# Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Experiences



## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

Just wondering what others experiences are with this product?

Its what I've been using because it's the only salt mix that my LFS carry, and found that all the parameters are in check except for calcium at 360 ppm.

dkH - 10 (kH - 180 ppm)
pH - 8.0 lights out 8.1 lights on
Mg - 1350 ppm


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I use reef crystal religously.Can't remember last time I tested the traces in my mix but it is supposed to be higher than most in calcium?
all the numbers you got are good,but the CA is on the bottom end of good.Ph definately should be read during the day.
Do you have a lid on your tank?definately need to have O2 exchange on salt systems as even a lid will increase co2 retention and lower the pH.
Didn't see SG?


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

I know reef cyrstals are supposed to have increased calcium thats why I found it odd that the reading came in at 360 ppm. I mix SG to 1.025 at 77F because the bag says their tests results are done at that temp. I do my SG reading (w/jbj refractometer) at that temp then Ill raise it to my tank temp. My tank temp since putting in the aqueon pro heater keeps the tank temp at 78.5 F (doesn't budge off that number). I wouldn't think a degree should throw off calcium that much. 

I haven't actually tested a fresh batch. I've tested my tank parameters for close to 2 weeks along side 10g WC's every 3 days doing testing before and the day after the WC. Everytime I test the day after the tank reads 360 ppm. I found out my tank uptakes 20 ppm of calcium over 3 days. So at roughly 6.6 ppm a day uptake being taken into account the reef crystals are still coming in low. 

As for pH, my tank is open top. Do you think between the open top, jabeo wp10 wave maker, intake slightly pointed up towards the surface, overflow pipe being above the water in the sumps (so it splashes) and Tunze 9002 protein skimmer is sufficient O2 exchange? I fried the cheap LED fixture on the sump the other day and haven't had a light on the sump. Where before I ran my sump and display lights in alternate.

Maybe its just my bag, maybe I'm doing something wrong.....idk! Just thought I would ask to see if anyone else has had the same thing happen to them. I'm not worried though, I just picked up a bottle of Kent's Liquid calcium today, after using the online calculator Im slowly starting to raise the calcium levels.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I use kent turbo calcium.My tank(the 75) eats CA and kH like mad!
I would run a test on a batch before you add it to your tank just to see?
All my reading(I'm no where near as knowledgable as ReefingMadness),says that there really is no benefit to increased calcium(could even cause precipitation problems).
I used to drip my DKH and Ca continously to hold it steady,but it really doesn't stay mixed very well even in 2 gallons of ro/di,so I just buff weekly.Some have said the small swings(I try not to topp off tank untill necessary also) are not the worst thing.
My 75 doesn't do nearly as well as my 120,but the difference of what I do for each is very hard to figure out.It really has to be mechanical or that my 120 has ozone?


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> I use kent turbo calcium.My tank(the 75) eats CA and kH like mad!
> I would run a test on a batch before you add it to your tank just to see?
> All my reading(I'm no where near as knowledgable as ReefingMadness),says that there really is no benefit to increased calcium(could even cause precipitation problems).
> I used to drip my DKH and Ca continously to hold it steady,but it really doesn't stay mixed very well even in 2 gallons of ro/di,so I just buff weekly.Some have said the small swings(I try not to topp off tank untill necessary also) are not the worst thing.
> My 75 doesn't do nearly as well as my 120,but the difference of what I do for each is very hard to figure out.It really has to be mechanical or that my 120 has ozone?


Ya ill have to test a fresh batch in a couple days just to see what its at. I wanted turbo calcium but went to 3 different stores and only found just the regular liquid calcium. Im just going to buffer my system until I get the system heavily stocked with LPS/SPS and can monitor a kalk reactor with a neptune apex. Ozone definitely makes a difference haha.


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## tike (Nov 10, 2008)

I use reef crystals and love what it has done so far. The main reason i switched to it was for the higher levels of cal and alk. It is strange yours is testing at 360ppm, I have a brute tub i keep with 35 gallons of freshly mixed marine mix and it always tests at 420ppm!


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

Ya it is very odd! I made sure I mixed the bag up before I mixed also. I did the calcium test 3 times on the during the day, just to make sure I was reading the color change correctly because my house lights will throw off the color having the old 100 watt bulbs before they were banned from production.


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## tike (Nov 10, 2008)

What test kit are you using? How old is it?


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

tike said:


> What test kit are you using? How old is it?


Salifert and "brand new" bought the tests 2-3 weeks ago, expiration dates, off the top of my head without a doubt have minimally 2 years before they expire.


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## tike (Nov 10, 2008)

I am using salifert also......very strange!!


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