Re: unidentified Algae, BGA
Thank you for your reply Bob.  I spoke with Boyd Enterprises regarding their product Chemi-Clean.
<Very nice boys... I knew their father, Dick Boyd... a real innovator>
  Would you recommend I try this product in my reef to rid the Cyano that is very present as "red slime" in my fuge and as the "blue-green Cyano" you recently identified from the reef pics I sent you?  They claim this product will have no adverse effects on the reef nor will it create any phosphate problems.  Do you agree and is it worth a try?
<Mmm, not entirely. Try as I might, I have not been able to find what this product is... other than that it does not contain Erythromycin...>
By the way, Boyd himself (son) also made a few recommendations to me.  He suggested I switch from Oceanic Salt mix to Tropic Marin.
<A good idea>
My Calcium is high 500 and has been as high as 550+ with no addition of Calcium.  He claims that when testing Oceanic, many batches contained very high Calcium levels 700+.
<Yikes!>
I am going to test the calcium on the batch I am currently using. He also recommended that I stray away from feeding my reef the delicious frozen concoction 3X per week made basically of Eric H. Borneman's recipe and try "Phycopure" made by Algagen and perhaps some "Cyclops Eeze". 
<Another worthy suggestion>
It was also recommended to continue to feed my fish pellets/Nori as I have been on alternate days. He felt my frozen cube recipe was just blowing too many nutrients around the reef.  Your thoughts would be appreciated.
<All sound good. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again.
Paul Maresca

Calcium and carbonate hardness
Hi Guys.. (No gender bias intended)
<None taken>
Man what a great site. I've been doing this long enough to remember the only good source of info being printed materials like Moe's Marine Aquarium Handbook, and college textbooks on marine biology, not that they weren't, and still are, a great source of info. It's almost mind-blowing the amount of good (as well as useless) info out there now, and its great to have such a knowledgeable and respected staff to sort through the bull%#$@ or fish poop as it may be.
<Ha!>
I work at a local mom and pop LFS part time, and doing some aquarium maintenance service. I've been working on and off for the last 15 years or so in the fish trade starting as a employee at a pet store in New Mexico while I was going to college there, still the best job I ever had and was lucky to start out at a place where there were so many knowledgeable people who cared about the hobby, just wish there was more money in it :) Anyway, I'm rambling and haven't even asked my question.
<I understand... had/have a similar background>
The query involves a problem I'm (as well as a few customers of mine are having) with KH and CA concentrations (I know I know don't fall asleep yet). Just wanted you to know that I have a pretty firm grasp of the fundamentals, although I'm constantly amazed by what I don't know, and I have perused the previous posts pretty thoroughly, but I'm still stuck. The Issues are dangerously high calcium, 650ppm and up depending on the test kit, (and I have tried several) accompanied by a higher than normal K. I know this is next to impossible as the only issues I've had in the past entailed proactive measures to keep CA and KH up to reasonable levels. This is not; however, an isolated event as I have seen this problem several times, and all without some kind of precipitation event AKA "snowstorm". With my customers I have always assumed it was due to blindly dosing with 2 part buffers and not testing for results until too late.
<Commonly this is so>
I always recommend the cessation of any additive as well as a series of water changes to get things under control.
<Our standard spiel as well>
Magnesium levels were also checked and adjusted as I've found low levels of this can skew CA levels.
<Yes>
I was always amazed at the congruous high levels of CA and KH, as I thought this was impossible, or at least very unlikely, for more than a few hours at a time, something has got to give, but I've seen this happen for weeks based on testing and retesting with differing brands of reagents.
<Can indeed "happen"... with the influence of other compounds present...>
Here's the kicker, for me anyway, I just set up a 30 gallon reef tank in my office not the first (or the 20th) I've set up and I'm having the same issue! Me, this does not happen to ME, I solve other peoples problems, I don't actually HAVE problems, lol, I'm really not that egotistical no problems to solve equals an uninteresting hobby, right. Jeez someone edit me I'm getting long winded, and now I'm writing about how long winded I am and. Its just that I don't get out much and.... AHHH!!!!
<Perhaps a small vacation...>
The new setup is a 30 gallon cube with a 5" DSB, 40 lbs live rock (or "once live" rock, freebies from the bottom of the rock culturing pool) Remora skimmer a couple powerheads and about 80 watts of PC light, pretty standard. I've added nothing to the tank except Oceanic salt mixed with RO/DI to the sg of 1.024, and a few hermits. My calcium levels are 660ppm and my KH is 130 mg/L, yes that is not a misprint, and it has been there for over a week.
<This is likely due to the Central Garden and Pet salt mix>
The tank appears to be normal no precipitation normal new live rock stuff coming out, tube worms, few bristle worms, the Aiptasia and the rock anemones seem to be doing fine lol, little bit of diatom growth, start of some green algae. This is where I would normally start dosing some calcium gluconate to kick off the coralline algae but I don't think that's prudent, obviously. My other parameters are normal pH 8.0 (a little low maybe) NH3 up a little for a few days now at 0, same with NO2, no phosphate, no NH3 yet. Like I said I have added no life except my "once live" rock and the hermits.  Should I do anything proactive to bring these ridiculous levels down.
<Yes... switch synthetic salt brands>
Something beside a water change, and yes, the salt mixed with RO and tested in a separate container tests out equally scary. There is some variance between test kits but they all test within 20-30 ppm for Ca2+,and 10 mg/L KH. I'm worried that at any second my tank is going to turn into a 30 gallon snow globe, no shaking necessary with the help of my powerheads keeping the flakes in suspension, not what I had in mind. Help.
<We've had a few reports re the Oceanic brand and these issues. Look into making a deal (for volume) for Instant Ocean IMO... Bob Fenner>

Re: calcium and carbonate hardness, Oceanic salt mix
Thanks for the reply.
<Welcome>
I have heard by some that Oceanic brand salts have higher than normal CA levels, but lower KH. My batch seems to have high levels of both.
<This is a highly inconsistent product>
I have heard some GREAT reviews of this salt so thought I'd try. My guess is that the people who have had good luck had a pre-existing set up and switched to Oceanic. If they had low CA and ALK then a PARTIAL water change with this dissolved rock could actually improve their water conditions, in a reef that was already established and calcium hungry.
<Correct>
But for new setups, never again. I will be switching back to IO or TM, so will all my customers.
<Ah, both good products>
Just ordered my Reef Invertebrate book, can't wait.  A.J. Ginther
<I look forward to "hearing" your review. Bob Fenner> 

- Marine Salt Mixes -
Bob, I know I've read some of your expert opinions here on the different marine salts and I believe you were in favor of using Tropic Marin with Instant Ocean also as an acceptable synthetic salt. <Bob is out of town - JasonC here in his stead.> Do you have any feedback on the new Oceanic Systems natural sea salt mix? <I have no personal experience with it... I don't switch between brands unless I just can't get the one I need.> It boasts all these great things like some other sea mixes. Is it really any different or is it an acceptable or good sea salt in your opinion? <I'm sure it is quite acceptable. Have seen it all over the place - the parent company of Oceanic is huge and quite capable of pelting the market with all kinds of positive press.> I saw it advertised online and in TFH which I'm been subscribed to and I know you discussed this topic and are one of the editors there at that magazine. The latest TFH I know the advertisement says that they received the Editors Choice award by Pet Product News. <Not sure what that really means - is not quite the good housekeeping seal of approval, and even then, what does that mean?> Since it is new can you tell me anything about the product if it is revolutionary in some way? <I doubt it - revolutionary that is. I'm sure it's a fine salt but doubt they've latched onto something new that no one else has tried.> Oceanic claims patent pending technology but is this really a superior sea salt? <Pending being the operative word - they may never get that patent.> I normally would go with Instant Ocean because of the price but really the 160 gallon bucket they give you, you might as well pay a little higher price for another 200 gallon bucket of salt. I was hoping you could give me your take on Oceanic sea salt mix and if you believe it is a good or acceptable sea salt or would you consider it inferior to the likes of Tropic Marin or Instant Ocean. <I'm sure it's on par with Instant Ocean. Tropic Marin is hard to beat for quality, but recently due to valuation of the dollar, seems to have gone from expensive to extremely expensive. My LFS wants $115 a bucket for it - I switched to Instant Ocean which is still an excellent salt.> I can't find much information with an analysis or testing of the salt maybe because its too new.
Thanks.
Dennis
Jacksonville, FL  
<Cheers, J -- ><<Oceanic and TFH/Magazine are owned by the same co... Central Garden... RMF>>

- Marine Salt Mixes, Follow-up -
I've looked up some articles on the website that reference Oceanic salt mix. Wasn't sure if this is the Oceanic mix I'm talking about. <I'm aware of only one Oceanic aquarium salt.> In the articles they reference Oceanic as if it were not such a great salt. <Is possible - is best to ask around - see if you can find people who've tried it.> If it is not that great then I will go with Tropic Marin for the 200 gallon pail price as it is really not that much more considering if the salt is superior to Instant Ocean and I'm getting more gallons to the bucket. <It's a bigger bucket.> There also doesn't seem to be that big a difference in the extra shipping and handling price for a 200 gallon mix over the 160. I guess all salt doesn't weigh the same. <Freight in those weights seems to be have a more level playing field.> Thanks.
<Cheers, J -- >

Calcium/Alkalinity Question... junk salt mix 7/16/05
After having about 90 lbs of live rock "curing" in my 46 gallon bow tank for about 2 months, I finally found a time window in which to cut it back to about 65 lbs, add aragonite substrate and, in the process, change out all of the water. Things seemed to be looking great... "Steve" the unidentified polyp that had developed during curing came out intact, the water is crystal clear, testing at 1.023-1.024 salinity, pH of about 8.3-8.4. New things that had not been showing themselves during that first two months seem to be popping out everywhere.
<Neat!>
I got to looking at different supplements and what not, but decided to leave the LFS with only calcium and alkalinity test kits before purchasing anything else. Well, the alkalinity came out to 5.5 meq/L (15.4 dKH according to their conversion table in the SeaTest kit) and 540 mg/L of calcium. These are considerably higher than what is recommended. Should I worry? Is it the Oceanic sea salt I am using? Could it be a result of the fresh aragonite?
Bill
<The crappy salt mix... I would switch brands. Bob Fenner>