I’ve been watching in secrecy for years researching, waiting, for the right time to start my tank (currently going through an extended whole house renovation) and Julian’s salt is definitely what everyone should be using.
Just my experience with AF I think I mentioned it before. When I switched from IO to AF my ORP went from 290 down to 180. the corals looked dull until I finished the 200G box two months later and went back to IO, ORP went back up and my corals color came back. Hopefully your ORP keeps climbing.
You get what you pay for with salt, I’m a tropic Marin guy myself just because it stores for a month or more well. And that is a nice box that adds to the overall cost.
I am targeting a “no aminos” goal, so had to shift off AF because they arbitrarily add aminos, but I think IO might also free of added aminos. I was poking around and couldn’t find reference to aminos in IO. Might be a good alternate option for me.
@@kalamazoo_reefer I don’t know what “no aminos” goal means. You just don’t want it in your salt? Or you want to add it yourself and have more control? I usually dose acropower once my tanks somewhat matures. Excerpt from a Jake Adams Reefbuilders article “Simply put, amino acids in corals fall under three categories: those that stony corals can synthesize all of which they require, those which stonies can synthesize in part and those which they cannot synthesize at all.” Which leads me to believe they need it but they can produce most of what they need.
@@ReefingwithO I have come to believe that recent research, which indicates that arbitrarily adding amino acid supplementation does more to fuel pathogenic “bad guys” than it does to improve coral health, is likely correct. It’s not that adding aminos hurts corals, it’s that it helps these bad organisms more than it helps the corals themselves. So I’m looking to not add any aminos, if at all possible. On the amino front, I believe Jake was wrong. The guy was a great reefkeeper, and knew surface science, but did not seem to know a considerable amount about certain (key word: certain) aspects of deeper science surrounding our animals. I’m not trying to high horse here, either. I am not claiming I can understand any of that deeper science. I look to people with science credentials in the areas of reef-centric science Jake didn’t deeply know, who can speak on what fuels the “bad guys” and the “good guys” and the corals themselves, for guidance.
@@kalamazoo_reefer You had me until the Jake diss he wasn't a surface scientist "he studied marine science in college doing independent research on the relationship between coral photosynthesis and water flow. That doesn't sound like a surface scientist to me - If you gonna call Jake a surface scientist and say his knowledge was lacking in certain areas - I think you need to need to come with more than that. Don't start with a scientific topic, say you are not a scientist and don't understand it and then in the same paragraph try to discredit the work of someone who studied it.
Everytime I’ve dosed aminos I’ve had issues. Feeding my fish, never had an issue. I’ve had issues with IO reef crystals as well, the formula says “vitamins” might be amino related. Switched back to Red Sea CP no issues yet again. Could be circumstantial but I feel the extra organics or whatever fuel all my headaches rather than just feeding my fish and staying in my lane lol. Acros look the same as amino dosing- with patience so I don’t see the point.
@kalamazoo_reefer Than at the tidal garden uses reef crystal's . The salt seems to have good perimeters. Don't know if it would be cheaper to use I .O . Regular & add the alk & stuff ?
Something you and Jim do differently, I use regular io like he does, why don't you? It does have lots of brown stuff so I'm guessing that's the reason most people don't like it, what salt does Salem use?
Unsure what Salem uses. I am very purposefully seeking salt that does not add amino acids to the tank. I don’t look down on cheaper salt at all. I’ve always used cheap salt if possible. But purging aminos is a critical goal of mine.
