% higher than you normally would is a good idea for seachem salt.

[PoonTang]

I am currently getting rid of all the seachem salt in my tank with lots of extra water changes of IO. I think the seachem is the reason for all my poor PE problems.

[Rogue951]

I've started on sea chem just for a change about a month ago. I was warned of the high calcium and to not dose kalk or calcium additives (or cut in half) until I did more water changes to offset the old water.
so far that's holding true. no adverse affects yet.

[Bryan]

Ah. I remember something about that. Guess I had better read up. What does the higher alk. do for the increased borate levels.

The borate gives a alk test a false high reading, was quite a problem with the old salt mix at 20x borate. With the new formula of 4x borate and your alk tests at 3.0 meq/l, then it is likely only 2.8 meq/l, the borate is giving a slightly higher reading, so you would want to compensate and shoot for a alk test kit of around 3.2 meq/l. All explained on RC.

[Doug]

Wow. What a variety of different results.

Good to hear you're using it Sarah. Thanks for the alk. borate relationship info guys. I will read on it today. Rogue, I suspect thats the reason for my friends tank looking better. I,m not adding anymore additions to the salt mix with the Seachem and only drip kalk now plus a bit of reef builder for alk. now & then.
With my tank now mainly soft/lps corals, may cut the kalk dosing down until I see how the salt & water changes do. Even without a lot of sps corals, some of my rock is pretty old and layered in coralline, which still consumes a fair bit of calcium.

PoonTang, why do you think the Reef Salt is causing poor extension?

[PoonTang]

Wow. What a variety of different results.

Good to hear you're using it Sarah. Thanks for the alk. borate relationship info guys. I will read on it today. Rogue, I suspect thats the reason for my friends tank looking better. I,m not adding anymore additions to the salt mix with the Seachem and only drip kalk now plus a bit of reef builder for alk. now & then.
With my tank now mainly soft/lps corals, may cut the kalk dosing down until I see how the salt & water changes do. Even without a lot of sps corals, some of my rock is pretty old and layered in coralline, which still consumes a fair bit of calcium.

PoonTang, why do you think the Reef Salt is causing poor extension?

The PE problem seemed to coincide with a switch to Seachem salt when my local supplyer ran out of IO. Not 100% positive this is the problem but it is the avenue I am currently working on. Also Christy told me that she had to switch to Seachem once and ran into the same problem. 1/2 way through the pail it became "driveway salt" and she switched back to IO.

[christyf5]

The PE problem seemed to coincide with a switch to Seachem salt when my local supplyer ran out of IO. Not 100% positive this is the problem but it is the avenue I am currently working on. Also Christy told me that she had to switch to Seachem once and ran into the same problem. 1/2 way through the pail it became "driveway salt" and she switched back to IO.


Although I didn't know they had reduced the borate levels, not sure whether that was a factor but the pail I purchased was a number of years ago. I just don't trust it enough to try it again.