Buying sea salt

[grover2]

I am not all that new to the hobby, but I guess it is all relative. I would like to switch brands of sea salt and was wondering what brand other hobbiests prefer and where you purchase it. It seems that buying local is necessary due to large shipping costs. However, I would be willing to pick it up anywhere between Eugene and Portland if necessary. Maybe even Seattle.

[mister crabs]

WELCOME!! (To) (P) (N) (W) (M) (A) (S) (yahoo)



Check out cichlids and salt in springfield. good prices and he can get you about anything you want. Or in eugene theres liquid sunshine. If you pay membership dues for $20 you will get a member card good for 10% off at the stores listed in the sponsor section. Lots of people seem to like reef crystals or tropic marin. www.Cichlidsandsalt.com is the store in springfield and they carry oceanpure which i hear good things about.
www.drsfostersmith.com has good deals on salt if you buy a couple buckets at a time usually and has free shipping sometimes. but i would give sean a call at cichlids and salt and see what he can do for you.

[grover2]

Thanks for the advice. Does anyone else have any?

I was thinking about switching to Tropic Marin, but I wasn't sure anyone local was carrying it. I don't really have the time or ability to run all over town checking. Thier web sites are not overly helpful on what brands they carry.

[H20cooled]

I used Ocean Pure for a long time and never had any problems with it, I switch because I wanted higher levels of CA, Mag. I've been using Kent and it works fine now...

[Nyles]

For your area cichlids is probably the best price, call him and ask what he has in stock if your interested in something he doesnt have Im sure he can get it, I got some ocean pure from him to try out and seems to be just fine.

[powdertang05]

go to dr foster and smith they gave salt i love oceanic and its cheap for a 200g bucket costs 36 bucks with shipping.

[impur]

Sean at Cichlids & Salt ordered 2 200gal buckets of Oceanic for me even though he doesn't normally carry it anymore. Gave me a great price too.

[Chief]

Nice to see someone from my neck of the woods on the boards. I live in Creswell also. I manage the Ray's FoodPlace in town. I have been using OceanPure for over a year now. I had really bad algea problems that went away when I started using OceanPure. I usually get my salt from Cichlids and Salt in Springfield. Sean is a great guy.

Jay

[spayne]

Wow! You're from Creswell, too! Can this town sustain two houses with reef tanks? (laugh)

[mister crabs]

not sure if the power grid in creswell can support it! lol

[SeanF]

Might be alright as long as you live on different ends of town. I figure they stretched the power grid pretty good on your guys side of town when they put in all of that fancy development over there. Let me tell you I still can't believe all of the new stuff down there. I go away for a few years and the town doubles in size.

[tidalsculpin]

LOL, next thing you know they are going to name an sps "camas beauty" because there are so many of Creswell reefers.

[grover2]

Jay,

I noticed you were from Creswell also. I am a little intimidated by your 300+ gallon tank. I am running a 120 and am still overwhelmed by that.

I shop at Ray's almost daily, I have probably seen you there.

Thanks for the info on the salt. I have been struggling with hair algae and various other kinds since I bought this tank 8 months ago (bought used, fully stocked). I thought I might try a different kind of salt and see if that helped.

I picked up some emerald crabs and sally lightfoots today. Maybe they will help as well.

[Michael7979]

Watch the sally lightfoot. I had one that was really good until it got big and then it started chasing/eating other fish. Just keep an eye on him.

[grover2]

Aparently I missed all the other posts about Creswell before I posted my reply.

Have you noticed all the power outages in the area in the past month, maybe we really are taxing the power supply to much!!!!! Most people just blame it on the weather, but who knows.

[grover2]

I actually got two sally lightfoots, at what size do they attack fish? I was more worried about the sally's getting into it with my banded coral shrimp. I don't know why I never learn.... I went to the LFS for emerald crabs and the friend I went with was exclaiming over how cute the sally's were and the LFS guy said they were great for algae to.... now I regret getting them already. I should always stick to my list, nothing more!!!!

[Michael7979]

Mine didn't become a problem until his body reached the size of a $.50 piece or a little larger. When I went to get him out I had to tear down half the tank.

[grover2]

One of mine is almost that size already, well I guess all I can do is keep an eye on them. Thanks for the heads up.

[SeanF]

The power has always been that way down in Creswell when I was a kid power was out at our house in the middle of winter for a week. We ended up staying at the Motel there in town. I believe it is the power company down there. They are slower than all get out about fixing anything. They service most of the rural areas around here.

For Hair algae you would need a fleet of Emeralds or Sallys. Sea Hares are ideal but sensitive and sometimes the problem that is causing the hair algae kills them. You said this was an established tank, do you know how long the tank was up and running for before you got it. I am guessing the previous owner probably got frustrated with it and wasn't maintaining it properly.

What brand of salt are you using now? Personally here is how I would start to battle a hair algae problem in a well established tank. First get a good salt you trust the Tropic Marin is nice but expensive when you can find it personally for what I am going to recommend I would probably use a cheaper salt. The cheapest salt that I have heard good things about would be Oceanpure. You are going to need to do frequent large water changes. I would recommend running some sort of phosphate remover also. What type of filteration are you running on the aquarium? I would also recommend using some Macroalgae the more aggressive the better. I know it sounds weird but you want to grow as much algae as possible but also be able to remove it from the tank. Whatever is causing the algae will eventually be disappated to a point where the hair algae is no longer able to grow.

[grover2]

Thanks for the advice SeanF!

I am actually from the Creswell area also. I grew up on Lynx Hollow off Hwy 99. However, I went to school in CG. I graduated in 91, how about you?

I have been using Instant Ocean (I had two buckets that are now almost gone). I would like to switch brands, although the guy at the LFS said there was no difference between the brands as far as phosphates are concerned.

I have a 120 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. I have a filter bag, protein skimmer and algae (the wirey kind) in the sump. I have been wondering if this is enough? It came with red pump that I can only assume was a phosphate remover pump. It was so increadibly black that the contents were un-identifiable. I have run phosphate remover in that device a time or two, but it is very time consuming to change the medium. According to the directions the phosphate remover/medium should only run for 3 or 4 days before being changed or removed from the system.

Anyway, yesterday today (I did a 10% H2O change yesterday)
Temp 75 76
pH 8.0 8.0
phosphate 0.5 0.5
nitrate 20 10
nitrite 0.05 0.05
ammonia 0.25 0-0.25
alkalinity 1.7 1.7

Well in taking new levels to post, I decided to test my RO/DI water for phosphates and it was 0.1. So I guess I discovered part of my problem right there. I guess I need to put some more work into my filter system.

[Nyles]

lol, I know someone on Lynx now with a salt tank... small world.

[grover2]

Nyles, are you from this area as well? My original salt tank was began when I lived on lynx hollow. I wonder if I know the person? lol....

[impur]

Thanks for the advice SeanF!

I am actually from the Creswell area also. I grew up on Lynx Hollow off Hwy 99. However, I went to school in CG. I graduated in 91, how about you?

I have been using Instant Ocean (I had two buckets that are now almost gone). I would like to switch brands, although the guy at the LFS said there was no difference between the brands as far as phosphates are concerned.

I have a 120 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. I have a filter bag, protein skimmer and algae (the wirey kind) in the sump. I have been wondering if this is enough? It came with red pump that I can only assume was a phosphate remover pump. It was so increadibly black that the contents were un-identifiable. I have run phosphate remover in that device a time or two, but it is very time consuming to change the medium. According to the directions the phosphate remover/medium should only run for 3 or 4 days before being changed or removed from the system.

Anyway, yesterday today (I did a 10% H2O change yesterday)
Temp 75 76
pH 8.0 8.0
phosphate 0.5 0.5
nitrate 20 10
nitrite 0.05 0.05
ammonia 0.25 0-0.25
alkalinity 1.7 1.7

Well in taking new levels to post, I decided to test my RO/DI water for phosphates and it was 0.1. So I guess I discovered part of my problem right there. I guess I need to put some more work into my filter system.


Your nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are all too high. You should do some large WCs. Also is your alk tested in ppm or dKH? It seems low as well.

[Nyles]

Nyles, are you from this area as well? My original salt tank was began when I lived on lynx hollow. I wonder if I know the person? lol....
Cottage Grove, but ya, I drive past to work everyday.

[grover2]

impur, thanks for the advice. I realize they are all to high and I am working on doing multiple water changes. I did one saturday and will do one tomorrow. Now that I have my water filter system moved to my laundry room, I think it will be easier to run the amount of water I need for these changes. I would have to get the test kit to see the measure of the alkalinity, but it the card in the kit lists 1.7 in the average/good range.

Nyles, I meant did you grow up in CG or Creswell? If so when did you graduate. If it is to personal that is fine, just thought we might know each other.

[SeanF]

In case you were asking me I grew up in Creswell off Camas Swale and graduated in 93.

If you make it up by the shop I can do some water tests for you. Bring both your RO and tank water and please let me know before you come so I can make sure that my TDS meter is at the shop with all of the craziness here lately I don't know where anything is.

[grover2]

Sean, I just put two and two together. Are you the owner of cichlids and salt? I have been in your store a few times and have a vague memory of your wife looking familiar. Did she grow up in Creswell also? I don't particularly remember you, but I had a few friends that were likely in your class at Creswell or a few years before.

Small world isn't it?

[SeanF]

Yes I am the owner of Cichlids and Salt. My wife grew up in Oklahoma. Definately a small world.

[edwing206]

Instant Ocean is good. You can get it at petco. or liveaquaria.com