Best Salt mix or PH buffer advice

[johnsutter71]

Hello Folks, I don't really add to many chemicals in my tank. I do weekly 10 gallon water changes using Kent marine salt mix. My salinity is 1.026 using a refractometer. My parameters are ph 7.8, KH is 5, andcalcium is 370. I'm using Salifert test kits. Every time I do a water change my PH takes a huge nose dive. Two weeks ago I started adding Kent marine tech CB A&B but I only add that once a week. I also have been adding Kent Marine Pro Buffer dKH maybe a couple times a week. My livestock is healthy minus a flowerpot coral that never wants to fully open. My other parameters are Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, phosphate 0, TDS 5, and my only minor issue is nitrate which is between 5 and 10 mg/l. My lighting is a 6 bulb ATI sunpower fixture which sits 8" above the tank. My concern is that I would like to see better growth from my corals. The flower pot got stunted because I had him to high so I lowered him to the bottom of the tank. I have a frogspawn healthy but slow growth , 2 torch corals slow growth, Toadstool very slow growth, zenia which is thriving, bubble coral also thriving, mushroom rock thriving, greenstar polyp which is growing faster than I'd like, and a bubble tip anemone which looks beautiful and rarely has any issues. My frogspawn sits about 12 inches under the light 1st Torch about 18 inches and the other Torch about 24 inches. I don't think it's a lighting issue because my 2 clams are thriving and they are at the bottom of the tank. Tank depth is 25 inches. I haven't done any other tests because I don't add any other chemicals. I confirmed my parameters with Louis at Elegant Reef. I'm going to be adding some EcoBAK pellets in a media reactor in a few weeks to knock down the nitrate. The other best option would be not adding any chemicals and changing my salt. I have always used Kent because I've been buying 200 gallon salt mixes in the tub for 48$. Any advice for better salt would be appreciated.

[SinisterLou]

I use reef crystals, and fiji gold for calcium. Fiji helps buffer, stabilizes alk, and adds calcium. I do a 5 gallon weekly wc.

[johnsutter71]

I found Tropic marine 200 gallons 70$ free shipping and other option red sea coral pro 175 gallons 55$ also free shipping. I've spent the last hour reeding reviews and those 2 seem to be rated the best. I think I'm going to get the Tropic marine just because it's better valued for 200 gallons. I do have some fiji gold that I never use. I didn't like the cloudy mess it made the last time I used it.

[Bill S]

I've been using Reef Crystals for years, and was a Kent user before that. Either of these is fine, but I dumped Kent when I got a bad bucket of salt. Louis will recall this - he had me switch to RC about 6 years ago.

Your pH WILL nosedive with a dissolved CO2 increase (carbonic acid) - and this is especially apparent when the new mix isn't aerated well. A good supply of clean air, introduced into the tank will help with the pH swings.
I do question the "10 gallon weekly water changes" and "25 inch depth". How big is this tank? 10 gallons on a 150 might not be enough. Big water changes can preclude dosing, as long as you don't have a lot of SPS.

[SinisterLou]

Put it in at night. That cloudy mess is what can help bring your cal, ph, and alk up. Your clams will love it. Those are both good salts. Keep us posted on your thoughts on the new salt.

[johnsutter71]

90 gallon tank plus 29 gallon refugium total volume around 100 gallons give or take with the rock and such. That's a pretty good change.

[SinisterLou]

That is a good water change, I think that should be more than enough at 1.026 to keep those three parameters in check.

[johnsutter71]

90 gallon tank plus 29 gallon refugium total volume around 100 gallons give or take with the rock displacement. That's a pretty good change. I read in a few different places that 10% bi monthy is enough to keep it healthy. I'm doing 10 gallons weekly.

[Bill S]

90 gallon tank plus 29 gallon refugium total volume around 100 gallons give or take with the rock displacement. That's a pretty good change. I read in a few different places that 10% bi monthy is enough to keep it healthy. I'm doing 10 gallons weekly.

Yeah, that should be just fine - when I saw 25" depth, I was thinking upper 100s.

With that being said, I like BIG water changes. Less dosing required.

[ErikH]

I found a link that Dr. Mark had posted in regards to a comparison of 14 synthetic sea salts, but the link doesn't work anymore! However, the 2 best salt mixes out of the bag were RC and Instant Ocean, believe it or not. I really wish they hadn't taken the link down, I'll write them an email and see if they can put it back up.