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Just wondering if you oceanic folks are having any trouble with your CA readings.There is a thread on the salifert sponser thread over at Reef Central.The thread basis is that Oceanic uses distilled water at a lower salinity to test thier batches.They also do not recommend reefers using 1.026 and this is where the problem exists.Using 1.026 is causing high CA.

I use Oceanic and it works fine, but I don't test for CA . I don't keep any corals... yet.

Nemo

I use Oceanic, and I add Calcium regularly. As for the 1.026, why would you worry about it, after all, you don't want your tank that high. Optimal is 1.023, with a very small window for deviation of 1.021-1.024 for reef tanks. And for FOWLR, the deviation is 1.019-1.024. Notice neither is as high as 1.026. Nobody recommends using a salinity of 1.026, so it would justify that they recommend not using it.

It would just stand to reason, that if you are adding a substance to your tank, like a salt mix that has a combination of other things. And the mix should be added at a set level, then the other substances would be mixed to be correct at that same level. Then if you hadd too much of it, then you would also be adding too much of what ever else is in the mix as well. And thus, too much salt, would mean too much Calcium. Although, the too much Calcium, is not all that much high. It is just a little high for suggested levels. In most reef systems, reefers, including myself, increase their Calcium levels higher than normal, to help increase growth. But this is another subject and also requires a closer log of what you are doing within your tank.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Check out the thread.There seems to be some people using the higher levels.It is an interesting thread.To clearly understand what thwey are debating take a few minutes to read it.

Yup, I am one who uses higher levels. I keep my tank at 1.027, as do the majority of reefers that are SPS nuts. Ive always had my tanks salinity between 1.025 and 1.027.

There have also been alot of accounts of people experiencing ongoing algae outbreaks after switching to Oceanic.....although this has been recently, so it may have been a bad batch or two of Oceanic.

As for the thread, it just backs up what I said earlier. That is you have a mixture of things in the salt, that will make everything perfect levels is mixed right, and you mix more than recommended, then you will have higher concentrations of all the other things in the mixture. In other words, Oceanic has a mixture of salt, that when mixed properly, or 1.023 sg which is equal to the natural habitat, then all the other "added" parts of the salt (including calcium and magnesium ect) will also be as close to perfect as well. It seams to me, that all those with the problems on that thread, are all those doing just that, over mixing. So, if you over mix, or add to much of a mixture, then you will get too much of everything in the mixture.


DRO, I just made a few calls to my fellow reefers, and none of them, even those with the SPS, keep theirs that high. They all, like me, keep theirs at 1.023. For what reason would you want it to be kept at the high of a level? Does it help to force calcium into the corals or something?

hehehe, now I am learning... hehehe

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There is always a bigger fish...

Higher salinity of course means higher mineral content in the water...less dosing, and the corals/fish dont mind at all. I however wouldnt use the higher salinity unless you have your tank set up with auto-topoff.

Ill look around and see if I can find the links that I have read about higher salinity.

Also natural reefs are an average salinity of 1.026. They do vary, but most are between 1.025 and 1.027.

Everything that I have seen on this subject seems to advocate a specific gravity of at least 1.025 for reef and FOWLR systems. Now on WetWebMedia I did find this little tidbit of information:

Fish only systems are frequently kept at artificially low specific gravities (1.017-1.020) commercially for three principal benefits. 1) Cost of salt mix is less; even "natural" water that has to be hauled may be diluted with fresh at a savings. 2) Parasite and microbial levels are reduced; they can't make the osmotic stretch as well as macro-life. 3) Gas solubility is enhanced; increasing capacity, health.

Notice however, that they state "commercially", as cost savings is very important and they do not expect the specimens for a prolonged duration. For home aquariums, I would think that the natural range of 1.025+/- would be better.

John

Fantom is correct....average salinity of all the worlds reefs is 1.026. Average temp. is 82* F

Kamikaze, I have kept fish for over 15 years at 1.019 sp. However, not all fish can handle it though, so a person should be careful to know that the fish they are keeping can handle it. In the home aquaria, the cost difference is very small. As most of mine are and have been self sustaining for years as well. The quote you posted is actually, in one way miss stated. As the bennificial bacteria (micro organisms) are not affected by it at all.

Just a note; I keep my QT at 1.019 all the time too, to help treat any disease that may pop up. However, I have not had a disease with any of my SW fish, in over 15 years. And my reef tank is less than 3 years old though.

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There is always a bigger fish...