All other salts are double the price of Instant Ocean. Is it really worth it?

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

LOL TELL US HOW U REALLY FEEL!
-d

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

10yrs ago tropic marine was the salt of the past and was disappearing. I come back to the hobby and its popular again. Lol. Tis life
D

 

[GARRIGA]

Thanks to this thread I just ordered a bucket of RC on Amazon and I don’t even do water changes. Not a fan of boxes either.

Used IO in the 80/90s. Just switched to RC. Was going to go with TMP but reality of that brown gunk is one can use an internal canister with GAC as the mixer and be done with it. MarineLand Polishing Filter what I will be using. Little bugger serves me well and one day I’ll even use it as DE Filter.

Pretty sure salt is salt. IO & RC good enough for public aquariums with more expensive and delicate life than will ever be in my little box of fluids.

 

[homer1475]

Everyone complaining of brown crud in salt, and everyone loves to quote BRS(for some odd reason BRS has become the gospel to the reefing world?).......

Anyone catch the video about mistakes mixing salt?

All anyone has to do is run a 5 micron sediment filter(same one on your RO/DI machine) before your hose to the tank to clean up the brown crud.

I run mine on a closed loop in my mixing barrel, have 0 brown anything in my mixing barrel. Been using it for the better part of 3 years now, and my brutes are just as clean as the first day I started using them.

 

[BrianAnthony]

I was on Tropic Marin for about 15 years. Loved it, then my main retailer switched off to RC. Been on it awhile now, but the Alk I just wonder how it's truly affecting things. Mine is pretty much softies a few LPS and 2 SPS. The Alk just isn't being utilized fast enough, my sand bed gets a bit crunchy at times because of it. Ya, the trace elements....if I have to dose a minor amount thats ok, but I would really rather avoid it altogether. Basically why I have stuck with RC....rock and a hard place making decisions here lol. If anyone has an idea of one close to RC but lower Alk I am all ears!

Yeah, I'd rather have a salt mix that was lower dkh. It's easier to add rather than take out. (Unless you are stocked with SPS corals) If I go the tropic Marin route... I'll order it from BRS more than likely. I just like to be able to dial the dkh in and maintain it with kalk. Not, do a water change and try to go from 12/13 down to 9/10.

The thing here is depending on your tank and where you want alk at... Tells you which salt to buy in a round about way.

 

[GARRIGA]

Yeah, I'd rather have a salt mix that was lower dkh. It's easier to add rather than take out. (Unless you are stocked with SPS corals) If I go the tropic Marin route... I'll order it from BRS more than likely. I just like to be able to dial the dkh in and maintain it with kalk. Not, do a water change and try to go from 12/13 down to 9/10.

The thing here is depending on your tank and where you want alk at... Tells you which salt to buy in a round about way.

Assuming one is dosing alkalinity then wouldn't the higher alk salt not be preferred? Even with a 20% WC the alkalinity should rise by more than 1 dkh? Regardless of type of coral, all systems deplete alkalinity by removing nitrates during WC unless they have denitrification reducing the amount of nitrates reduced via that WC. Is that incorrect?

I don't do WC but might help others.

 

[BrianAnthony]

Assuming one is dosing alkalinity then wouldn't the higher alk salt not be preferred? Even with a 20% WC the alkalinity should rise by more than 1 dkh? Regardless of type of coral, all systems deplete alkalinity by removing nitrates during WC unless they have denitrification reducing the amount of nitrates reduced via that WC. Is that incorrect?

I don't do WC but might help others.

I would rather have the lower alk so I'd have the option of doing water changes with a lowering alk effect and dial the number up a bit with kalk. My tank doesn't have high alk using coral. If I was stocked with high demand alk corals then, yeah, high alk salt mix allday. I have a 12gallon nano. I do water changes very frequently. This is what I prefer. Others with high volume and high demand corals will prefer other variables. I don't dose for alk normally.. I figure out my daily usage of alk and then increase or decrease my kalk dosing to maintain.

 

[GARRIGA]

I would rather have the lower alk so I'd have the option of doing water changes with a lowering alk effect and dial the number up a bit with kalk. My tank doesn't have high alk using coral. If I was stocked with high demand alk corals then, yeah, high alk salt mix all day. I have a 12gallon nano. I do water changes very frequently. This is what I prefer. Others with high volume and high demand corals will prefer other variables.

Got it. WC replaces the need for dosing then yes getting a salt dialed in to required paramters makes sense. TMP seems the best choice I found when considering that approach. Not exactly sure what IO alk is as keep seeing mixed opinions. I know RC is high.

 

[BrianAnthony]

Got it. WC replaces the need for dosing then yes getting a salt dialed in to required paramters makes sense. TMP seems the best choice I found when considering that approach. Not exactly sure what IO alk is as keep seeing mixed opinions. I know RC is high.

Yes... I see the mixed results too. I think it varies from testing procedures to salt batch production. The chart I was looking at said IO is at around 10/11, reef at 13ish. TMP is like 8.5.

 

[GARRIGA]

Yes... I see the mixed results too. I think it varies from testing procedures to salt batch production. The chart I was looking at said IO is at around 10/11, reef at 13ish. TMP is like 8.5.

Were I managing parameters via WC then I'd consider TMP and especially where my system wasn't consuming much alkalinity between WC. Assuming the Germany brand doesn't incur the issue their Hungary salt had, although, quite frankly, I'm still not sure exactly what the Hungary salt issue is beyond brown gunk. Some claim to have loss fish/corals but is that really true? We often anecdotally assign blame to the most obvious or last change. I know I do.

 

[BrianAnthony]

Were I managing parameters via WC then I'd consider TMP and especially where my system wasn't consuming much alkalinity between WC. Assuming the Germany brand doesn't incur the issue their Hungary salt had, although, quite frankly, I'm still not sure exactly what the Hungary salt issue is beyond brown gunk. Some claim to have loss fish/corals but is that really true? We often anecdotally assign blame to the most obvious or last change. I know I do.

Lol. I thought Turkey was the problem... Anyway, as I understand.. TMP gets their salt from mines that produce higher quality salt. (They sell it as pharma grade salt). Turkey hit a vein in the mine that wasn't so pure. I see brown gunk in my mixing bucket all the time from reef crystals. People have come to expect the highest quality from TMP, and when they don't see it, they get upset. (Understandable). Not sure if the brown gunk in the turkey Salt from TMP or Reef crystals is an issue. But, if I had to choose to drink a glass of water with brown stuff OR crystal clear... I'd pick the crystal clear.

 

[GARRIGA]

Lol. I thought Turkey was the problem... Anyway, as I understand.. TMP gets their salt from mines that produce higher quality salt. (They sell it as pharma grade salt). Turkey hit a vein in the mine that wasn't so pure. I see brown gunk in my mixing bucket all the time from reef crystals. People have come to expect the highest quality from TMP, and when they don't see it, they get upset. (Understandable). Not sure if the brown gunk in the turkey Salt from TMP or Reef crystals is an issue. But, if I had to choose to drink a glass of water with brown stuff OR crystal clear... I'd pick the crystal clear.

No clue where I got Hungary from.

 

[Arego]

IO here. I only need the basics, I'll take care of the rest with kalk and trace for much less cost overall.

My only salt regret is not having done IO sooner.

 

[BrianAnthony]

No clue where I got Hungary from.

You were Hungary for Turkey.

 

[Gtinnel]

For example:
If salt A cost 10 bucks to for a 50 gallon bag, and salt B cost 15 bucks for a 50 gallon bag.

Salt A when mixing to a SpG of 1.026 gives you 40 gallons

Salt B when mixing to a SpG of 1.026 gives you 45 gallons.

Using the math cost/total gallons (at required SpG) will give you the true cost. Which would work out to be $0.25 per gallon for salt A and $0.22 for salt B.

So while A may look cheaper on a cost per gallon for actual use B is the better deal.

I just wanted to point out that in this example you are wrong and A is absolutely the better deal.

Using your example A is $10/40gal or 25 cents per gallon, B is $15/45gal or 33.3333 cents per gallon. A is still considerably cheaper per gallon. A 12.5% increase in water doesn't offset the 50% increase in price.

I understand and agree with the point you were trying to make but your math was wrong.

 

[Woodyman]

I just wanted to point out that in this example you are wrong and A is absolutely the better deal.

Using your example A is $10/40gal or 25 cents per gallon, B is $15/45gal or 33.3333 cents per gallon. A is still considerably cheaper per gallon. A 12.5% increase in water doesn't offset the 50% increase in price.

I understand and agree with the point you were trying to make but your math was wrong.

I was backwards. That's what I get for going back and forth on my phone while I should be sleeping! I was just trying to clarify an earlier point I read. In the thread.

 

[sfin52]

Check out the 50 gallon bags of IO. Its 11.99 It makes no sense. The 50 gallon bags are cheaper than the higher volume ones. Shouldn't it be less in cost as you go higher in volume?

So the 200 gallon box is $51.85 right now for IO regular (not reef crystals)
but if you buy 4 50 gallon bags, it ends up being $47.96 and thats before the 5% subscribe and save monthly deliveries.

I think someone in Amazon screwed up. Thats why I'm hoarding IO now. I bought so much during their promo ($9.50 per 50 gallon bag: $36 for 200 gallons) they restricted my IO purchases last month.
They thought I was going to resell them.

Ya they just restricted to 3. Oh well ill just get more later

 

[sfin52]

It’s $90.99 at Chewy right now. Plus tax. I paid $36 a few weeks ago for 200-gallon box, $86.41 right now.

Just give it time prices will fall

 

[sfin52]

Yeah, I'd rather have a salt mix that was lower dkh. It's easier to add rather than take out. (Unless you are stocked with SPS corals) If I go the tropic Marin route... I'll order it from BRS more than likely. I just like to be able to dial the dkh in and maintain it with kalk. Not, do a water change and try to go from 12/13 down to 9/10.

The thing here is depending on your tank and where you want alk at... Tells you which salt to buy in a round about way.

My mostly softy tank chews up alk and calcium. I can think coraline for that. Just because one has a softy tank doesn't mean alk and calcium won't be an issue

 

[Woodyman]

I just wanted to point out that in this example you are wrong and A is absolutely the better deal.

Using your example A is $10/40gal or 25 cents per gallon, B is $15/45gal or 33.3333 cents per gallon. A is still considerably cheaper per gallon. A 12.5% increase in water doesn't offset the 50% increase in price.

I understand and agree with the point you were trying to make but your math was wrong.

I just wanted to point out that in this example you are wrong and A is absolutely the better deal.

Using your example A is $10/40gal or 25 cents per gallon, B is $15/45gal or 33.3333 cents per gallon. A is still considerably cheaper per gallon. A 12.5% increase in water doesn't offset the 50% increase in price.

I understand and agree with the point you were trying to make but your math was wrong.

I was backwards. That's what I get for going back and forth on my phone while I should be sleeping! I was just trying to clarify an earlier point I read. In the thread.

I didn't update my price for salt B.... I used $10 for each... Oops.. again what I get for going back and forth on my phone!