Switching Brands

We've used IO Reef Crystals for months now and I bought a bucket of H2Ocean yesterday - we were going to switch anyway and it was all the LFS had. Can I switch right away without mixing the two brands? The LFS guy said I could do that, as long as I wasn't doing a big water change - I do roughly 10% weekly. The fish and corals are doing so well and I don't want to send everything into shock! I was going to match our current salinity, between 1.024 and 1.025.

 

hi Triplemom

I have done this with no ill effect when doing small water changes
I will add in case he is not on today that Jason McKenzie offered the following advice / comments on a previous thread of this nature

Quote - Jason McKenzie -
"I've heard a ton of horror stories of coral deaths from switching salt brands. I've always switched over gradually but adding 1/3 new type with 2/3 old. then 1/2 and 1/2 then 2/3 new and 1/3 old then finally all new. the alternative to this is do smaller water changes so that you so not impact the system all at once " unquote


Steve" cut and paste:" Wright

 

I switched from IO to Oceanic doing 15% bi-weekly with no prob.

 

I say +1 with the LFS.... I am not trying to get all worked up as it is still early here and I haven't had my coffee yet but switching salt brands is NOT going to hurt your tank, unless you get a 99% or something the switch would mostly go unnoticed.
Think about it this way triplemom, you have a 46bow, you do 10% W/C that means no more than 5 gals of the new salt will enter the tank... So you think adding 5 gals of another salt will throw the entire system out of whack? Doubtful.. This isn't like switching dog food all willy nilly where some dogs do get diarreha, your tank is fine, it will get no loose stool....
If anyone has had issue with changing salt brand after a water change I would chalk it up to coincedence. I have switched salt at least 4-5 times and I NEVER blended the salt once... The only time I have blended was when I was flirting with the excessive calcium rich Coralife and then I blended that so I wouldn't have 640ppm entering my tank!!

I would bet my tank on switching salts with out blending, but at the end of the day you need to do what you feel comfortable with and if that is blending then blend away Jwin and momma!!!

Happy reefing!

H2Ocean huh? If you don't mind me asking what did you pay? MSRP is $84.95 a bucket!!?!

 

I'll blame you if the fish get diarrhea!

Okay, you convinced me! I'll probably just blend what little IO Reef Crystals I have left, which is not enough for a water change.

It's all the LFS had - I paid $34.95 for the small bucket. I think they sell the big one for $69.95. They probably make 100% profit margin on it - right LFS guy???? ;D

 

SLS typically charges like $60 or something for the salt plus shipping... with the MSRP the margin is decent at $64.95 they are breaking even, unless they got a deal on the salt.
Without revealing too many LFS secrets as I know Inwall will kill me, I make NO MORE than $10 a bucket on salt, and thats when I buy it on sale.... So no, no 100% markup there...

 

I'm just glad the LFS has it! I get most everything from my local saltwater-only store. It's a pretty small store and they really don't stock much in the way of equipment/supplies. They make most of their profit on the fish and corals, I would imagine. They don't even sell tanks, except for an occasional shipment of the little Aqua Medic tanks like Jwin has for his mantis shrimp. Occasionally, they'll have a tank or two on consignment.

All in all, they are a great couple of guys and I would much rather give the profits to them than one of the big chains!

Plus, I would hate to see what the shipping cost would be on one of those big buckets of salt!

 

!!!attention fellow reefers!!!
Listen to triplemom and support your local fish store!!!

;D

 

All in all, they are a great couple of guys and I would much rather give the profits to them than one of the big chains!
Off topic here but we have like 4 LFS here in wichita kansas. And most of them are really big except for one. I love that one, its owned by a family just one guy and a girl, thats it. I like it more then lets say a big one with 12 people working there. Smaller compannys seem to have more time and help you, Sorry had to add that kinda random i know haha.

 

Ive done it a ton of times (as supply is shaky at best here) and never noticed anything at all.