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Anyone use the NEW Kent reef salt?


TRENT

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If I had to do it over again, I would have stuck with Instant Ocean and dosed my tank as needed, I am very hesitant now using salt that has "extras" in it already, often times things settle, they have bad batches of salt, ect., I personally like to control what I put into my tank and how much.

 

Also if I had to do it over again, and actually did change salt, I would do it very slowly over a period of time, going from salt that has min. things like Calcium, Magnesium, ect. to a salt that is high in concentration of these things I don't think is good for the corals, I learned the hard way and had been using Instant ocean for the past year and things grew very quickly and all was very well, I dosed a little here and there and the corals where very happy, I then setup a tank with all new water using Reef Crystals, and within 24 hours of the corals being in the water they where shocked and dying, it was too much too fast, they went from lower magnesium and alk of like 7 to really high magnesium and alk of like 10, I bet if I had slowly converted the tank from plain ol Instant Ocean to Reef Crystals over time it would have been much less of a problem.

 

I have heard the new Kent Reef Salt is REALLY high in Calcium and Magnesium...It sounds good, but I don't know(scratch) It scares me.....I personally really liked Instant Ocean, and will probably be going back to it, I like the lower levels, and being able to dose as I go....

 

Here is a link to the new Kent Reef Salt showing the specs...

 

http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23888&page=6

 

Someone said they tested thiers and it was testing at 560 ca, 12 dkh and 1400 mg at 1.026, those seem really high don't they?

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Is it a new mix?

Or just a new look bucket?

 

But I use it and like it!

 

Yes it's suppose to be a new formula?

 

If I had to do it over again, I would have stuck with Instant Ocean and dosed my tank as needed, I am very hesitant now using salt that has "extras" in it already, often times things settle, they have bad batches of salt, ect., I personally like to control what I put into my tank and how much.

 

Also if I had to do it over again, and actually did change salt, I would do it very slowly over a period of time, going from salt that has min. things like Calcium, Magnesium, ect. to a salt that is high in concentration of these things I don't think is good for the corals, I learned the hard way and had been using Instant ocean for the past year and things grew very quickly and all was very well, I dosed a little here and there and the corals where very happy, I then setup a tank with all new water using Reef Crystals, and within 24 hours of the corals being in the water they where shocked and dying, it was too much too fast, they went from lower magnesium and alk of like 7 to really high magnesium and alk of like 10, I bet if I had slowly converted the tank from plain ol Instant Ocean to Reef Crystals over time it would have been much less of a problem.

 

 

 

I have heard the new Kent Reef Salt is REALLY high in Calcium and Magnesium...It sounds good, but I don't know(scratch) It scares me.....I personally really liked Instant Ocean, and will probably be going back to it, I like the lower levels, and being able to dose as I go....

 

ReefSafari, good point. I have been slowly switching over. It will take around two months before it's a full concentrate of Kent's Marine Reef salt. I want to gear more toward SPS corals. Knowing this I know I need to get my Calcium and Magnesium up. I have BRS 2 part dosing but waiting till the kent's salt is in their a few months before messing with it. Just wanted to see if this was a good salt. I have Salifert test kits ordered so I should be able to tell when everything has leveled out and go from their.

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I hate to disagree with david, but I honestly feel his problem was he didn't let the tank cycle, with all new water, he was going to have a cycle, albeit a small one, but still a cycle, and I feel that was what killed off his corals. The way you're doing it, just whenever you do water changes, just do the changes now with the kent salt, you should be just fine doing it that way, shouldnt take more than a couple months max, depending on how often and how big your water changes are, and how big your system.

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I don't think it is REALLY high in Mg and Ca but it's higher than thier old blend. Reefsafari if I had to guess from what you said happened in your new tank set-up experience I would say the sudden Alk change is probably what did your corals in (especially if it was SPS) and not the Mg, although its not recommened to raise Mg more than 100ppm per 24hrs. I personally like to have a salt contain a higher Mg level so I don't end up having to buy lbs and lbs of Mg cloride. Since a 15% to 20% water change for me with say regular Instant Ocean would require about a pound of Mg cloride and about 3/4 cup of Mg sulfate to get my levels back up to 1400ppm min. 1500ppm max. Also some tanks with alot of SPS in them go through Mg like you wouldn't believe so we're already having to add a ton, just ask Tim the next time your in his shop how much Mg he has to dose DAILY in his show tank. As far as Ca I'm kinda split although I do like being able to change my water and not have to figure out where all my levels are at afterwards and then mix and add an additive, retest and so on until the values are where they were. I use a Ca reactor and there is no way of really telling if the paticular salt/additive is ionically balanced (Ca cloride vs sulfate) as people who dose a two part will require a different mixture of these two as opposed to someone who uses a Ca reactor in order to keep an ionic balance. I do like that Microbelift has come out with a salt especially for use with Ca reactors but I haven't tried it. Just nice to know that some manufacturer is thinking about this verry issue. There are as many of different types of salt mixtures as there are ways of "running" a saltwater tank and different systems are going to require different mixes inorder to satisfiy thier requirements. I just think its cheaper and eaiser for me to have my salt contain the majority of the needed elements.

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I hate to disagree with david' date=' but I honestly feel his problem was he didn't let the tank cycle, with all new water, he was going to have a cycle, albeit a small one, but still a cycle, and I feel that was what killed off his corals. The way you're doing it, just whenever you do water changes, just do the changes now with the kent salt, you should be just fine doing it that way, shouldnt take more than a couple months max, depending on how often and how big your water changes are, and how big your system.[/quote']

 

I'm also trying to use up my old salt (IO). My system is a 120 gallon DT with a 30 gallon sump. I do 20 gallon WC every two weeks religiously. Sound about right?

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I'm also trying to use up my old salt (IO). My system is a 120 gallon DT with a 30 gallon sump. I do 20 gallon WC every two weeks religiously. Sound about right?

 

If you are liking the results of your 20g WCs on your 150g system every 2 weeks and nothing bad has been occuring, then it sounds right!

 

Your eyes will be the first to tell you something isn't right. And as long as you are happy thats all thats important.

 

PS- mix up the 2 salts as you do WCs just as Mick suggested.

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I love the new Kent. It seems to work just as well as the old stuff. I think it might just be the old stuff with a better looking label and maybe a few increased lvls?

 

Anyhow, I have lots in for you next time you visit Trent :)

 

Sweet, I was going to PM you and see if you carrie that Brand of salt. I'm overdue for a visit. Need to save up some monies to come pay you a visit.;)

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I'm not a fan of IO but have been using the old kent reef and switched to the new my last bucket. I did notice a higher Cal level and it seems to work well for me. I just wanted to say that Mike is right about "your eye's " tell you when to do a change. This is probbable the biggest thing I have learned after all these years reefing. Nothing works better then really looking at the tank...........It will tell you when it's HAPPY and SAD.

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