What salt do you use and why?

[allof fish]

I will be switching salts soon. I use to use tropic Marin but trying to keep costs a little down and make alk closer to the 8-8.5 I keep. I set up this new tank with Red Sea blue bucket. First time using it. Alk measured at 5.5 and I used the whole bucket. Calcium 350. Good thing I tested before moving corals and fish. Batch number was 8.2 alk. Won’t be buying again. What do you guys use and why. I’ve thought about Aquaforest and heard good things. Or just go back to TMP. Let me know guys!

 

[Saltyreef]

ive heard good things about instant ocean reef crystals. I use blue bucket myself currently but have not had the issues you experience. I make sure to rehomogenize the dry salt before mixing.

 

[Matt L]

I started using Reef Crystals because it used to be inexpensive. Nowadays I still use it for consistency (I tried to switch with bad results), and a LFS accepts trade ins for it.

 

[Troylee]

Reef crystals it’s never done me wrong! Been god for over 20 years and it’s cheap.

 

[DmitryB]

A short while ago I did a poll here and here's the thread.

Thread 'Salt Wars'

Jun 5, 2026

When I had my first tank roughly 15 years ago I used Instant Ocean. It seemed to be what everyone was using. Today there are a few more options, some of which I never heard of until I just googled (who the heck is Fritz?), all increasingly more expensive than Instant Ocean. BSR is really pushing Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt. Have people used a few different brands and what did you settle on? I picked Red Sea Coral Pro - but no real reason. Just picked it because a step above Instant Ocean. I'm going to start a survey of the big names to see what everyone is using. Just wondering if this...

• DmitryB

• 

 

[Alexander1312]

Two philosophies in my opinion.

Either cheap salt - Instant Ocean (Petco sales etc), or possibly Red Sea Blue.

Or best retail quality - Tropic Marin and Fauna Marin salt. Fauna can be found often on saltwateraquarium.com for 88 USD / 160 gallon.

 

[Rob A]

Instant Ocean.....salt is salt and paying for marketing is not in my budget.

 

[EnterName]

Used RedSea black bucket for a while but I'm not buying any of their products anymore and switched to Nyos Pure.

I like that each batch is ICP tested and how clean and fast it dissolves. It has pretty natural parameters making it easier to control certain elements.

 

[exnisstech]

IO purple has worked for 10 years. It mixes close enough to the alk I run the tanks at. I've never tested calcium on new water but tanks have aways been 450 +- 25. It's available locally. It mixes a little dirty but I mix in a brute and it doesn't bother me. Price is up but I'm not switching salt on 4 tanks that are doing well over a few $ .

 

[Biokabe]

Instant ocean. I've had the best luck with my tanks when I do regular water changes, and it's so much easier to do a water change when you're not worried about pouring so much money down the drain. I used to use Tropic Marin, and it was nice, but it was also $0.66/gallon if you buy the biggest box. Instant Ocean is $0.345/gallon in the biggest box. Doing two water changes (IO) for the cost of one (TM) is just too big of a deal to overlook for me.

If I could manage to successfully move to minimal water changes I'd use TM, but every time I've tried it just ends in disaster, so I'll stick to Instant Ocean and keep doing my water changes.

 

[allof fish]

A short while ago I did a poll here and here's the thread.

Thread 'Salt Wars'

Jun 5, 2026

When I had my first tank roughly 15 years ago I used Instant Ocean. It seemed to be what everyone was using. Today there are a few more options, some of which I never heard of until I just googled (who the heck is Fritz?), all increasingly more expensive than Instant Ocean. BSR is really pushing Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt. Have people used a few different brands and what did you settle on? I picked Red Sea Coral Pro - but no real reason. Just picked it because a step above Instant Ocean. I'm going to start a survey of the big names to see what everyone is using. Just wondering if this...

• DmitryB

• 

Seems like a lot of different answered lol. I know everyone will not use the same. I chose to give the blue bucket a try bc it mixes very close to my parameters and cheaper than TM. I just dont want to risk it again and then be worried about adjusting a lot if somehow the numbers are way off. Aquaforest gets a good rep so does reef crystals. I really liked TM, it’s just pricey when you go thru a lot of salt

 

[ColorMeGone]

I use IO Reef Crystals. I always mix the batch of salt (in the bag) when I get it since shipping may settle all the ingredients and may cause inconsistent parameters to happen. I'm crazy like that. lol

 

[allof fish]

I use IO Reef Crystals. I always mix the batch of salt (in the bag) when I get it since shipping may settle all the ingredients and may cause inconsistent parameters to happen. I'm crazy like that. lol

No i definitely understand that and I normally do. I didn’t this last batch bc I was using the whole bucket but alk was still 5.5 in tank

 

[TylerHaworth]

I use TM Pro.

It consistently mixes up just a tad below my desired 8DKH and spot on with desired 420-440 Calcium. A quick dose of soda ash gets me to 8DKH and ready for a no swing water change. I haven’t found anything else that is so close to desired parameters straight out of the box without going over.

It also mixes up crystal clear with no residue in just a few minutes, making water changes less of a chore. Everything you want and nothing you don’t.

 

[allof fish]

I use TM Pro.

It consistently mixes up just a tad below my desired 8DKH and spot on with desired 420-440 Calcium. A quick dose of soda ash gets me to 8DKH and ready for a no swing water change. I haven’t found anything else that is so close to desired parameters straight out of the box without going over.

It also mixes up crystal clear with no residue in just a few minutes, making water changes less of a chore. Everything you want and nothing you don’t.

I like those numbers too and that’s why I was using it for awhile. I would also store it from time to time for weeks and it would be perfectly fine and no residue. It is one of the more expensive salts that why I decided to give Red Sea a shot but I might just have to go back

 

[EricR]

I use Fritz RPM (regular, blue box) just because the parameters are in line with what I run and it's reasonably priced.

 

[mmorrison55]

Aquaforest is what I’ve been using for the past 5 boxes. Seems fine.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i switched to nyos.

I never understand why people are so hung up the kh mixing so close to their current kh. Are you doing giant water changes?

 

[TylerHaworth]

i switched to nyos.

I never understand why people are so hung up the kh mixing so close to their current kh. Are you doing giant water changes?

I’d just rather it stay stable instead of bouncing up over time.

 

[allof fish]

i switched to nyos.

I never understand why people are so hung up the kh mixing so close to their current kh. Are you doing giant water changes?

Define giant. Probably around 20-30g. I’m not too picky about it but also don’t want something like at 10 when I keep it around 8dkh. Just looking for a good salt that I can store if needed and has solid consistent numbers with good trace elements