Tropic Marin sea salt - I have questions

[markdadof2]

OK, so it looks like the Tropic Marin sea salt I won at the Bob Fenner talk is a good salt. Do any of you folks use it? What has your experience been with it?

I currently use Red Sea salt, but if I wanted to start using the Tropic Marin is it OK to have both types of salt in my tank? How should I go about introducing a new salt, or should I?

 

Also, my new Sunpod 150 MH just arrived (I wish I were home) and how would you guys reccomend 'breaking in' the tank to much higher lighint than my current PC light? I have a 14g nano. Should I just run the Halide for 2-3 hours the first few days then ramp up the time by an hour a day until I am at 8-10 hours?

I imagine I will need to move my Xenia down lower in the tank so it does not get 'blinded by the light'!

Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks

Mark

[Michael7979]

Yeah turn the photoperiod way down and build it back up gradually.

 

With the salt:

I have heard of people starting out with 25% new salt and 75% old salt when doing water changes. And then working up to a full 100% down the road.

 

Personally i have never been that careful and just mix it up little by little and I have had no problems in the past.

[mister crabs]

get a few layers of window screen material to put over the tank and then every few days to a week take a layer off. if you get 4 layers then it will take like 3-4 weeks to remove them. that should give the corals plenty of time to adjust.

[Evansbr]

How much salt did you get?

If you make small water changes I don't think you'll have a problem. although if your worried I'll take the salt!(whistle).. I only use Tropic Marin in my reef and I love the salt. I wish we could get it reasonably here in Portland. As for lighting I'd cut back the photo period to about 4 hours and move it up an hour every week or two depending on how the corals look..

[markdadof2]

I scored a 55lb bucket of Tropic Marin!

I usually change about 2-3 gallons per week in my nano (14 gallons)

 

Thanks for the advice everyone...keep it coming!

[tidalsculpin]

get a few layers of window screen material to put over the tank and then every few days to a week take a layer off. if you get 4 layers then it will take like 3-4 weeks to remove them. that should give the corals plenty of time to adjust.

 

cheese cloth would work too if you have it lying around the house already.

[WAVES]

I used about 100gal worth of Tropic Marin on my tank at home. I loved it! The problem is I couldnt sell the stuff even at cost so I quit carrying it. So I wont be using it at home any longer.

 

I may switch to D&D salt which is easier to get with SLS distribution.

[SamatSLS]

You and Jordan should of tried out your sample buckets by now, I want feedback!

[WAVES]

You and Jordan should of tried out your sample buckets by now' date=' I want feedback![/quote']

 

I had just done a water change the night before when you dropped off my bucket. jordan did his first water change last night.

 

Ive got some nitrates at home, so Ill be doing a water change in the next few days.

[SamatSLS]

Right on, let me know what you think of it. So far so good in my tank.

[markdadof2]

I will be doing a water change with the tropic marin on sunday...my 'water change' day

[markdadof2]

Just a quick update on the Tropic Marin salt - so far I am quite impressed. It mixes up cleaner than my red sea and my corals look great! I tend to keep my CA level up around 440-460 so even using this salt I have to suppliment daily with an A&B. I see no reason to switch back to red sea at this point (until I run out and can't find tropic Marin anywhere around here)!