Red Sea Coral Pro

[Mental1]

So I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro because I was getting alk readings of 6 with TM BioActif. Probably did that 6 to 7 months ago. Now suddenly everything is looking bad, lost several hammers, SPS is looking terrible. Tested Alk and it was 7.5, Calcium was 500. Cleaned and restocked the calcium reactor. I hadn't tested Mag in a while so I tested it -- 2250! I am so sick of salt mixes that have no consistency! I am so frustrated.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think that 2250 ppm magnesium is very likely testing error, unless you tested just a small part of a batch that had settled extensively.

What brand kit?

[Mental1]

Randy -- it is a Salifert test kit. I tested with 3 different kits -- several were older and they had much higher readings -- like 2800. I tested the water like 5 times. The 2250 was from the most recently purchased Salifert kit. My first thought was what have I screwed up and tested again.

I don't have another brand of test kit but will get someone else to test my water. And no -- this was water directly from the system so not a settled batch. Some of these corals I have had a very long time so was not sure why they were suddenly dying. Not a happy child -- and no brown jelly on the hammers.

[Mental1]

In addition, I have an acro that weathered the BioActif low alk storm and did not change color -- stayed a very deep dark green. It is now going brown. The tank looks terrible.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you used these magnesium kits to get lower readings in the past?

Doing water changes with a lower magnesium mix is the only way to bring down high magnesium.

[doctorgori]

I am so sick of salt mixes that have no consistency! I am so frustrated

Wow...sorry to see this...
I often follow these salt brand threads, and there are many... I do so to figure out why people switch brands, have issues with some and claim success with others

I'm not being flippant when I'm trying to figure out the value-add cost/benefit from purchasing additional "stuff" in your salt mix vs. testing-dosing-testing after the fact with additives (like 2part, magnesium, reef fuels, et)

I'm not a shill for Instant Ocean, I'm just trying to figure out whats so magical about the more expensive salt mixes vs. I/O

[rtparty]

There are quite a few local reefers who are having issues and can't figure out the issues but they all seem to use Red Sea Coral Pro salt as well.

I have never used it and have never seen a reason to. It sounds like a knock off of Reef Crystals with inflated parameters that do me no good. I used Reef Crystals for a year and it was the worse experience in this hobby for me.

I now use ESV B-Ionic salt and love it. I don't even test my make up water anymore because there is nothing to settle and my tests always come out spot on.

ESV's approach makes the most sense to me. Dry mixes can settle and have to mixed up before you use them. ESV separated the parts out and you add them in yourself. It took me less than 20 minutes to do a 10% water change last night and that includes all the clean up and put away.

I too hated the inconsistencies I had with other salt mixes. That is why I switched around. I have never used plain old Instant Ocean and don't plan to. Instant Ocean, the company, had its chance with me with Reef Crystals. If they can't get that right, I don't expect to like their other stuff either. ESV isn't that expensive when you break down that you actually get 200g of water from a 200g mix. With D&D H2Ocean, I got nowhere near the advertised amounts.

Just my thoughts.

[Mental1]

Randy I have gotten lower readings in the past with the newer kit which is why this was so surprising to me. Maybe it's been 2 months since I tested for mag but the last time it was about 1300 -1400 IIRC. For it to get that high -- I have 400g, the salt mix has had to be way out of whack for quite a while. I have a calcium reactor but do not add mag. And no, I don't test my newly mixed water ... sigh. I stupidly trust.

Doctorgori -- for me there are 2 reasons for paying more for salt. #1 theoretically other than a calcium reactor I don't have to add anything else in #2 Consistent quality. Sigh, once again ... FAIL!

rtparty -- Ryan --I honestly don't know where to go with the whole salt issue. I used TM for years and then suddenly alk was in the basement and when I tested the mixed water I was getting alk of 5. The response from TM -- well everything is great in Europe. SO I went to the DD salt and heard that the Red Sea salt was a less expensive version of the DD - made the same way, same parameters etc. And now another FAIL!

So maybe I will consider ESV ... hmmmm

[maynardjames]

i found d&d was way overpriced & just like red sea coral pro. have set out on a quest for new mix just got some new microlift reef salt gonna give it a shot

[Mental1]

I have got to decide something quickly because the only salt I have at home is red sea. So if it is indeed high and it is not a testing snafu, and as Randy says, water changes are the only thing that is going to change it, then I need a new salt asap.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd select a new salt type, get a batch, and see what the magnesium reads on it.

[Mental1]

I agree. Maybe I will try that ESV salt. Hmmm. And yes. test test test. New test kit too. I have a friend coming over on Thursday to test the water with a different kit. Will be interesting to see what he gets.

[klepto]

Originally Posted by Mental1

I agree. Maybe I will try that ESV salt. Hmmm. And yes. test test test. New test kit too. I have a friend coming over on Thursday to test the water with a different kit. Will be interesting to see what he gets.

Check out Seachem's Aquavitro "Salinity" salt.
While it does produce quite a bit of precipitate, I have been very happy with the numbers and how stable my tank's parameters have been using this salt. It is affordable and comes in a whopping 225 gallon container. I like the fact that they are printing batch specific parameter labels on each bucket. I know of a couple other successful mixed reef tanks in my area that have been using Salinity for a while now. The good reviews and price point caught my attention.

I used a full bucket of Red Sea's Coral Pro with mixed results. The 12.2dKH alkalinity levels were far too high for my liking. Something more towards the 9-10 dKH range (ie Salinity) is ideal for my situation. I doubt I will go back to Red Sea's salts. I don't have experience with the ESV, but hear lots of positive feedback.

[Hudzon]

just a quick question for those that are having issues with red sea coral pro, are you mixing the salt every time before adding it to your mix up water. There is quite a bit of separation and if you don't mix it well before adding to your water by the time you get near the bottom you will be way off on parameters

[Reef264]

It seems like everytime I switch salt brands, To the brand "everyone" loved.A month or so later after I have bought 200 gallons worth, everyone hates it because they are having issues with it.Case and point...This thread.

[bertoni]

There are a lot of complaints about salt products! Sigh!

[MammothReefer]

I ran into the same issue, gave up and switched back to IO and everything just works with a little mag buffer. No more designer salts for me.

[Mental1]

It's really frustrating as I am losing lots of corals that I have had for a very long time. It seems as if the Euphyllias are very sensitive to high mag. I am also losing acros, chalices, and sponges. Many have been in my tank and have thrived. I knew something was wrong but did not suspect the mag.

Hudzon - I don't know how to mix a 200g bag of salt! Not only that but the settling can be a batch issue and not just that particular container so mixing would not make a difference.

I am kind of stuck right now as I can't seem to easily locate ESV. My LFS guy is on it but the shipping is ridiculous. I don't want to do lots of different salts and I need to do a water change now. I have used TM in the past so perhaps one water change with that and buffering the alk will work.

[MammothReefer]

Just get some IO and do some good size water changes. You may have to buffer the mag but outside of that it just works. No gimmick, no "voodoo sauce" claims, it's cheap and effective.

Thread about my recovery -
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2109831

My Logs talking about the decline and recovery (see nov/11 for RSCP usage)-
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...llSWTZ3QkhiLVE

My useless thread on the Red Sea forum

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2091816

[kenith]

Originally Posted by Mental1

It's really frustrating as I am losing lots of corals that I have had for a very long time. It seems as if the Euphyllias are very sensitive to high mag. I am also losing acros, chalices, and sponges. Many have been in my tank and have thrived. I knew something was wrong but did not suspect the mag.

Hudzon - I don't know how to mix a 200g bag of salt! Not only that but the settling can be a batch issue and not just that particular container so mixing would not make a difference.

I am kind of stuck right now as I can't seem to easily locate ESV. My LFS guy is on it but the shipping is ridiculous. I don't want to do lots of different salts and I need to do a water change now. I have used TM in the past so perhaps one water change with that and buffering the alk will work.

Get it from md. Free shipping over $175

[Mental1]

Thanks Kenith -- I saw that but did not have that much budgeted right now! Just bought 2 big bags of the res sea salt.

So a reefer buddy came by with his test kit -- it was Red Sea - and he got 1600. He also brought some water to a LFS and they got 1600 too. So my Salifert test kit is not testing accurately. It is still to high but not high enough to explain the coral losses. I am stumped.

[troyman]

have good luck with reef crystals i thought brightwell salt stunk

[Mental1]

Mammouth -- all I can say is wow. So I guess I really just need to stop using this salt. I had bad luck with IO so I don't think I will go that way. Need to figure out what to do this weekend though. Have to do a water change!

[HurricaneSystem]

Mental,

I am usually a big fan of RSCP salt as I have used it for years. I moved away from it and saw a decline in some of my corals. So I switched back to it gradually and saw my corals start to develop some burn. I never had any mixing issues or anything like that, but my nitrate went up just from a water change, strangely.

So getting to the point, I just switched to Reef Crystals, the 160 gallon bucket, and my corals, levels, etc. are pretty much perfect. I think RC gets a bad name sometimes for whatever reason, but I am pretty impressed with the levels and how my system is responding to it. Might want to give it a shot.

[bnumair]

i agree with OP. i used to use red sea coral pro. they claim on the bucket dkh of 12 but its not. it always ranges from low 6 to 7at high. i lost a tank due to this and i switched to DD-H2ocean. i am very happy with the change. mag was above 1600 as well.