Cheap salt vs. expensive salt

[tenurepro]

Greetings all,
I've been using the cheap instant ocean salt in my sps reef tank for 3 year now. Briefly, i have a red sea reefer 250; I only dose ESV B-ionic to maintain parameters... i don't dose anything else (no coral foods or additives), but i do have a healthy bioload and i feed my fish 3 times a day.

My tank generally does well, but every time i visited my local fish store, i wondered about switching to one of the fancier more expensive brands of salt. The grass always seems greener on the other side, and i kept fantasizing about getting better sps growth and color on the more expensive salts... about 6 month ago, i bit the bullet and purchased the most expensive salt in my LFS, Tropic Marin Reef Pro. To avoid shocking my system, i gradually changed over my tank from the cheap instant ocean to Tropic Marin by doing gradual 2.5 L water changes plus 15 L every other weekend.

I documented the change in coral colors by taking before and after pics, and i also did ICP tests before and after the switch... this change over is documented here if you want to see it


Briefly, i found no major differences in how my corals looked. Levels of major and trace elements were essentially the same, although for a couple of elements, levels were a bit higher with the cheaper IO.

While this is not obviously not a valid experiment by any stretch of the imagination (sample size of 1, no biological replication, limited control of confounding factors), i am hoping that my anecdote can be of help to the community...

p.s. my trial is different from the fun trials BRS did on salts recently - mostly because they didn't focus on how different salt brands actually affect performance of corals in your tank - something that is of primary importance to me.

 

[CivicS14]

I always went for salts that matched my target parameters. Didn't care about "cheap" salt over some of these pricier salts. For me, it was liveaquaria's salt. It's very cheap when you get it on their promos. I get several boxes at a time when they do this.

 

[alton]

Nice test. You realize if you shipped instant ocean salt to Europe it would cost more there than the Tropic Marin does here?

 

[Sidvicious]

Instant Ocean is truly tried and tested. Trusted by many aquarists and the only salt they’ll use. I happen to use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and have been happy with their salt for years and haven’t switched but wouldn’t hesitate to use just plain old IO salt.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Instant Ocean (not Reef Crystal though) salt has been a reliable product as far as I have experienced so far.

 

[tenurepro]

Nice test. You realize if you shipped instant ocean salt to Europe it would cost more there than the Tropic Marin does here?

Thanks - yes i totally get the part of Tropic Marin's high cost is simply shipping big heavy containers from Europe to North America. But, i think it is fair to say that it has been 'pushed' or marketed as a premium salt. Also, there is also 'marketing placebo effect' the psychological perception that more expensive things are better. You don't exactly see TM pro reef marketed as "just a regular salt that just come from Germany so you are paying for the shipping"

 

[GodZillaReef]

I like cheap salts for water changes. I save my money for my feeding. I like to feed heavy even with algae blooms.

 

[robbyg]

Instant Ocean all the way. For those who have cash flowing out of their pocket and still need to spend more money. I suggest you still buy Instant Ocean and do twice as many water changes Your corals will love you even more.

BTW it would be really cool experiment if someone made SW using Road Salt (one without additives) and then sent it off for ICP testing. Road Salt is mined from dried up Prehistoric Oceans. It would be cool to see what the minor chemical changes are like from then to now.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

It’s been my experience that instant ocean in a bag is not as good as the bucket. Every bag that I’ve ever had was bricked, and residue was left in the bottom. That residue then caused low calcium and alk. Have you ever had this problem with the bucket of instant ocean or the tropic Marin pro?

 

[Snoopy 67]

I've been using the bags for years now. It's a rarity to have one hard.

 

[ca1ore]

That’s a good data point in a hobby sorely lacking them. Not surprising though. Lots of successful tanks on IO, unsuccessful one too ... suggesting that the ‘key’ to a reef tank won’t be found in the salt mix one chooses.

 

[sawdonkey]

It’s been my experience that instant ocean in a bag is not as good as the bucket. Every bag that I’ve ever had was bricked, and residue was left in the bottom. That residue then caused low calcium and alk. Have you ever had this problem with the bucket of instant ocean or the tropic Marin pro?

Ive used reef crystals for years and never had a bag arrive hard. I have had them turn hard once Open them.

 

[CuzzA]

I've used Instant Ocean RC and Red Sea CP and both mix dirty. As for price Red Sea was about the same when buying commercial bags. The one thing to note is the false advertising. IRCC, they advertise the gallons at a lower salinity. This may have changed, but something to consider when comparing price and value.

That said, today I use Fritz and couldn't be happier. Mixes rather quick. Mixes very clean (like the other expensive salts), Comes in two version, one with a high alk for high nutrient systems, truly makes the advertised volume, and the price is right, especially if you catch it on sale.

FritzPRO R.P.M. Salt Mix Box (55 lbs - Makes 200 Gallons) - Fritz Aquatics

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[tenurepro]

It’s been my experience that instant ocean in a bag is not as good as the bucket. Every bag that I’ve ever had was bricked, and residue was left in the bottom. That residue then caused low calcium and alk. Have you ever had this problem with the bucket of instant ocean or the tropic Marin pro?

nope bucket is usually always loose with no lumps