High calc with fresh Reef Crystals?

[Austin Lee]

Has anyone else had an issue with IO Reef Crystals having super high calc?

I had a calc reading of 518 in my tank over the weekend and a fellow reefer on here suggested I mix some fresh SW and test the params, so I did and at 1.026 ppm, Reef Crystals is measuring calc at 522.

Anyone else had this issue? Did you switch salts? If so, what do you recommend?

 

[Austin Lee]

bump

 

[ryeguyy84]

Seems about right. RC has elevated levels, if I remember correctly the Alk was like 12dkh. That's why I stopped using it, to high for me

 

[Austin Lee]

Seems about right. RC has elevated levels, if I remember correctly the Alk was like 12dkh. That's why I stopped using it, to high for me

My alk wasn't bad - came in at 10.5.

What made you switch? Were you seeing negative effects from the high calc?

 

[mattzang]

seems slightly high, but not too out of the norm. i like the IO, but the super high levels of RC seemed to cause less growth so i bought a box of regular IO and RC and mixed them for elevated, but less so levels. seems to be working, but i'm not a super stickler on levels. i'm fairly certain i'll never test the levels of my premixed salt other than salinity, for example

 

[ryeguyy84]

My alk wasn't bad - came in at 10.5.

What made you switch? Were you seeing negative effects from the high calc?

2 things, I didn't like the high alk. I like to keep mine closer to 8. I don't mind the high calcium, 500 is a bit much but shouldn't harm anything.

Second I didn't like having to clean my mixing container all the time. IO salts in general for me leave a brown crud on the walls of the mixing bin to the point after a bucket the water change water would be tinted brown.

I switched to corallife salt after RC which solved the alk but it was pretty low in everything and still left a brown crud.

Then I switched to brightwell neomarine which has the levels I want alk at 8.5dkh and doesn't leave a residue.