Tropic Marin Pro Reef, bye bye

zalick

A cup of water and a dash of salt
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
1,572
Reaction score
1,853
Location
Portland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Reef crystal and io are terrible I would wait out for the tropic marin
I think you've been doing a little too much topekoms! ;) (My team name in highschool some 25years ago)

I've been using regular IO for the last 8 years and it mixes clean. I haven't cleaned my 100g storage once.

And Randy uses regular IO. If it's good enough for the preeminent chemist, it's good enough for lowly old me!

Normal IO has no brown sludge and is what I used for 20 years. Reef Crystals does, and I suspect it may be the result of the vitamins and metal chelators they add (normal IO does not have these).
 

Duffer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Messages
1,639
Reaction score
1,416
Location
Rochester,NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have reposted this so many times this past month...I like brs but why not listen from the source

 

GillMeister

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
1,619
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I made the switch to Red Sea blue bucket. I got into TMP after watching BRS's comparison and liked the fact that it had consistency and mixed clean. To me, those are useless qualities if you can't buy it so I found something more available, less expensive, and with similar performance. I'm happy with my decision.

Tropic Marins's inability to supply its customers is a self-correcting problem.
 

Topekoms

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Messages
583
Reaction score
647
Location
Milton, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
But what makes TMP better?
What do they add, or not add that makes the salt worth twice the price?
Will my corals be healthier and more colorful or more extension?
I would try it again if I knew what I was paying for, not just marketing.....
I don't use the tmp I use tmc but both are pharma grade ingredients. It mixes clear fast, no precipitate, only a few cents more to the gallon, I have had better stability with it and everything in my tank seems happier. I have used io, rc, and fritz have had way better results with tropic marin
 

GillMeister

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
1,619
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have reposted this so many times this past month...I like brs but why not listen from the source

Sorry but I don't trust this comment from TM. The supply of TMP has been short for nearly a year and maybe more. I just started buying it in April 2020 and always had to wait until it was in stock. I switched and won't look back.
 

Crashnt24

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 20, 2019
Messages
582
Reaction score
711
Location
Denver, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m tired of the stress of not being able to get this salt and am ready to change brands. Looking for recommendations from those who have had success changing. What did you change to and how was the transition?

Red sea blue bucket.. not the coral pro! Unless you are running high alk(11dkh). The blue bucket is the cheapest best replacement for TMP salt. My corals are growing better, better coraline, ect. Plus the blue bucket matches TMP salt parameters better.
 

GillMeister

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
1,619
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Red sea blue bucket.. not the coral pro! Unless you are running high alk(11dkh). The blue bucket is the cheapest best replacement for TMP salt. My corals are growing better, better coraline, ect. Plus the blue bucket matches TMP salt parameters better.
Exactly! Randy made this recommendation for me and I went with it.
 

Crashnt24

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 20, 2019
Messages
582
Reaction score
711
Location
Denver, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Exactly! Randy made this recommendation for me and I went with it.

They have gotten way better too. I remember 6ish years ago using Red Sea Blue Bucket and my mixing container was ALWAYS dirty. After the TMP salt shortage, I switched back. I gotta say, they really stepped it up. I don't see anymore crud in my container. Plus it mixes as fast as the TMP now...

As long as they keep their new standard, I'm officially a Red Sea guy now.
 
OP
OP
D

Drendo

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
574
Reaction score
675
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Red sea blue bucket.. not the coral pro! Unless you are running high alk(11dkh). The blue bucket is the cheapest best replacement for TMP salt. My corals are growing better, better coraline, ect. Plus the blue bucket matches TMP salt parameters better.
Great info, thank you!
 

Duffer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Messages
1,639
Reaction score
1,416
Location
Rochester,NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sorry but I don't trust this comment from TM. The supply of TMP has been short for nearly a year and maybe more. I just started buying it in April 2020 and always had to wait until it was in stock. I switched and won't look back.

if you had issues getting over a year I don’t know what to say to you...I only had issues since October...my lfs had it in stock and brs had it in stock up to October .. sounds like you had different issues with the salt by you saying you don’t trust tmp where they clearly came forward and stated they had a supply issue cause of demand and customs is killing them...me I trust them as they said the same thing brs stated..
 
OP
OP
D

Drendo

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
574
Reaction score
675
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sorry but I don't trust this comment from TM. The supply of TMP has been short for nearly a year and maybe more. I just started buying it in April 2020 and always had to wait until it was in stock. I switched and won't look back.
I agree. The supply is there, they just choose to to not take the US market more seriously. I scoured the internet and I did not see any vendors in Canada or the EU show out of stock. If after a year they still can’t meet demand, that’s a problem with management.

I’m also not sure why they haven’t done more to limit hoarding. How many people can’t get by with 1 or 2 buckets a month?
 

wonroc

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 17, 2014
Messages
556
Reaction score
491
Location
jersey.....where else
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

tehmadreefer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 3, 2018
Messages
3,605
Reaction score
4,631
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m tired of the stress of not being able to get this salt and am ready to change brands. Looking for recommendations from those who have had success changing. What did you change to and how was the transition?
Instant ocean, cos it’s cheap. Is the oldest and most trusted salt brand used by hobbyists and public aquariums!
 
OP
OP
D

Drendo

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
574
Reaction score
675
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
ebay has it.....

I appreciate that, but I go through about 200 gallons worth of salt a month. It would cost me $250 to buy what I need for a month. I think I’m going to use this opportunity as an off ramp.
 

GillMeister

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
1,619
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
if you had issues getting over a year I don’t know what to say to you...I only had issues since October...my lfs had it in stock and brs had it in stock up to October .. sounds like you had different issues with the salt by you saying you don’t trust tmp where they clearly came forward and stated they had a supply issue cause of demand and customs is killing them...me I trust them as they said the same thing brs stated..
I hope you're not implying that I'm being untruthful. Each and every time I wanted to order this salt I had to wait for it to be available. That is no fabrication. I never said i had a problem with TMP itself. I found the salt itself to perform as advertised. I just had to sometimes delay water changes and that drove me to change to another salt. Look at the posts about the subject and I think you'll see building frustration in the community.

If you've not had any problem getting TMP that's great. Don't change. It hadn't been my experience, so I switched.
 

Reef.

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Messages
4,599
Reaction score
3,441
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I appreciate that, but I go through about 200 gallons worth of salt a month. It would cost me $250 to buy what I need for a month. I think I’m going to use this opportunity as an off ramp.

wow it’s another world, I wouldn’t use that much in a year, don’t know whether to be happy or sad!
 

Pistondog

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
5,265
Reaction score
9,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have been using tropic marine pro for awhile now. But it's hard to get sometimes. So I'm thinking about aquaforest it's probably closer to my parameters. What's y'all thoughts on Aquaforest like or no thanks
Aquaforest dkh around 8 for 35 ppt.
Synthetic, a plus for me, not as expensive as tmp.
Each batch tested for consistency
 
Back
Top