IO or RC?

[SURVEYMAN46123]

Setting up a 10 gallon nano, and am going back and forth between salts. The Instant Ocean and the Reef Crystals. My plan is to mainly keep softies, a hammer, a frog spawn, some mushrooms, and possibly an acan down the road.

 

I have a friend who has some left over IO that he doesn't want. I'm thinking of taking it off his hands but if my corals down the road benefit better from the RC I will not go the IO route.

 

What would you suggest?

 

 

[jestep]

There's a ton of discussions on it. RC basically has more trace elements and I believe they had higher Mg and Ca for a given salinity, need to double check that. But, both work fine and I've seen very successful tanks running both salts. For non-SPS or other highly demanding coral, I'd just go with the IO, as it's cheaper. I seriously doubt you will be able to tell the difference unless you are going a very long time between water changes.

[jtwisconsin]

No reason you can't use it to start - especially if your friend is giving it to you. I used to use it right out of the bucket when I started with just soft corals.

 

Later as I wanted to maintain higher Ca, I would dose newly mixed IO with BRS Calcium Chloride to bring up the Ca levels. When I ran out of IO I then moved to RC.

[Clown79]

Use it to start.

 

I had no success with either. My mag with RC was deplorably low, mixed at 1040-1140

[squamptonbc]

I've used both with softies and never had issues. Currently using Red Sea.

[SURVEYMAN46123]

Cool, thanks guys!

[Swing2Harmony]

I'm getting 1100, 325 and 9dkh with IO, so I need to add 2 part every time. I didn't use RC because I don't want to shock the corals with high alkalinity every time I do a water change. Aquaforest reef salt and RC are almost the same price in Canada, so I bought a box and AF should give me a low dkh while having good mag and cal so I don't have to add 2-part to my water change.

[VW_TDI_02]

Personally I've always used IO. It's cheap and I bought a gallon of 2-part powder from BRS and that is enough to last my 10 gallon for pretty much ever. I do one cup of IO salt for 2 gallons and it mixes to 340 Ca, 10.5 Alk, and 1160 Mg. I keep my tank at 10.5 alk so I don't dose anything in the new water but I add all of 20ml of Ca mix and 38 ml of B-Ionic Mg mix and I'm good to go. You can also use epsom salts to increase your Mg if you prefer.

 

One bad thing I've heard about Reef Crystals is that for some people it leaves a brown residue in the mixing container. Personally I've never used RC myself so I can't comment from personal experience but it is something I've seen a good many times on forums.

[Clown79]

I always got the nasty brown film on my bucket with RC, it didn't disolve as well, clumped in the bag in a sealed bucket too.

 

My alk always mixed at 7-8, ca 400, mag 1140

[squamptonbc]

The clumping is a pain with IO and RC, both seem to clump far quicker then other brands do. And I always got the brown stuff as well, didn't seem to bother anything in the tank, but certainly didn't mix clean like the brand I use now.

 

 

I always got the nasty brown film on my bucket with RC, it didn't disolve as well, clumped in the bag in a sealed bucket too.

My alk always mixed at 7-8, ca 400, mag 1140

[Clown79]

Thats exactly what ai experienced. I didn't find it very consistent with parameter mixing either.