Leaving Red Sea Salt

LilElroyJetson

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I have only ever used Red Sea Coral Pro and have never had an issue that could be traced back to my salt mixture. I think the best approach is to just choose the salt you are going to use and ideally stick with it (unless in a pinch) and not fall into the temptation to switch because of he said she said or because you learn X who has an amazing tank or Y amazing sponsor uses it. I've also never had any issues with precipitation. I use a ~550 gph powerhead to mix the salt and it's crystal clear within 30 minutes every time. My Alk does bump up .3 dKH using Red Sea Coral Pro with each 15% water change but that isn't an issue to me as I already keep high Alkalinity.

A side note: I always think it's extremely distasteful for a business to bash a competitor. Even if what they say can be corroborated, I'm much more willing to give my business to someone who can make the case for their product being the best without putting down a competitor. You can research to find information to corroborate any claim but how much data is there to support that claim? (i.e. "who knows what contaminants get into it." = sounds pretty presumptive at best/fear mongering at worst. Who knows if this is even true that it happens in any meaningful amount at the scale they are producing the salt, or that it has any adverse effect). Also, what shortcomings of the competitor product might there be that aren't being disclosed? Just food for thought.
 

Lukas75

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Been watching for a bit so I'll go ahead and post. I started off my new system with Red Sea Blue Bucket, but I will be switching, here is why. The red sea salt always leaves that yellowish, brownish crud in my mixing container. It's not just you! I'm not sure what this is and no one has ever been able to tell me, to me that's a problem. Second I sent in an ICP test and my manganese was off the charts. What would this do my corals? No idea, not particularly motivated to find out.

After watching the BRS series on the different salt mixes I settled on the Brightwell Neomarine, and yes I plan on sticking with it. I know you can succeed with all of the salts but it mixes clear, is on the cheaper side, has the alk and calc I am shooting for and holds it through storage. It says a lot about the company that the stated amount on the bucket is actually what it will actually make at a real salinity.

Did the fact that WWC grows all their corals in it push me over the edge in my decision? Yes, yes it did. I can see no better testimonial than all of their tanks, the corals they grow and the only trace element supplementation is water changes.
 

cmcoker

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I have only ever used Red Sea Coral Pro and have never had an issue that could be traced back to my salt mixture.
I have been primarily a Red Sea Salt user since I started in 2012, tried Salinity for a couple buckets but didn't like the precipitation or the slooow salt additions to avoid it and went back to red sea.
I agree that it is very off putting for someone to trash other businesses to try and raise up their own, and would probably avoid that salt on principle if I had received that sales pitch.
A few months ago my salt mix containers started getting a slime growing in them if it wasnt used within a day or so, also smelled funny to me. I sanitized the container and it still happened. I picked up a box of Tropic Marin and did not have the same slime issue. No other change, so I'm sticking with TM for now.
Im wondering how many people who have switched recently were having an issue, or just tinkering?
 

LilElroyJetson

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Been watching for a bit so I'll go ahead and post. I started off my new system with Red Sea Blue Bucket, but I will be switching, here is why. The red sea salt always leaves that yellowish, brownish crud in my mixing container. It's not just you! I'm not sure what this is and no one has ever been able to tell me, to me that's a problem. Second I sent in an ICP test and my manganese was off the charts. What would this do my corals? No idea, not particularly motivated to find out.

After watching the BRS series on the different salt mixes I settled on the Brightwell Neomarine, and yes I plan on sticking with it. I know you can succeed with all of the salts but it mixes clear, is on the cheaper side, has the alk and calc I am shooting for and holds it through storage. It says a lot about the company that the stated amount on the bucket is actually what it will actually make at a real salinity.

Did the fact that WWC grows all their corals in it push me over the edge in my decision? Yes, yes it did. I can see no better testimonial than all of their tanks, the corals they grow and the only trace element supplementation is water changes.

That's totally fair. In my above post I was just suggesting that just because a top company grows amazing corals using a specific salt (i.e. WWC with NeoMarine), that doesn't mean that someone should switch if they're not experiencing any issues. I would use NeoMarine if I was having legitimate issues with my current salt, or if I was starting a new tank. But I'm also pretty sure WWC could use any other reputable salt brand and would still be achieving the same results.

I use Brightwell products in my system, and love the company, so not bashing them, but even with their great reputation, folks like Randy have pointed out some questionable claims they make regarding some of their products. WWC might use NeoMarine and Brightwell products because they have a sponsorship agreement with them and they get it all for free, which at the volume they're using these products, would be a legitimate reason to use it over a competing product, not necessarily because that's their secret to amazing coral growth (because it's not).
 

Lukas75

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That's totally fair. In my above post I was just suggesting that just because a top company grows amazing corals using a specific salt (i.e. WWC with NeoMarine), that doesn't mean that someone should switch if they're not experiencing any issues. I would use NeoMarine if I was having legitimate issues with my current salt, or if I was starting a new tank. But I'm also pretty sure WWC could use any other reputable salt brand and would still be achieving the same results.

I use Brightwell products in my system, and love the company, so not bashing them, but even with their great reputation, folks like Randy have pointed out some questionable claims they make regarding some of their products. WWC might use NeoMarine and Brightwell products because they have a sponsorship agreement with them and they get it all for free, which at the volume they're using these products, would be a legitimate reason to use it over a competing product, not necessarily because that's their secret to amazing coral growth (because it's not).
Agreed and my post wasn't meant to be a bash on you, sorry if it came across that way :)
 

LilElroyJetson

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Agreed and my post wasn't meant to be a bash on you, sorry if it came across that way :)

No, not at all. I just wanted to illustrate my point incase a newer reefer stumbled upon these posts so they would understand my reasoning which wasn't clearly spelled out when I first suggested people shouldn't switch products just because someone like WWC uses it. Thanks for making sure though. ;)
 

Lukas75

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No, not at all. I just wanted to illustrate my point incase a newer reefer stumbled upon these posts so they would understand my reasoning which wasn't clearly spelled out when I first suggested people shouldn't switch products just because someone like WWC uses it. Thanks for making sure though. ;)
No worries and I couldn't agree more it was that last little push that got me to pull the trigger, definitely NOT the deciding factor, that would be the rest of the stuff.
 

LilElroyJetson

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No worries and I couldn't agree more it was that last little push that got me to pull the trigger, definitely NOT the deciding factor, that would be the rest of the stuff.

When I start my next tank I'm also planning on giving NeoMarine a go due to the cost savings. I'll be upgrading to a larger tank so I suspect in the long run, the incremental amount I save will add up. And WWC's use of the product plays some factor in that decision for me as well, so Brightwell's relationship with them seems to be dually beneficial (as they hoped I'm sure). :)
 

rkpetersen

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On a side note, choice of salt is always a hotly debated topic here. IMO, salt is only a minor aspect. You can’t blame salt for all of your problems

Probably one of the very least important things and yet people obsess over it, and it's always been this way. :)
 

Njdevils1220

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I guess I will chime in.

I used the Quantum SPS and Mixed Macro salt for 6 months or so. It worked great. No residue in my containers, no Po4 in freshly mixed batches. It does have some sand from the Australian reefs in the salt but that's nothing and causes no issues. In fact they claim it has minerals that benefit corals but Australia wont let them farm it to sell as substrate, apparently its reef gold over there. My ICP tests always came back good as well from Triton and CoralVue.

I however switched to Tropic Marin Pro Reef. The only reason I did so was availability. None of my local stores have picked up Quantum yet and it was hard to keep waiting on salt orders from online retailers when really only one place online carries it. If Quantum became available locally I would likely switch back to the SPS salt.

The guys at Quantum are awesome and have their own FB group FILLED with people overseas that have been using the products for a VERY long time with positive results. I still use their amino acids.
 

Steve180

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I use Red Sea pro and I have never had any issues with it. If you’re switching salt it’s best to do it slowly like everything else in this hobby. Their salt has higher alk, which I love cause I don’t have to currently dose. By just doing water changes it replenishes everything my tank needs.
 

2Wheelsonly

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I used Red Sea (blue bucket with lower Alk) for almost 7 years before switching to regular IO (local availability and very, very cheap compared to others). I definitely feel that the IO was a downgrade both in parameter consistency and clarity but with my tank size I was paying $70 a bucket and one bucket wouldn't even last a month. I get a 200G box of IO for $45 and my LFS usually just takes coral frags as a trade in; I don't think iv'e paid actual money for salt in 2-3 years lol.

I also suspect that red sea had more trace elements as I never ever ran into issues going months without changing water, with IO I have to dose trace elements if I go over 1 month without changing water.

I don't know what it is about changing brands, there has to be more to it than simple params as I went through a lot of what you mentioned when I switch AWAY from Red Sea to IO. Lots of slime algae, odd issues with corals...even lost what I thought was an indestructible SPS colony when I switched. It STN'd very, very slowly even all the healthy frags I took eventually succumbed to STN.
 

vetteguy53081

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I used Red Sea (blue bucket with lower Alk) for almost 7 years before switching to regular IO (local availability and very, very cheap compared to others). I definitely feel that the IO was a downgrade both in parameter consistency and clarity but with my tank size I was paying $70 a bucket and one bucket wouldn't even last a month. I get a 200G box of IO for $45 and my LFS usually just takes coral frags as a trade in; I don't think iv'e paid actual money for salt in 2-3 years lol.

I also suspect that red sea had more trace elements as I never ever ran into issues going months without changing water, with IO I have to dose trace elements if I go over 1 month without changing water.

I don't know what it is about changing brands, there has to be more to it than simple params as I went through a lot of what you mentioned when I switch AWAY from Red Sea to IO. Lots of slime algae, odd issues with corals...even lost what I thought was an indestructible SPS colony when I switched. It STN'd very, very slowly even all the healthy frags I took eventually succumbed to STN.
All my years in the hobby, never heard of quantum but willing to try it. Im a tropic Marin user with no complaints
 

Superlightman

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Red sea write that their is 72% natural salt inside,28% other elements ,what are this elements ?
Tropic mzrkn sats they have the 70 minerals present in sea water,but red see wich is natural have only 54?? How comes?
Maybe the best is two mix the two ?
Who as experience with the bio-tropic marin?It change something?
 

Lukas75

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Don't mix salts. Different brands use different salts to make their mix and the two may interact and cause precipitation.

As for the bio-active Tropic Marin, I have no experience.
 

SMSREEF

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Don't mix salts. Different brands use different salts to make their mix and the two may interact and cause precipitation.
This doesn’t make any sense to me. My guess is that there will be no issues.

But, I am doing a water change today and will make water with a 1:1 ratio of Red Sea Blue bucket and Tropic Marin Pro and report back.
 

SMSREEF

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Non Scientific Experiment:

Does Mixing Red Sea Salt with Tropic Marin Pro at a 1:1 ratio by weight cause precipitation, or problems mixing

Doing a 5 gallon water change on my 10 gallon AIO Coral Quarantine. Currently using Red Sea Blue Bucket in this tank.
06CEE85C-B529-4692-95B3-AD52697FCEF2.jpeg


Procedure and Observations:
5 gallons of RODI water added to Home Depot bucket.

09:15 added 1 1/2 cup Red Rea Blue Bucket (RSBB) salt to scale. Weight=409 grams
810EA85F-7F6E-4200-8B95-58F259B49DFA.jpeg

0918 added 409 grams of Tropic Marin Pro (TMP) to bucket. (Doing this. I noticed TMP grain more consistent and less than 1 1/2 cups = 409 grams)
3B36D795-9074-4CA6-80ED-8182721A2B82.jpeg

0920 added powerhead to the bucket to begin mixing.

0930 most of the salt has dissolved at this point. (I do notice some white “floaters” in the water and on surface, but not many)
**I think I remember these floaters when I use RSBB alone too. But I don’t pay this close attention.
9501CCDC-F2FD-4EDC-B5D1-E6D4FBA8CE9C.jpeg


0933 changed powerhead to agitate surface

0945 turned powerhead off. Noticed air bubbles on side of bucket. Moved powerhead back to bottom. Most floaters gone, but a couple on surface.

0955 checked salinity 41 ppt, temp 78.3

1000-1010 added RODI to make 35 ppt. No noticeable precipitation.
3F51B3E9-768D-4324-83AB-90FDAF40DDA2.jpeg

Conclusion: No identified extra precipitate or reaction from mixing RSBB with TMP at a 1 to 1 ratio. I will use this in my water change today.
 

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