Tropic Marin classic vs pro

[butesch]

I’m trying to decide between these two salts for a mixed reef tank but mostly sps and softies. I like the specs of the pro but prefer a dkh of 8-9. Can I add straight baking soda to my salt mix tank along with the pro salt so that once mixed I get the dkh I’m shooting for? Will it dissolve along with the salt? I plan on keeping in a storage tank and doing a gallon water change per day. Please give me your thoughts. Thank you

 

[Pod_01]

Just my opinion, I use the TM Pro salt on my mixed reef and I run Alk at 7.7 dKh.

From memory I recall TM stated that the TM classic is ideally for fish only reef. I am not sure what in the salt mix makes it suitable for fish.
Honestly I find the multiple salt options offered by TM confusing but I like the TM pro salt.

Yes you can add baking soda to freshly mixed salt water to increase Alk.

Good luck,

 

[Reef.]

I’m trying to decide between these two salts for a mixed reef tank but mostly sps and softies. I like the specs of the pro but prefer a dkh of 8-9. Can I add straight baking soda to my salt mix tank along with the pro salt so that once mixed I get the dkh I’m shooting for? Will it dissolve along with the salt? I plan on keeping in a storage tank and doing a gallon water change per day. Please give me your thoughts. Thank you

Yes you can do that, but unless you feel real strongly about the alk being 9, it can get very old fast dosing your salt water with alk and that would probably also involve a alk test each time too, but yeah your method would be fine.

 

[butesch]

Just my opinion, I use the TM Pro salt on my mixed reef and I run Alk at 7.7 dKh.

From memory I recall TM stated that the TM classic is ideally for fish only reef. I am not sure what in the salt mix makes it suitable for fish.
Honestly I find the multiple salt options offered by TM confusing but I like the TM pro salt.

Yes you can add baking soda to freshly mixed salt water to increase Alk.

Good luck,

Is your 7.7 dkh a result of dosing or that it what you are getting without any supplementation?

 

[butesch]

Just my opinion, I use the TM Pro salt on my mixed reef and I run Alk at 7.7 dKh.

From memory I recall TM stated that the TM classic is ideally for fish only reef. I am not sure what in the salt mix makes it suitable for fish.
Honestly I find the multiple salt options offered by TM confusing but I like the TM pro salt.

Yes you can add baking soda to freshly mixed salt water to increase Alk.

Good luck,

I believe that natural seawater has a dkh between 7 and 8. So I think pro reef is meant to be close to natural seawater. Classic actually has a higher dkh than the pro reef. Which does seem counter intuitive to what we see from the popular coral pro.

 

[Pod_01]

Is your 7.7 dkh a result of dosing or that it what you are getting without any supplementation?

Once corals grow you will need to supplement with either 2/3 part, TM AFR, kalk etc… My Alk consumption is approximately 1dKh a day.

At the moment I use TM Original Balling and I also dose TM A and K elements to keep up with demand.
Some of my corals:

The 7.7 is what I target.

 

[Pod_01]

I believe that natural seawater has a dkh between 7 and 8. So I think pro reef is meant to be close to natural seawater. Classic actually has a higher dkh than the pro reef. Which does seem counter intuitive to what we see from the popular coral pro.

I believe seawater is in the 6.5-7dkh range. I also seen statements that the TM Pro salt is intended to reflect the seawater parameters.
On my tank I find that running at 7.7 dKh results in better pH compared to 6.7 dKh.

As you increase Alk you also need to ensure there is enough PO4 and Nitrogen or you can end up with unhappy corals.

Good luck,

 

[Beruka]

I used TM Pro for years. It is a simply a mixing process of salts of various purities. If salt is stored at high temps, some will not remix well. Calcium salts are known for this. They may use engineered stainless mixing vessel or they may batch make in a warehouse with a cheapo cement mixer from Home Depot. We do not know.

After years of looking at this, the best salt is one that is readily available, very consistent, and cheap enough that you can do 10-20% water changes. To make up for scale on mixing vessel I wash tank with 1 qt vinegar and one pint drug store peroxide 2-3 times a year.

I replace ALL RODI filter annually and resin and carbon twice a year, and I do weekly 10-20% water changes with IO Reef Cyrstals off Chewy when on sale. They have a local distribution 30 min away. This approach may not be cheapest, but easiest with pre-measured bags and very little make up of magnesium and others. I do add potassium back.

I know IO had large mixing vessels and priced OK. Everything grows. I can not tell much difference.

Annecdotally if you are an additive junky messing around it is far worse for corals.

 

[DoktorZhivago]

I used TM Pro for years. It is a simply a mixing process of salts of various purities. If salt is stored at high temps, some will not remix well. Calcium salts are known for this.

After years of looking at this, the best salt is one that is readily available, very consistent, and cheap enough that you can do 10-20% water changes. To make up for scale on mixing vessel I wash tank with 1 qt vinegar and one pint drug store peroxide 2-3 times a year.

I replace ALL RODI filter annually and resin and carbon twice a year, and I do weekly 10-20% water changes with IO Reef Cyrstals off Chewy when on sale. They have a local distribution 30 min away. This approach may not be cheapest, but easiest with pre-measured bags and very little make up of magnesium and others. I do add potassium back

Replied to the wrong post and I can't figure out how to delete lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m trying to decide between these two salts for a mixed reef tank but mostly sps and softies. I like the specs of the pro but prefer a dkh of 8-9. Can I add straight baking soda to my salt mix tank along with the pro salt so that once mixed I get the dkh I’m shooting for? Will it dissolve along with the salt? I plan on keeping in a storage tank and doing a gallon water change per day. Please give me your thoughts. Thank you

Yes, you can boost the alk in it with baking soda. I would not use carbonate or hydroxide for that purpose.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe that natural seawater has a dkh between 7 and 8. So I think pro reef is meant to be close to natural seawater. Classic actually has a higher dkh than the pro reef. Which does seem counter intuitive to what we see from the popular coral pro.

It’s actually below 7 dKH.