2022 salt poll

[ReefRondo]

So I’ve never checked to be fair but it seems ESV is not available here in the UK. The mixing of the components seems like a chore but only because I’ve never done it before. Intriguing.

 

[LILBUDDHA]

TLF AccuraSea 1 ATM .Not listed ; 5 gallon mix is perfect for my WC. I ran out of Kent Marine Reef Salt and can't find it at a reasonable price .

 

[homer1475]

Been using regular old purple box IO for the better part of 20 years.

Little muriatic acid to lower the ALK. CAL, and MAG mix up to where they should be. I see no reason to buy the more expensive "reef salts".

 

[billyocean]

Live aquaria. Very similar to tropic marine at half the price. No residue when mixing.

 

[flashsmith]

You left one off... Whatever is on sale. That's my brand. Recently picked up 2 big buckets of reef crystals for about $60 from chewy so that's my sauce until that runs out. They still have it for around $40 I believe.. In the past year I have used AF, Red Sea coral pro and Fritz RPM all are good.

 

[dantimdad]

Have used IO for 30+ years with some temporary changes once in a while but always went back.

This year, with the new fish room being built, I will use IO in the sting ray pool.

I switched to RC a couple months back because I bought a complete 75 gallon reef, fish, corals and all from a lady that used it and the tank was beautiful. Rather that shock the heck out of it, I kept with RC on it and it's been good. The corals look great. I will stick with it when I move everything to the 12 foot long reef that will use a common sump with a 187 FOWLR.

 

[Duffer]

Live aquaria. Very similar to tropic marine at half the price. No residue when mixing.

i have a few friends that use this salt also...there are folks out there that claim Live Aaquaria is actually Fritz salt rebranded..Any truth to that?

 

[LeftyReefer]

I did not know that LA salt and Fritz RPM salt were so similar. it definitely looks like it comes from the same factory. Same bags, bucket, and box sizes offered in both brands. 14# bag, 48# bucket, and 55# box.

They do cite slightly different parameters at 35 ppt, but even the labels are similar in that they both point out how much strontium and potassium they have... so it sure looks like they are the same salt or very similar. The LA salt shows slightly higher MG and ALK possibly??

Fritz RPM (blue box)
Salinity: 35 ppt (1.0264 sg)
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0-9.0 dKH
Strontium: 9 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

Live Aquaria Salt
Salinity: 35 ppt (1.026 sg)
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1,350-1,450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0-9.5 dKH
Strontium: 9 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

I get the LA salt cheap from Petco whenever it goes on sale. I guess I'll have to start watching for a sale on the Fritz RPM salt and give it a try some time.

 

[Radman73]

Used IO for years and have just switched to Reef Crystals. But, going on the Reef Moonshiners method so will be foregoing water changes except for specific reasons.

 

[i_am_mclovin]

I’d be really curious to see this same poll but for SPS dominant tanks only. I wonder if the mods would care if I recreated it in the sps forum.

 

[Alex Costa]

I’d be really curious to see this same poll but for SPS dominant tanks only. I wonder if the mods would care if I recreated it in the sps forum.

I"d like to see it too.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Been using reef crystals since I started because I had a nano and bought water form the LFS who used it!

Exact same for me. Started off with a 40 gallon AIO and bought RODI water and saltwater from my LFS. They were using Reef Crystals, so when I bought my own RODI system and started making my own saltwater I just continued using Reef Crystals as it was cheap, readily available and what my tank was already used to.

 

[ReefRondo]

I take it once started I can't add options for this poll? My apologies to all who use salts I have not listed.

 

[LegendaryCG]

I did not know that LA salt and Fritz RPM salt were so similar. it definitely looks like it comes from the same factory. Same bags, bucket, and box sizes offered in both brands. 14# bag, 48# bucket, and 55# box.

They do cite slightly different parameters at 35 ppt, but even the labels are similar in that they both point out how much strontium and potassium they have... so it sure looks like they are the same salt or very similar. The LA salt shows slightly higher MG and ALK possibly??

Fritz RPM (blue box)
Salinity: 35 ppt (1.0264 sg)
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0-9.0 dKH
Strontium: 9 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

Live Aquaria Salt
Salinity: 35 ppt (1.026 sg)
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1,350-1,450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0-9.5 dKH
Strontium: 9 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

I get the LA salt cheap from Petco whenever it goes on sale. I guess I'll have to start watching for a sale on the Fritz RPM salt and give it a try some time.

Pretty sure its the same stuff, Fritz makes private brand products as well as their own label.

 

[mattdg]

I switched from Red Sea Blue bucket back to Reef Crystals 5 months ago. More affordable for the auto water change (AWC) system, easy to find everywhere and am not yet noticing any difference in coral health. If anything, everything looks better. I keep mostly SPS / LPS in a mixed reef. It is what I started with 20 years ago and had success with it before I knew anything about reef keeping.

Honestly, every salt I have ever used eventually leaves crud at the bottom of my bin, except tropic marin Pro (TMPR) which costs 2.5 times as much as RC. Not really concerned, since the AWC line sits above the area where all of that settles. I am happy with RC so far, but have the luxury of being able to switch and try something else at any time, since I do gradual water changes via AWC.

One more thing... I keep a bin of Red Sea BB around, so I can do a large water change if necessary, without throwing off the parameters.

 

[jda]

At least from a few years ago when you could meet and talk to people, the company that makes Fritz makes 3 or 4 other brands with just different labels. Kirkland and Members Mark salt probably coming soon... :)

Outside of a bad batch, the salt is not going to matter much. Bad batches do happen - this is real. This is one of the main reasons that I use IO.

If you mostly like a salt, then doctor it up. You only have to figure out your recipe once. Then, just repeat. All that you need is carbonate, calcium and mag test kits, calcium chloride, baking soda (doubtful, but maybe), mag chloride and muriatic acid I figured mine out years and years ago - 50g bag of IO in cold RO with 2 tbsp of dowflake (ca cl), mix overnight, 20 mls of muriatic acid, mix and heat, ready to go in a few days. Your tank is worth a few minutes.

 

[billyocean]

I find kh on LA salt to be about 8. Never tested it below..but 8 is steady.

 

[i_am_mclovin]

I"d like to see it too.

Created a poll for SPS dominant only. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sps-dominant-tanks-what-reef-salt-for-2022.884609/

 

[14 foot reef]

At least from a few years ago when you could meet and talk to people, the company that makes Fritz makes 3 or 4 other brands with just different labels. Kirkland and Members Mark salt probably coming soon... :)

Outside of a bad batch, the salt is not going to matter much. Bad batches do happen - this is real. This is one of the main reasons that I use IO.

If you mostly like a salt, then doctor it up. You only have to figure out your recipe once. Then, just repeat. All that you need is carbonate, calcium and mag test kits, calcium chloride, baking soda (doubtful, but maybe), mag chloride and muriatic acid I figured mine out years and years ago - 50g bag of IO in cold RO with 2 tbsp of dowflake (ca cl), mix overnight, 20 mls of muriatic acid, mix and heat, ready to go in a few days. Your tank is worth a few minutes.

This is the most sound, logical, and economical way to purchase and maintain your salt I have ever seen posted.
" BRAVO"
I am a 40+ year reefer and I could not agree anymore than I do with this paragraph. The amount of money people spend on Hype Salt just boggles my mind. I have been an IO user for my entire life except a 6 month trial of Fritz, that quickly went away. I've toured the Instant Ocean facility, they have this down to a science. I also, auto ship my salt from different vendors depending on sales and I average paying less than $11.00 for a 50 gallon bag of salt. My System is 850 gallons, so I go through a lot of salt. No way would I pay 2 and 3 times the amount for Sodium Chloride.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

At least from a few years ago when you could meet and talk to people, the company that makes Fritz makes 3 or 4 other brands with just different labels. Kirkland and Members Mark salt probably coming soon... :)

Outside of a bad batch, the salt is not going to matter much. Bad batches do happen - this is real. This is one of the main reasons that I use IO.

If you mostly like a salt, then doctor it up. You only have to figure out your recipe once. Then, just repeat. All that you need is carbonate, calcium and mag test kits, calcium chloride, baking soda (doubtful, but maybe), mag chloride and muriatic acid I figured mine out years and years ago - 50g bag of IO in cold RO with 2 tbsp of dowflake (ca cl), mix overnight, 20 mls of muriatic acid, mix and heat, ready to go in a few days. Your tank is worth a few minutes.

This is true , not only when it come to salt