What salt do you use and why?

[Reef Jedi]

There are four,
TM Classic-The original TM salt and has Alk 9-10 dKh. Great for fish only…

TM Pro Reef - contains 70 trace elements and Alk is in the 7-8 dKh.

TM Syn-Biotic - Same as TM Pro Reef and contains TM Reef Actif.

TM Bio-Actif - Same as TM Pro Reef and adds TM Nitribiotic and Reef Actif.

This may help,

I use TM Pro and add Nitribiotic and Reef Actif to the tank once a week.

Wow! Great info, thank you for sharing that. It does help clear it up. Such an interesting salt. I’ve always seen it but for some reason I didn’t take the time to really look into it like I have recently.

 

[Sam7]

IO original easy to get been using before you all were even born lol

 

[Reef Jedi]

Question, isn’t RedSea like 85% naturally harvested?

I’m pretty sure it is? I seem to remember reading something somewhere about their harvesting/drying process and that’s how they can say “harvested from the Red Sea”

Of course I’m sure they supplement but it’s mainly a direct sea salt.

 

[goldsy77]

IO reef crystals. It's the only one I know I can consistently get at my LFS (they have red sea and aquaforest as well, but their in store stock is inconsistent). I can pick IO up at Petsmart if I have to.

 

[Fredlee]

Instant Ocean became popular in LFS in the 1970's. I started with it after Instant Ocean had a factory sales rep speak at my LFS in NY in 1972. I was sold and have used it ever since.

 

[The topcat]

I use AF Reef Salt, no problems here and mixes fast and clean.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Instant Ocean became popular in LFS in the 1970's. I started with it after Instant Ocean had a factory sales rep speak at my LFS in NY in 1972. I was sold and have used it ever since.

That’s a super cool story! I used it for 20 years before trying RedSea blue bucket. I don’t think I notice a difference and after seeing the reply’s in this thread I may switch back. No point in spending extra when it works just fine!

 

[nickng]

Do you use the TM Pro? I noticed there’s like 3 different options and kinda confused on the differences.

I use the TM Pro because it mixes to 7.5dKh and Mg 1400 and Ca at 400+.

 

[Reef Jedi]

I use the TM Pro because it mixes to 7.5dKh and Mg 1400 and Ca at 400+.

Are you growing out or maintaining larger colonies. Only reason I ask is because the alk is slightly lower than what most salt brands mix to.

 

[nickng]

Are you growing out or maintaining larger colonies. Only reason I ask is because the alk is slightly lower than what most salt brands mix to.

i have a mix of lps and sps, the lps are all large colonies now. However I’m also growing out my sps so I do dose ALK to raise the alk in my tank to 8.5 to 8.8dKh. Also I do 2 gallons of water change every night with an auto water change system and need my saltwater mix to be storable for at least 2-3weeks

 

[Wonkabar]

tropic marin pro. Mostly because it mixes to the paramaters I keep my tank at, so I dont need to "cook" the water with suppliments. Also it mixes very clean and I dont have to clean my mixing station as much. Looking back when I built my mixing station I probably shouldnt have made it such a pita to clean.

 

[nickng]

I know some coral farms use IO crystals with good results. I don’t use because I’m not sure how stable IO is after it’s mixed and how long it can be stored before the high alk of the IO causes precipitation. Another thing, what is the brown crud that’s left behind by IO?

 

[RudyVH]

Tropic Marin pro reef , 40 gr/liter spot on

 

[Reef Jedi]

I know some coral farms use IO crystals with good results. I don’t use because I’m not sure how stable IO is after it’s mixed and how long it can be stored before the high alk of the IO causes precipitation. Another thing, what is the brown crud that’s left behind by IO?

If I remember BRS did an investigates series/episodes on storing salt and how well they did maintaining their levels when heated and not.

Heated and circulated premixed saltwater storage, how long will it last? - BRStv Investigates

We looked at the effects of heating and circulating premixed saltwater during storage by monitoring calcium and alkalinity levels over a 2 week period. We also observed the amount of precipitate leftover inside the container. We then compared the results with what we found previously during our BRS

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[reefpanda]

TM Pro Reef with the same reasons as the rest on the parameters

 

[Sam7]

My final thought on salt is.....Pick one and stick with it.....get one you can get where you live if possible. Other than that i dont think it matters. I have seen beautiful tanks with every kind of salt................and aweful ones too lol

 

[Aheinz]

Been using TM Syn-biotic as of recent personally after running out of my pro reef from TM

 

[Engelquist]

Interesting! AF is a lot more expensive here, they do make products that are much easier to use than some others.

I think it's because of the US tariffs on products from the EU...

In my region AF is less expensive than other brands and I use their Reefsalt, because it dissolve easy and my Acroporas seems happy with it :-)

 

[winxp_man]

No color to me. Just dark bacteria slime/film. This is after a year of keeping water mixed all the time. I don’t feel a need to clean it out, but might now that I know there’s a little funk. I was having a crazy white/tan film from RC that was just ridiculous. This is growth from my container, not from the salt imo. Big big difference. The RC clay is obviously a result of the salt and I felt the need to clean it after the first half bucket.
I’ve used a lot of salts as I worked in the industry for a while. Not the newer salts but I would buy whatever was cheapest (between a few trusted brands at the time) for store use, but I always came back to Tropic Marin for its easy mixing, balanced elements, and obvious to me results. Other salts were fine but TM was superior and a “you get what you pay for” type of product to me. This still holds true to this day. Now if I still ran a store or a farm or had a larger system I was having to replace a lot of water there would be a point where I’d compromise on quality for a less expensive product. Feel like IO or RC always for that bill fit that for me, cheap readily available and consistent. In my personal tank I prefer TM.

IO does this in just a bit over 24 if even that. 0 tds water from the rodi container. And sucks because it gets like this on all my water mixing equip. TM Pro nothing but clean water. Also mixes within 30-1 hour into clear SW.

 

[winxp_man]

Instant Ocean is used by most large public and research aquaria. People who deal with tens of thousands of gallons of system volume. I'll stick with the actual professionals.

Have to say price goes into a major part of the decisions why many get it. It’s all run for my QT Tanks. But TM pro for my DT’s.