Best salt atm

[TheGreatWave]

I don’t think he is who you think he is...

Who Do I think He/she is? Who are you?

 

[Potatohead]

Well really, which is it? Not dry mixing or the manufacturer messing up the recipe? Hundreds of people get by using salt from the same batch yet this person claims to have parameter issues with her one bucket. It's never chasing parameters or trendy salts that did it. No can't be that.

No mention of the problem that compelled the salt switch to begin with.

No mention on the IORC mixing procedure, or in reality she doesn't actually dry mix instant ocean.

Doesn't explain how her magic way of "dry mixing" is different then the magical mixing sitting in the back of the truck, if you were to believe it separates. Always a spike, never a dip. Doesn't explains how the loose bags get handled at the store without accidentally mixing. Never adds water to salt, would never do that. Doesn't mention the certified calcium test kit used, probably expired API in a water-spotted vial. No comparison of pH of water used to create the mountainous alk spike. Doesn't explain how to scrape the stratified salt of in layers to avoid accidentally mixing the salt when scooping. When you sit back and process grandiose declarations like these, they are ridiculous.

Funny the instructions on two different brands of box of salt here (Including IO) and doesn't say a thing about dry-mixing the salt. NOTHING. It does say to use an airstone, so what kind of airstone did she use? It does say to use a calibrated refract and to bring the temp up, add salt to water slowly. Both brands suggest waiting a few hours or "waiting" before use. See where this is going? Without the use of an airstone you can totally disregard what this person says about it.

Since it's common to declare absolutes based on emotions I am going to side with the manufacturer and say that the finely ground salt sitting in bags, boxes or buckets does not separate to any appreciable degree during shipment, if anything it compacts. These forums would be absolutely littered with threads about it if it were a thing to worry about.

I honestly have no idea what you’re going on about. Someone mentioned they had high calcium with Fritz, jda mentioned it’s possible the salt stratified in order to get that number, and then you went off on some tangent about how jda is a crappy aquarist when he’s one of the most helpful and successful people on the board.

 

[Jamo7]

On a lighter note, I’ve used reef crystals from the start (nothing scientific about it I saw IO salt and than IO reef crystals next to each other and went with the slightly more expensive model) either way I have not had any problems but I live near the ocean and have thought about just grabbing myself some ready mixed water and tossing it in? Anyone done this? Pros VS Cons? I have not pulled the trigger but it’s crossed my mind more than once.

 

[SeaDweller]

Dayyyummm, whoever complains about “another salt” threads needs to open their eyes to all the juicy drama in them!!! I love salt threads!!!

 

[phixman]

posted on wrong section

 

[MartinWaite]

On a lighter note, I’ve used reef crystals from the start (nothing scientific about it I saw IO salt and than IO reef crystals next to each other and went with the slightly more expensive model) either way I have not had any problems but I live near the ocean and have thought about just grabbing myself some ready mixed water and tossing it in? Anyone done this? Pros VS Cons? I have not pulled the trigger but it’s crossed my mind more than once.

Loads of people choose to grab their seawater from the big well called the ocean even here in the UK they pump it into their water containers at high tide and then let it sit for 24hours. Up here in North England people will either sit the container beside a radiator or sit it in the bath with hot water in the bath to warm the water to the correct temp then do their water change.
The main problem I have with doing this is that a lot of bought salt mixes have totally different levels of Alk, cal, & mag so using NSW you may need to buffer these to get them near to what you have been using.

 

[Rick5]

What’s with the anger and passion in this hobby? You’re talking about salt (literally).

Why are you so salty?! (Get it? That’s high-level sophisticated humor that may be lost on some)

 

[Jon Warner]

Just wanted to add my 5 cents.

There may not be a "bad salt" out there, BUT there are salts that better match YOUR application.

Want to rely more on water changes and less on supplementation? Then go with a salt offering enriched levels of CA and Mg. Fish only? A salt with higher Alk is your best bet as lower Alk may be better for SPS.

Just an FYI, I'm a marine aquarium historian in addition to my other ventures.

The first modern reef aquarium book was written by Philip Henry Gosse in 1854 and it's surprisingly modern and applicable to our modern hobby. He published a DIY salt mix with... 5 ingredients. That's all... Just 5. And he and his contemporaries successfully kept fish and invertebrates for years.

 

[Kris 2020]

Y’all know you’re commenting on a thread that’s over a year old, right? Not that this argument ever dies...

 

[homer1475]

Ha just saw this thread.

That @TheGreatWave dude wasn't even around long enough to watch @Bulk Reef Supply video on stratification. Guess he/she should have been the one to keep his mouth shut when he had no idea what he was talking about.

All anyone has to do is search @jda 's posts to see the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.

 

[Kris 2020]

Ha just saw this thread.

That @TheGreatWave dude wasn't even around long enough to watch @Bulk Reef Supply video on stratification. Guess he/she should have been the one to keep his mouth shut when he had no idea what he was talking about.

All anyone has to do is search @jda 's posts to see the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.

He/she was here like a month, a year ago, and it looked like they weren't very nice most of the time. I don't get people like that, why make jerk comments and attack people.

 

[waterskiguy]

I'd say that there are a few options for great salt, in the 8-9 dKH range.

I use HW Reefer. It mixes clean and clear, at 9 dKH, in a couple minutes and is consistent with it's parameters. It also includes all of the minor and trace minerals that the other higher end salts do. All at a nice affordable price.

I don't know from experience, but Tropic Marin may have a version of their salt that mixes up around the 8-9 dKH too. I couldn't tell you what their it contains or what parameters it mixes up to. My experience tells me that their pro version is lower in alkalinity than what you're looking for. It only mixes up to the 7 dKH range. You'd have to adjust it before you even put it in your tank.

ESV, you mix the different salts up from individual packages. I believe you can make it whatever alkalinity you want, depending on how you mix it. I've never mixed it, so I couldn't tell you how well it goes. It does contain all of the minor and trace as well.

There are plenty of salts out there. These are the ones that most people use and trust.

 

[Kris 2020]

I'd say that there are a few options for great salt, in the 8-9 dKH range.

I use HW Reefer. It mixes clean and clear, at 9 dKH, in a couple minutes and is consistent with it's parameters. It also includes all of the minor and trace minerals that the other higher end salts do. All at a nice affordable price.

I don't know from experience, but Tropic Marin may have a version of their salt that mixes up around the 8-9 dKH too. I couldn't tell you what their it contains or what parameters it mixes up to. My experience tells me that their pro version is lower in alkalinity than what you're looking for. It only mixes up to the 7 dKH range. You'd have to adjust it before you even put it in your tank.

ESV, you mix the different salts up from individual packages. I believe you can make it whatever alkalinity you want, depending on how you mix it. I've never mixed it, so I couldn't tell you how well it goes. It does contain all of the minor and trace as well.

There are plenty of salts out there. These are the ones that most people use and trust.

I use the hw reefer as well. Switched about 6 months ago from Red Sea coral pro. Coral pro was ok, but did leave a residue in my mixing bucket. Hw is probably the cleanest, most consistent salt I’ve ever used. I don’t know what I used before Red Sea. Too long ago.

 

[Pistondog]

Just curious if anyone else uses the HW reefer salt?? I’m loving it so far but only been using it for about 2 months now .....

Yes, hw marine reefer, happy using it for 18 months now.
Synthetic, seems like it might be easier to control consistency.
Mixes fast and clear.
Running triton, so cost not an issue.