# New Salt Mix



## chufo (May 2, 2012)

What's up everyone!!!! So I just bought a new salt mix I decided to try the Kent Marine reef salt. I just want to see if anyone has any insight on this product, and if anyone has used or is currently using it?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Not one of my favorites. Had issues in the past with it being inconsistant. But, haven't talked with anyone who is currently using it. Just curious though, what were yoiu using that you switched? And why did you switch.


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## chufo (May 2, 2012)

Thank you very much. Just a better bargain 200g for about the same price for 160g of coralife mix. I've heard its very good for reefs so that was one of my biggest reasons I got it.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Double check the MAG, ALK, Calcium and such, based on the salts you are chosing. Match up the numbers, not what they say they are giving you.


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## chufo (May 2, 2012)

I see what your saying but all salts instructions say the same thing or are u saying that I should match my water that I mix to the tank water?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

No, they add so much of this, and so much of that, make sure your not being shorted out of Trace Elements or anything that was in your other salt, that this salt mix does not have.


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## chufo (May 2, 2012)

Ohhhh very good advice didn't think about that but I will look at that thanks once again. Thank you very much


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

chufo said:


> Ohhhh very good advice didn't think about that but I will look at that thanks once again. Thank you very much


*w2


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

I've been using it for awhile and I haven't had any issues. Corals are thriving.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Sasquatch said:


> I've been using it for awhile and I haven't had any issues. Corals are thriving.


What does your Calcium, ALK, Mag read out at on a WC, if I can ask.


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> What does your Calcium, ALK, Mag read out at on a WC, if I can ask.


Last time I used a test kit was about 6 months ago. I don't remember the exact numbers but was in the proper range.
I do know the corals are growing and the shrimp and crabs molt often.


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

Ive been using Reef Crystals for 5 years now..has the right mag, cal, and alk for me..dont see a reason to change..if it isnt broke ..dont fix it..i have never used kents but ive heard bad things about it from my fellow reefers here..but that doesnt go with the fact they used one brand of salt for years and switched to that and didnt like the results of one salt mixture so they trashed it..so i would say use it for awhile..let corls get acculimated to it..if you like it keep using it..if you dont switch back..but i would do a alk, cal, and mag test right after a wc..im curiuos to know what the numbers are as i have heard they are low.

Rick


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

whitetiger61 said:


> Ive been using Reef Crystals for 5 years now..has the right mag, cal, and alk for me..dont see a reason to change..if it isnt broke ..dont fix it..i have never used kents but ive heard bad things about it from my fellow reefers here..but that doesnt go with the fact they used one brand of salt for years and switched to that and didnt like the results of one salt mixture so they trashed it..so i would say use it for awhile..let corls get acculimated to it..if you like it keep using it..if you dont switch back..but i would do a alk, cal, and mag test right after a wc..im curiuos to know what the numbers are as i have heard they are low.
> 
> Rick


I used reef crystals before I tried Kent...Ive notice no difference. Im sure if there was a issue with kents before it could have possibly been fixed. My corals are growing so much Im running out of room..The only one that hasnt grown that I can tell is the acropora but I have to say that its because I dont have adequate lighting for it...I have hand coral that I frag out all the time and sometimes have to throw it away cause it just grows so fast...Xenia, frog spawn, galaxia, shrooms and whisker corals have tripled in size since I got them about 4 to 5 months ago. Next time I do a water change I will try and get some numbers for you. take into considerastion I keep my salt level at .25 to .26.


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

Glad everythingis working for you..They could have worked it out..and like i said ive never used it so i wont say anything bad about it..im just telling you what my fellow reefers hwere telling me.But for me..like i said if it isnt broke dont fix it..i will stay with reef crystals.

Rick


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> What does your Calcium, ALK, Mag read out at on a WC, if I can ask.


I made some new water today with Kent Reef Salt. My Test kit doesnt have a test for Magnesium but the Calcium is 500 @ 1.024 and the KH is 179ppm.

Hope this helps.
Phosphates, nitrates at 0 with RO/DI water.

This is the salt out of the 5 gallon bucket. I understand the smaller bags are more consistant (I dont know why, just what I heard).

Squatch


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Sasquatch said:


> I made some new water today with Kent Reef Salt. My Test kit doesnt have a test for Magnesium but the Calcium is 500 @ 1.024 and the KH is 179ppm.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> Phosphates, nitrates at 0 with RO/DI water.
> ...


WOW, those numbers are high for a fresh mix.
What do you have in your system that needs 500 CA and and ALK of 10DKH?
Also, have you tested your RO/DI for those numbers? What is your TDS on the RO/DI?


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> WOW, those numbers are high for a fresh mix.
> What do you have in your system that needs 500 CA and and ALK of 10DKH?
> Also, have you tested your RO/DI for those numbers? What is your TDS on the RO/DI?



I dont know if anything needs that but thats what the test shows. RO/DI meter reads 0 TDS. 

I have acropora, galaxia, frog spawn lots of softies......Everything thrives


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Sasquatch said:


> I dont know if anything needs that but thats what the test shows. RO/DI meter reads 0 TDS.
> 
> I have acropora, galaxia, frog spawn lots of softies......Everything thrives


Right on. Just goes to show you, that the numbers given don't have to be exact.


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Right on. Just goes to show you, that the numbers given don't have to be exact.


I figure everything will grow accustom as long as you keep everything stable. I havent had any corals die in my tank except for the dang hand coral which grows so fast I have to peal it off the rocks and sides of the tank and throw it in the trash.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Well, kinda stable. At some point the parameters will kill corals. Like, 500 CA is pretty high, and is recommended not to get above 480. But, I would think if you got to much more above that, that you might have issues.


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Well, kinda stable. At some point the parameters will kill corals. Like, 500 CA is pretty high, and is recommended not to get above 480. But, I would think if you got to much more above that, that you might have issues.


Well,,I did what I said I would do as far as parameters on kent reef salt. I dont have issues and havent had any since my first hundred gallon back in the mid 80s. Im fairly new to the forums but not to fish keeping. The book says one thing and thats fine....Im not having issues with it. All things I say are from my experiences and from the way I do things (which I dont tell everybody everything)..Best way to learn is to try it..I did and I believe its just as good as any other salt (IMHO). I bought all frags when I started my 29 nano and now I dont have room from the growth my corals have undergone. I havent used that test kit in over 6 months so Who knows if it is accurate. I dont use it since I do regular water changes....Anyways I have had good luck with it. Doesnt matter if you use it or not since the other brands are only 5 to 10 dollars more its not really an issue..If your happy with what your using dont change. Im certainly not trying to sell it to you.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Sasquatch said:


> Well,,I did what I said I would do as far as parameters on kent reef salt. I dont have issues and havent had any since my first hundred gallon back in the mid 80s. Im fairly new to the forums but not to fish keeping. The book says one thing and thats fine....Im not having issues with it. All things I say are from my experiences and from the way I do things (which I dont tell everybody everything)..Best way to learn is to try it..I did and I believe its just as good as any other salt (IMHO). I bought all frags when I started my 29 nano and now I dont have room from the growth my corals have undergone. I havent used that test kit in over 6 months so Who knows if it is accurate. I dont use it since I do regular water changes....Anyways I have had good luck with it. Doesnt matter if you use it or not since the other brands are only 5 to 10 dollars more its not really an issue..If your happy with what your using dont change. Im certainly not trying to sell it to you.


No worries my man. Easy does it here. The books are just for that, a starting point. Not saying everyone has to use those numbers. Not at all. Just said, at some point, those numbers will kill some things.


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> No worries my man. Easy does it here. The books are just for that, a starting point. Not saying everyone has to use those numbers. Not at all. Just said, at some point, those numbers will kill some things.


I never had any worries,,Just a healthy reply which is my opinion mainly. It certainly isnt killing anything in my tank...That test kit could be off 20 ppm.
My 2 cents. What it boils down to is that with all the different salts Ive tried Kent is no better or any worse and once again this has been just my experience.
If you are curious about it then try it for yourself.. if it was killing things it wouldnt be on the shelf.

For you ladies out there it works good for a dermal scrub! LOL also my opinion and I do use a little just for that at times!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Was curious about what the numbes came out to. Also, it may not be any better or any worse, but, at least with Instant Ocean, I dose the Calcium needed to get the water to 420, and dose whats needed on the other ends so that my numbers are not high. I've just never heard of the numbers being that high from others. I don't believe that I've even heard of Reef Crystals being that high in reguards to those numbers. Long ago, I talked with a guy who sold Clams, and his Calcium he set at 520, but the reason was, that these babies eat alot of it, and need alot of it to survive. And it only took 3-5 days for them to knock it completely down under 420. Just my observations.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

Dont forget to shake the bags before pouring the salt.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

IMHO if you're doing the diy two part to maintain calcium/ alk/ magnesium, then any of the commercial salt mixes are fine. *old dude

my .02


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> IMHO if you're doing the diy two part to maintain calcium/ alk/ magnesium, then any of the commercial salt mixes are fine. *old dude
> 
> my .02


Ah but we aren't. We are talking about what the salt mixes have, and what levels they come out to...........


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