So many salt mixes, which one is the best one?

[Softhammer]

Original Tropic Marin. I’ve tried everything, all are good and for years I used anything that was on sale. However with tropic the parameters are spot on every time and the corals always look amazing after a after change. I just tested a batch yesterday. Alk 7.0, Ca 450 and Mg 1200. Winning numbers in my book and the corals agree.

 

[muggle reefer]

For years I just plugged along, I mixed salt every week, I started out with stirring for a couple minutes with a wood handle spoon. I think my LFS took pity on me and gave me a circulation pump to mix my salt with and said use this.

I still mixed salt 4 gallons at a time for a 35 gallon tank.

Only recently I discovered BRS who in turn referred me to this site but I discovered the idea of a brute can to mix in bulk and that you could mix salt for more than one water change at a time. Based upon BRS I decided to switch my salt to Tropic Marin.

I don't even know what brand I started with. I used what my LFS told me to use. That simple. Not so simple when my LFS suddenly went out of business. They helped me move my tank when I moved, left me a big bucket of salt, went out of business. Last couple years I have been just buying a bag of salt at Petco. My first batch of Tropic Marin is mixing in my Brute can right now. I bought a 35 gallon can, have about 28 gallons of salt water that will be ready for tonights water change. No more random chance of what my salinity will be, it probably changed every time I made salt water. We started our salt mix friday, tested saturday morning, adjusted our mix with another scoop and rechecked Saturday night.

You would be amazed at how many bad practices soft corals and a few hardy fish can withstand.

 

[LoneStarReef]

Fritz. Mixes clean quickly and can be stored for a while if needed (after it is mixed). Doesn’t leave a residue on the mixing container like IO. I’ve tried TM Classic too. But the CA level is way low (had to increase CA dosing). Even with increasing my CA levels I could never get it to grow coralline algae. Switched to Fritz and I’m starting to see it grow again. And Fritz is about half the cost of TM Classic. And as a plus, Fritz is manufactured locally here in Texas.

 

[mindme]

Well I’m in Jersey so it’s Atlantic for me,, and when I collect my water from bout 7-10 miles offshore,, the salinity is Always 1025
I’ve been doing that for 3 years now

I'm sure it works awesome. I think consistency is the most important part. I live on the gulf coast of Florida, but going out there to get water isn't really feasible, otherwise I would totally do it.

 

[arking_mark]

So a couple thoughts on salt mixes.
1. Your target parameters
2. Consider you're dosing regime
3. Consider you're water change regime

For many years, I used IO Reef Salt as my main salt due to its elevated parameters. I did a bi-weekly small 5-10% water change to keep my tank at more normal sea water parameters. Basically, the elevated IO Reef salt parameters were replenishing my tank...no dosing.

For my new build, I'm going with the Triton method and an incremental AWC (already implemented now on old tank). In this case, I needed to switch to a salt that mimics natural sea parameters so that the dosing maintains the the proper parameters. I went with Brightwell Neomarine Salt which has a 7.5dK and will allow a target 8dKH or slightly higher dKH and other parameters be maintained by the Triton method.

So when picking a salt mix, you need to make sure it works with your target parameters and tank maintenance plan.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tropic Marin
Pharm grade
Dont even try any other.

Sure. You are doomed if you use anything else. lol

 

[sawdonkey]

What kind of corals do you have in your tank? Also do you dose anything?

Mostly SPS.

 

[sawdonkey]

Mostly SPS.

 

[wonroc]

Jersey in the HOUSE

 

[wonroc]

Do you use the regular one or the pro? I love howfast it mixes but man does it have low alk.

Pro.
I add Kalkawasser to my ATO and pray

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Original Tropic Marin. I’ve tried everything, all are good and for years I used anything that was on sale. However with tropic the parameters are spot on every time and the corals always look amazing after a after change. I just tested a batch yesterday. Alk 7.0, Ca 450 and Mg 1200. Winning numbers in my book and the corals agree.

How detrimental did you find switching salt brands to be? I'm starting to think my elevated pareters of red sea coral pro are doing more harm than good... To an already failing tank

 

[arking_mark]

How detrimental did you find switching salt brands to be? I'm starting to think my elevated pareters of red sea coral pro are doing more harm than good... To an already failing tank

I'll speak to switching from IO Reef salt to Brightwell Neomarine.

For many years, I used IO Reef for its elevated parameters. Using it for small water changes allowed me to replenish my tank without dosing and keeping my tank at more normal seawater parameters.

In preparation for going ULM for my new build, I decided to implement an AWC and switch to the Triton Method. Triton Method targets 8dKH and maintains the rest of your parameters. Since IO Reef salt is 11dKH, I had to switch.

I set my AWC for incremental water changes that add up to 1gal a day for my current 34gal tank.

My results have been funky. I made the switch with my dKH at around 9.5. Oddly for following 5 days or so, the dKH kept rising till it hit 10.5. The following 2 weeks it has been weirdly "bouncing" downward. No coral issues or anything as the changes have been taking place very slowly over the last month.

I was expecting a very slow but steady downward dKH trend. I got something unexpected with the initial upward swing and then bouncing downward trend. One theory was that the AWC and higher quality Neomarine Salt was effectively bringing down my Nitrates which would boost the alk.

If you do decide to change salts, I recommend small incremental water changes. Stable parameters and slow changes are critical to maintaining a successful reef tank.

 

[homer1475]

How detrimental did you find switching salt brands to be? I'm starting to think my elevated pareters of red sea coral pro are doing more harm than good... To an already failing tank

Salt is salt is salt. Switch it up however you want to. I and many around here used to buy whatever is the cheapest, or the LFS carried at the time(since the internet wasn't something you used to shop from), and just mix it up and dump it in. Did it that way for years with 0 problem.

Since salt recently has gotten stupid expensive(looking at you tropic marin, we both know a 200G bucket should not cost 110$(1.81$/G regardless of what BRS tells you thats what it works out to be, simple math here)), I've been using regular old purple box IO for many years now(34$ per 200G box( I watch for sales and buy a whole lot at one time when the price is super low) of which I usually get about 150G out of the box which works out to be 0.22$/G).

Again.. Salt is salt is salt.

 

[HighOnReefer]

Can't say I know which is best but I myself use Kent.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I'm a big fan of the Live Aquaria brand salt. It seems to be the least expensive of the clear mixing salts I've tried.
Its less than a third of the price of the TM salts, while performing the same in my book.
I'm sure the IO salts are fine, I started out using but they just leave too much crap/crud in my mixing containers that it turned me off.... I still have an unopened bag of IO here that I'm unsure of what to do with now. The Live Aquaria salt mixes up fast, clear and never leaves anything behind in my containers. It also mixes up consistently and the params seem perfect. Petco had it on sale a few days ago. grabbed 56# for under $30.

If anybody is currently using TM salts, I suggest you try a bag or bucket of the LA salt and see what you think.

 

[kingjoe]

Can't say I know which is best but I myself use Kent.

I used Kent for years for fish only and reef tanks, it worked very well.

 

[kingjoe]

Hello everyone. I'm returning to the hobby after 3 years and I'm currently setting up my RSM C 130 tank. So I've decided that I'll start mixing my own saltwater. However, I cannot settle on one brand of sea salt. From what I've seen and read online, for me, it is currently between Instant Ocean (probably reef crystals) and Red sea Salt (not pro coral).

My tank will be 65% softies and the rest will be LPS. No SPS. So which salt would you guys recommend? Any help is much appreciated as this is sort of urgent. Thanks!

I agree with what many here have offered regarding finding a salt that best fits your desired parameters. Over the years I have used Instant Ocean, Kent, and Tropic Marin Pro- all with good results. One thing I would add is that you may want to look for a salt from a manufacturer who offers a wide variety of ancillaries (pH buffers, trace elements, alkalinity boosters, etc.) that support their salt mix. I would think that companies design their products to be closely compatible with each other, so a more positive synergism and efficacy might occur than would from combining items from various manufacturers. I know that many reefers use a whole mix of products, so my advice is very much anecdotal. I only base it on my exclusive use of Kent products on fish-only and reef tanks I kept for many years. During that time, my parameters were rock solid and the water quality was excellent, very stable; I'd actually say my fish and inverts really flourished, including a couple that I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be able to keep. I've chosen to go with Tropic Marin this time around, and I'm happy with it so far, but my concern is that availability may sometimes be a problem.

 

[DC Reefer]

Do you use the regular one or the pro? I love howfast it mixes but man does it have low alk.

I use the pro also and the ALK is low. I dose ALK and MG to the fresh saltwater before I use it.

 

[AlfredE]

I've used regular Instant Ocean for years and everything is still alive and doing well. Do take the online review sites with a grain of salt, however (no pun intended) - this is a line from a review of IO Reef Crystals:

"So, how about where to use it? You are in luck whenever you pick this reef crystal salt for sale today. Its composition makes it possible to use for both freshwater and marine water. "


I guess if you're really upset with your goldfish or something ....

 

[DOJOLOACH]

I've used regular Instant Ocean for years and everything is still alive and doing well. Do take the online review sites with a grain of salt, however (no pun intended) - this is a line from a review of IO Reef Crystals:

"So, how about where to use it? You are in luck whenever you pick this reef crystal salt for sale today. Its composition makes it possible to use for both freshwater and marine water. "

Yeah you could try to give them the benefit of the doubt and say its for "medicating" freshwater... But bs for sure!
I guess if you're really upset with your goldfish or something ....