Tropic Marin salt from Germany mixed brown

[IKD]

Redsea blue bucket - My LFS specializes in very high end corals and made the switch, no adverse effects. Based on those results I'm going to give it a try.

Similar story here…my LFS switched to Blue Bucket last summer as well and haven’t looked back.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Former TM Pro user. Moved on to a commercial sack of Redsea Blue. Mixes to my tank needs. No issues so far.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Former TM Pro user. Moved on to a commercial sack of Redsea Blue. Mixes to my tank needs. No issues so far.

$80 200gal.

 

[blaxsun]

Redsea blue bucket - My LFS specializes in very high end corals and made the switch, no adverse effects. Based on those results I'm going to give it a try.

It doesn't appear as though it can potentially leave any more residue...

 

[J.D.]

It doesn't appear as though it can potentially leave any more residue...

Trial and error right, just like everything else in the hobby - Give it a go and see if it works...

 

[areefer01]

LFS here is selling TM Pro Reef for $115 for a 160g bucket. It used to be $89. That’s now $35 more than Red Sea Blue bucket. I can’t justify the difference anymore without at least trying Red Sea on my tank, especially with multiple reports of Germany-made buckets.

Redsea blue bucket - My LFS specializes in very high end corals and made the switch, no adverse effects. Based on those results I'm going to give it a try.

With any change it is possible just go slow. That and of course compare salt product levels with your displays and adjust accordingly.

If we are being honest between us hobbyists we all know deep down that any salt will support our systems. It comes down to what makes us feel good and what matches our base parameters (Alk, Ca, and Mg).

 

[undermind]

It doesn't appear as though it can potentially leave any more residue...

Trial and error right, just like everything else in the hobby - Give it a go and see if it works...

Red Sea Blue Bucket has a long and rich history of leaving brown crud in your mixing bin over time. There are an extensive number of mentions of it with pictures on threads here on R2R.

I'm not suggesting anyone should avoid RS salts though, I'm just noting that if your hope is to avoid brown stuff of unknown makeup, you should choose a synthetic salt like HW Wiegandt or Brightwell Neomarine (or Tropic Marin once they're straightened out).

The brown stuff takes a while to build up with the RS salts, so it will take a while to begin seeing it in your mixing bin. I used RSBB for several years but got tired of draining and cleaning every couple months. This is going to likely be the case though with any salt mix that leans heavily on mined materials or evaporated seawater.

 

[blaxsun]

Right now Tropic Marin is the only one on that list available to me. I still have a bit left.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Red Sea Blue Bucket has a long and rich history of leaving brown crud in your mixing bin over time. There are an extensive number of mentions of it with pictures on threads here on R2R.

I'm not suggesting anyone should avoid RS salts though, I'm just noting that if your hope is to avoid brown stuff of unknown makeup, you should choose a synthetic salt like HW Wiegandt or Brightwell Neomarine (or Tropic Marin once they're straightened out).

The brown stuff takes a while to build up with the RS salts, so it will take a while to begin seeing it in your mixing bin. I used RSBB for several years but got tired of draining and cleaning every couple months. This is going to likely be the case though with any salt mix that leans heavily on mined materials or evaporated seawater.

Yes agree. And it always leaves a pile of sand in the bucket, and sometimes the brown stuff sits on the surface of the water, and sticks to anything you put in it i.e my salinity tester..

 

[DHill6]

Red sea b.b mixes brown too..

Tried it once, mixed brown, the rest of the 5 Gal bucket was used as stump killer.

 

[ChurdysReef]

Hello, I've switched from TM to RS Blue but that also mixes brown. Ive now switched to Fauna Marin for the past two months and I cant say enough good things about this salt.

 

[blstravler]

Just mixed up a new batch of TM from Germany and it left a nasty black residue on the side of my mixing barrel. All well. I always used IORC and I know it leaves a residue behind but ii’s not black and greasy. Back to IORC I go.

 

[las]

Hello, I've switched from TM to RS Blue but that also mixes brown. Ive now switched to Fauna Marin for the past two months and I cant say enough good things about this salt.

What specifically did you notice if I may ask?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

What specifically did you notice if I may ask?

The same brown film thats been reported, it happens

 

[chimbo84]

This was from the first bucket I bought but the seal was messed up so I went to my lfs to get a replacement because I thought it might have been tampered with because it also said from Germany but this second bucket was for sure sealed and actually seemed like it mixed worse so it’s for sure a problem with TM.

This browning is what I was also seeing from Fritz RPM. That brown sludge was difficult to remove and I have also been having terrible coral losses and GHA issues. My ICP tests all came back fine but I definitely think there is something in these salt mixes that is contaminating them.

 

[blstravler]

It’s much more then a brown film… more like black grease

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

It’s much more then a brown film… more like black grease

How many buckets worth? Is that after a few 100 gallons, thats excessive! And not what I've experienced with any salt mix in small batches. That's alarming and wouldn't go in my tank either

 

[drawman]

It’s much more then a brown film… more like black grease

Agreed not all brown stuff is created equal. Mine looked the same.

 

[blstravler]

How many buckets worth? Is that after a few 100 gallons, thats excessive! And not what I've experienced with any salt mix in small batches. That's alarming and wouldn't go in my tank either

That is from one new box. Prior to mixing the barrel was perfectly clean. What ever it was appeared very quickly.

 

[IKD]

It’s much more then a brown film… more like black grease

Did you report this to TropicMarin or ever get any response? I stopped watching TM news a few months back so wasn’t sure if they’ve made any other statements besides ‘see nothing wrong with our salt’ stance.