Question for Instant Ocean users
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Reef Chemistry
Forum Description: A place to discuss reef chemistry.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=73788
Printed Date: May 02 2025 at 6:29am
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Topic: Question for Instant Ocean users
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Subject: Question for Instant Ocean users
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 9:24am
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For those of you who use the regular Instant Ocean in your reef tanks, what all do you have to dose? Are you worried about a lack of trace elements? I'm currently using Red Sea Coral Pro, but I'm considering making a switch as money is a bit tight.
Thanks in advance!
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Replies:
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 9:53am
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I've always used Instant Ocean. I add kalkwasser. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 10:01am
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I dont use instant ocean, although i did use it to start my tank cause i didnt want to buy 150gall of red sea when nothing is in my tank. From EVERYTHING i have read and seen it is completely fine unless you have a tank filled with sps and not wanting to dose. But then again you would have to do water changes every week in that instance to keep up. I was reading about the Triton testing method, and i believe that people with lower(meaning several sps, lps, and some softies) alk/cal intake was spot on with ocean values using instant ocean |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 10:56am
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I use it BECAUSE I dose. As in because I dose I don't want to start off with elevated parameters some of the "reef" blends or "premium" brands have. If I relied only on water changes to keep my parameters stable and didn't dose I would have to be doing a lot more water changes or would have to dose less than I do now but incur the higher cost of premium salts and for me I prefer to use a cheaper salt (which by the way usually mixes up at 10dkh and 380-400 cal) as for trace elements? I don't know, my coral seem very happy. At the end of the day I think you can be successful with any salt and the cost differences in premium salt and lower dosing vs. cheaper salt and more dosing is probably not actually all that much different. Because I bought my alk / cal in bulk from BRS and my salt mix 200g for $40 delivered from Pet solutions I like to think I'm saving over the premium salt and dosing less but I've never actually calculated it out. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 12:09pm
Bryce, What do you dose? How much coral is in your tank? Do you worry about a lack of trace elements? You have me on the edge of switching...
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Bryce wrote:Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 1:10pm
I dose alk (soda ash) and Calcium. I test for magnesium but have never had to dose it. Instant ocean has trace elements but I don't test for them or try to supplement other than my 20% water changes a month. If you do change salts you may want to do so slowly over time. Nikki on the forum is someone who I believe tests her water for more than just the usual parameters so she may be a good resource if you want to test for trace elements. My tank is a sps dominate 65g. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 1:43pm
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I ran low on potassium a few years ago when using a salt low in it. But, my tank was packed of large colonies of SPS. Badfinger - I just sent my tank water in to Triton for testing. Looking forward to the results! ------------- www.reefdup.com Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water |
Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 2:36pm
| What salt you using nikki? Let us know your result. I am curious to know |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 3:05pm
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I currently use SeaChem's Reef Salt. I order it online since no one would order it for me locally. I wait for a sale and buy it in bulk. Last year I think I paid $37 for 200g boxes. I think I bought 8 boxes.... I've used RSCP, Oceanic, Reef Crystals, and Instant Ocean. I think I was using Instant Ocean when I had the low potassium problem (back in the day when tests and supplements didn't exist in the US.) I switched to RSCP for a while until I got a bad batch. Then I switched to SeaChem. I've been happy with it for I think 5 years now or so. I tested my tank water, not new saltwater, with Triton. I figured I should send a sample off after losing those few corals not long ago. ------------- www.reefdup.com Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water |
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 3:21pm
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Thanks for all the responses. I'm already dosing 2-part so I'm thinking I'll switch to regular Instant ocean and use 2-part to supplement. None of my sps colonies are very large so it sounds like I shouldn't have to worry about trace elements(for awhile). You guys/gals are great! Thanks for the help!
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Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 9:05am
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Nikki, Interested in what you learned from the Triton test results. Never mind, found the topic you put it in. Glenn
------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |