Best Reef Salt to use?

[steveschuerger]

I started with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals went to AquaForest Reef and now using IORC again, mainly because I got it on sale this time. Both have worked well for me.

 

[MiniCoco]

I have been Instant ocean reef crystal and although it’s worked well the price has pretty much doubled and for almost $90-100 after tax, I’d rather spend my money on a better quality salt, if there is one. Anyone recommend anything?

The one factor that many people overlook in regards to salt is considering what parameters you are going to use as a guide in maintaining your saltwater tank. The obvious factor of how a salt mixes, stays in suspension while storing and purity narrow the search. In the end, the choice of which salt you prefer over another comes from availability/price, experience and what your personal goals are in the hobby.

 

[56longroof]

Trying to pick a best salt is like trying to pick the best car. Almost all salt mixes work fine.

This is 100% true. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Reef Chrystals. Everything in my tank grows just as well as the salt someone else thinks is "premier". If your worried about price I get RC from Amazon on subscription. Its around $80 for a 200 gallon box.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I stopped using IO because the mag is all over the place. Realized for what I spend on mag supplements to fix it, I might as well buy the good salt.

I suspect that’s test error, or a salinity shift, not a real difference. Magnesium testing is so fraught with error that I do not either do it or recommend doing it.

That said, using just normal IO and AFR, my magnesium was fine by Oceamo ICP (1417 ppm at 36.2 ppt salinity, which scales to 1370 ppm at 35 ppt).

 

[baylisascaris97]

I like Nyos. It’s been pretty consistent in my ICP tests.

 

[Maize & Blue]

I use Fritz because it mixes clean, and the parameters are pretty close to what they advertise. Nyos is the Salt that I might switch to if Fritz’s prices keep climbing, but you also have to be careful as to gallons per box. Some advertise gallons per box at 200 but only at 31 PPM, most boxes, including Fritz don’t mix as advertised on the box so you have to go onto the sites of each Salt and look at the amount of gallons mixed at 35 PM. Happy shopping. Once you do that, you’ll find that the prices are not all that far off from one Salt to another.

 

[jackson6745]

Has any Aquaforest users here had crazy high iron readings?

 

[MikeyZo]

I’ve been using aqua forest hybrid salt. I love the stuff, mixes great, parameters are always on point, the only downside is it mixes at approx 8.3 dKH and I wish it was a little higher. I usually add a touch of ESV B-Ionic alkalinity to bring it up to around 9.

 

[MikeyZo]

Has any Aquaforest users here had crazy high iron readings?

I havent

 

[vlangel]

I am a regular Instant Ocean salt user.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Has any Aquaforest users here had crazy high iron readings?

What does crazy high mean? Some folks target very high levels, and iron in a salt mix will generally disappear pretty fast after adding it to a tank, just like iron dosing.

 

[jackson6745]

What does crazy high mean? Some folks target very high levels, and iron in a salt mix will generally disappear pretty fast after adding it to a tank, just like iron dosing.

Not really sure how high. A buddy of mine sent his fresh mix out for ICP and got 23ug/l. I’m not sure what my level is from the box, but my iron went from being deficient in tank to 5ug/l on ms-ICP. Just curious is anyone else had a similar experience.

This was my batch #

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Those values don’t seem any concern. Red Sea actually recommend a target of 150 ug/L.

 

[jackson6745]

Those values don’t seem any concern. Red Sea actually recommend a target of 150 ug/L.

Woah. According the the moonshine program and Oceamo ICP company, above 3ug/l is considered elevated. I wouldn’t have really made the connection but I noticed a few acros greening and darkening in color. I always read about acros turning green from iron but never experienced it. Of course it could be from anything, which is why I was seeing if anyone else noticed the issue.

 

[jackson6745]

Those values don’t seem any concern. Red Sea actually recommend a target of 150 ug/L.

Randy this is making sense now. The icp
From the batch number show .0398 mg/l
Which is roughly 40 ug/l…. If my math is right lol.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Woah. According the the moonshine program and Oceamo ICP company, above 3ug/l is considered elevated. I wouldn’t have really made the connection but I noticed a few acros greening and darkening in color. I always read about acros turning green from iron but never experienced it. Of course it could be from anything, which is why I was seeing if anyone else noticed the issue.

Which serves to show the very wide range of trace elements that can be acceptable, at least for some of them. Targeting an exact value is not, IMO, generally needed.

I'm also skeptical of the addition of specific colors with specific trace elements. Having enough of everything needed gives a healthy coral, and whatever its natural color is under that lighting. Having a deficiency or a toxic level could lead to an unhealthy coral and unhealthy appearance, but is not especially likely to give a healthy coral of a different color.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy this is making sense now. The icp
From the batch number show .0398 mg/l
Which is roughly 40 ug/l…. If my math is right lol.

Yes, that is correct. :)

 

[Uncle99]

Instant Ocean is always the lowest price per gallon in my area.

More expensive salts don’t necessarily give you any better performance.

Some of the most stunning tanks I’ve ever seen are done on less expensive salt……but, with a really good reefer.

 

[Ghost-X9]

I’ve use Red Sea blue bucket and pro, Tropic Marin, Aquaforest and Instant Ocean purple bag and reef crystals. The all worked good in my opinion, however, I went based on price and simplicity. I’ve been using Instant Ocean purple bag and my corals look good. Because of my vermetid snail infestation I haven’t been feeding the corals the way I’d like to boost coloration but I do have growth. I will be doing a breakdown of my reef and place all the corals in QT as I eradicate the pests.

The way I've been keeping my salinity needs functional and economical is combining All for Reef and ATO to maintain stability.

I keep my mixing container from browning due to the impurities of the salt by filtering the mixed water while circulating. Best thing I've done to reduce my maintenance load. Highly recommend if using lower grade salt.

Out of all the salts I've listed Topic Marin was by far the cleanest mixing but the priciest. The cost of pharmasudical grade but worth it I you don’t mind spending the extra cash.

 

[serval]

I'm using Fritz RPM blue box. It mixes super clean and consistent so far. It also includes some trace elements like strontium in the mix. I've seen that Nyos does an ICP on the batches and post the results on a sticker. If I wasn't getting good results from Fritz that's who I would change to.

I switched from Red Sea to Nyos Pure and I really appreciate the purity, cleanliness of the mix, ease and speed of mixing, and the testing behind it.