Tropic Marin Pro Reef, bye bye

[Uncle99]

I don’t know where they got $180 from

It’s a Canadian price.

 

[Uncle99]

Why should you avoid Fritz salt? I have only heard positive responses to it.

Because someone may a video saying it destroyed the tank, yet, he never shows the tank and the destruction, just complains.

With the volumes Fritz is experiencing in the last few years, if there salt destroyed things, this site would be full of complaints.

 

[jaganshi066]

It’s a Canadian price.

All the stores sell it for $180? How about the other salt brands?

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

What trace elements and minerals are you dosing?

All for Reef on nano currently and seachem iodine, reef plus or something. 200 gallon will use All for Reef at first, then two part from BRS, later tropic marine trace with 2part, eventually calcium reactor and trace if desired.

If you have other suggestions.. all ears! I use the IO, in small water changes, as alkalinity supplement as mine is usually around 8.

 

[Hermie]

One of the LFS in the area was using Fritz and nearly lost the whole store. They don’t sell Fritz anymore. Testing confirmed it was the salt.
This sort of proves that marketing and promotion are no reason to use something. Salt isn’t just salt.

Not gonna lie this sort of claim needs evidence to back it up

 

[CanuckReefer]

My RO is non-existent, but I do notice a difference between TMP and IO Reef Crystals. Also, my good ol' Canadian tap water is probably pretty close to what you get from your RO water.

Not all tap water is the same.

Your T Bay tap water is incredibly soft, along with Ottawa, probably the best in province in terms of dissolved minerals. Around 40 mg/L. I could never use mine here in Port Perry....its at around 275mg/L.....off the charts hard. As you say, not all the same....

 

[Sportn]

I don’t think tmp is $180, last time I saw it was about $100

Per my LFS he told me that his cost for a 200g bucket was going up $20 more per bucket starting with his next shipment.

 

[jaganshi066]

Per my LFS he told me that his cost for a 200g bucket was going up $20 more per bucket starting with his next shipment.

In the US?

 

[62518161]

Reef crystal and io are terrible I would wait out for the tropic marin

Why is it terrible?

 

[Payedjay]

Coral pro been great switch 3 months ago corals look amazing

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I have several SPS corals and they are doing great. Lots of research. I have coralline growing nice and thick all over the place. My SPS are doing better than my LPS. I haven't killed a stick yet except when I had a rock tumble and snap a couple off. They were encrusting beautifully before that happened.

That's great!!!

It's not the salt though (at all)... It's your good husbandry! SPS will grow great with any salt...

Just a guess, but if SPS is doing well but LPS is not as much, try shading or finding lower light and lower flow areas for the LPS.

And I am not trying to be a downer. I've killed my share of corals, acros included. My advice to anyone new to reefing to buy cheap salt and easy corals for a while is so that dont have the wallet and heart ache i definitely had.... easy corals build confidence and a stabile tank. Cheap salt lets beginner buy nice equipment which is a much better investment than tropic Marin IMO.

After a while, you can swap the easier corals out (or sell them!) as they get big and then you can try more challenging corals...

If i had to do it over again--i'd definitely stick to that methodology... would have saved myself tons of money and had nicer tanks quicker...

But if you want to dive head first in--by all means--go for for it. Read and follow recipes for success. It certainly can be done, but there will be risk if you havent done it before, obviously.

When you do succeed--it's just that experience will show any salt will grow coral well, so give yourself credit not the salt....

 

[Mhart032]

I didn't even know there was a problem, I use TM Bio Actif and go through a bucket every 2 months or so. I didn't have any issues getting it last time. I normally buy it 600gals at a time. maybe I should keep more stock. I made the switch from RC due to issues with the consistencies and dirty mixing and overall reef health, I had seen several other complaints when I noticed the struggles with the changes they made several months prior. So who knows. I like the synthetic salts best TBH, they always mix clean and easy. I normally mix and keep agitated for a couple of weeks and have not had any issues with parameter swings or changes. are they cheaper nope... but for me, it's worth it. I used red Sea for 8 or 9 years before I switched to RC, I cant remember why I switched.

 

[mike550]

FYI -- saltwateraquarium.com has TM Pro available

 

[blksubykid]

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/pro-reef-salt-bucket-200-gallon-tropic-marin/

 

[Drendo]

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/pro-reef-salt-bucket-200-gallon-tropic-marin/

Yup. Just when I thought I was out, they keep pulling me back in. I did make an order and will use it to slowly transfer to a new salt with more reliable availability.

 

[mike550]

Yup. Just when I thought I was out, they keep pulling me back in. I did make an order and will use it to slowly transfer to a new salt with more reliable availability.

Price went up significantly. I think my last purchase was with BRS in Dec for $99. @Drendo I'm with you. I'm going to find a new salt -- thinking ESV, Fritz, ???.

Open to any suggestions

 

[Anarakii]

Gonna have to figure out a new brand as well then.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

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.

I’m a big RS blue bucket guy, been using it for years and always clean and consistent!

 

[Duffer]

Price went up significantly. I think my last purchase was with BRS in Dec for $99. @Drendo I'm with you. I'm going to find a new salt -- thinking ESV, Fritz, ???.

Open to any suggestions

It actually did not go up in price. Saltwater aquarium has always been selling it at that price. BRS is lower priced.The $99 has been the price at BRS for over a year now

 

[Greybeard]

Back in the early 80's, I used Instant Ocean. It was the only thing available... and it worked great. Used it until I 'retired', long about 2003. No problems.

In 2008, when I got back in, I grabbed a bucket of IO. Why not? Used to work...

Since then, reading, watching BRSTV, and here... went to Reef Crystals, thinking I needed higher Calc/Alk. A few buckets of Reef Crystals, and I was having to wash brown muck from the bottom of my mixing barrel. Don't want that, switched to Red Sea. One bucket of that was enough to convince me to move on. Brown gunk, and, I decided maybe I didn't need elevated Calc/Alk. Switched to RPM, since my LFS carried it at a reasonable price... until he went out of business. Switched to HW Marine Mix. Good salt, but only available from a single vendor in the US. Switched to Tropic Marin Classic, since it was more available... and now, it isn't.

A few thoughts on the gamut... All the salts I tried grow corals. IO, HW, and TM mix clean, the others less so. I dislike elevated Calc/Alk that you get with some mixes.

I just bought 2 boxes of Instant Ocean from Chewy, $40 a box, delivered.

The wheels on the bus go round and round...