What's the REAL cost of your salt mix and how many gallons does it make? | BRStv Investigates

[EmdeReef]

I don’t believe there’s any evidence to show that salt residue from IO and other salts is an issue beyond looking ugly?!

I use IO for all my QTs and would love to use it for my DT and frag tanks if alk was 8-9.

Last 12 months or so I’ve been alternating between Red Sea blue, HW and Tropic marin - whichever I can get on sale.

 

[FDAWG]

@WWC What salt do you guys use? Instant Ocean?

 

[Hemmdog]

I was going to post that same article and you beat me to it

I always mix my IO the day before so it's mixed well. I would do that for any salt on the market no matter how it looks during the first moments or hours.

This is always how it goes with IO in forums.............once it's established it's the most cost effective salt the bashing starts.

More info--

Instant Ocean® Sea Salt is the most carefully formulated and universally preferred sea salt in the world. The #1 choice of hobbyists, public aquariums, and scientific research facilities, Instant Ocean Sea Salt has set the industry standard for quality, consistency, and value for more than 50 years.

Over 75 aquariums, zoos and other facilities
in North America use Instant Ocean® Sea Salt---

John G. Shedd Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
California Academy of Sciences
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
MGM Resorts – Mandalay Bay
Indianapolis Zoo
Columbus Zoo
Dallas Zoo
Parc Aquarium du Quebec
The Dallas World Aquarium
Oklahoma Aquarium
Wildlife World Zoo
Sustainable Aquatics
Pittsburgh Zoo
Ville de Montreal – Biodome
Living Exhibits
Tennessee Aquarium
West Edmonton Mall
SeaWorld Orlando
Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
John Ball Zoological Garden
The Living Planet Aquarium
Discovery World, LTD
Mystic Marinelife Aquarium
Minnesota Zoological
Underwater Adventure
Southwatch Seahorse Farm
Chicago Zoological Society
McWane Science Center
Mote Marine Laboratory
Silverton Casino
Toledo Zoological Society
Tropicorium
Houston Zoo
Arizona Zoological Society
Discovery Place
Aquarium of Niagara
Fisher Scientific
Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo Corporation
Denver Zoo
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
University of Wisconsin – Superior
Liberty Science Center
Oklahoma City Zoological Park
Museum of Discovery & Science
Akron Zoo
Walt Disney World
Aqua Green
Catawba Science Ctr. Aquarium
National Zoological Park
MGM Resorts – The Mirage
Harrah’s Caesar’s Palace
Milwaukee County Zoo
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park
Wonders of Wildlife Museum
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
National Aquarium
Great Lakes Aquarium
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Maritime Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium
Seacoast Science Center
Blank Park Zoo
Tulsa Zoo
Yale University
Northern Illinois University
Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39
Columbia Biosciences Corp.
Save the Bay
The Cafaro Company
Coral Sea Aquarium
Berkshire Museum
Flint RiverQuarium
Henry Doorly Zoo
Las Vegas Natural History Museum
Lauren Farms
St. Mary’s College
University of Oklahoma
Audubon Nature Institute

I worked at one of these a few years back and we couldn’t keep coral alive to save our life lol. Fowlr’s were good to go though!

 

[Mrx7899]

@WWC What salt do you guys use? Instant Ocean?

They use brightwell salt.

 

[madweazl]

Lol. Please tell me if you used any coupons. I wanna get some too

Used the coupon code and rebate form I posted earlier in this thread.

 

[EddieJ]

I don’t believe there’s any evidence to show that salt residue from IO and other salts is an issue beyond looking ugly?!

I use IO for all my QTs and would love to use it for my DT and frag tanks if alk was 8-9.

Last 12 months or so I’ve been alternating between Red Sea blue, HW and Tropic marin - whichever I can get on sale.

Using IO for your DT and Frag is very easy if you mix the day before. I use it for all my tanks by just adding some muratic acid. Mix to your desired salinity , and dose about .4ml per gallon. So I make 27 gallons and dose 12ml of muratic acid. Then I drop an air stone in to help in the recovery of the PH as this will plummet the PH. The PH is fine by morning and ready for use. This amount takes me to 7.5 - 8 dkh . When just mixing a batch for my continuous AWC I don't worry about the alk as that doesn't move the needle at all on my main tank.

 

[madweazl]

Marine depot confirmed IO are on MAP now.

Instant Ocean is selling direct on Amazon for $47 so I'm not believing anything regarding MAP yet.

 

[EddieJ]

Instant Ocean is selling direct on Amazon for $47 so I'm not believing anything regarding MAP yet.

I see it for 49 if you subscribe for automatic delivery, other wise the 200 gallon box is 51 bucks. I don't see $47 in any search result that I just performed.

 

[Dustin A.]

I see it for 49 if you subscribe for automatic delivery, other wise the 200 gallon box is 51 bucks. I don't see $47 in any search result that I just performed.

I think he's referring to the $47 bucket

 

[Lou Ekus]

I had looked at the Bio Actif, but the additions of carbon dosing and it being best suited for ULNS turned me off. I run N/P at around 10-15 / 0.5-0.1. So not exactly a ULNS.

J...not sure where this information came from. The Bio- actif salt does have very safe and useful naturally occurring marine polymers as carbon dosing included. But is not at all best suited for ULNS. In fact, for ULNS I would recommend very different forms of carbon dosing. If the phosphate level in the ULNS is less than .05 ppm, I would recommend using Tropic Marin's NP-Bacto Balance. And for phosphate levels under .02 ppm, I would recommend the NP-Plus. The Bio-Actif salt could be used along with either of those products as well. But forget Bio-Actif salt alone for ULNS.

 

[JDowns]

@Lou Ekus. Thanks for the clarification. Maybe it would be best to re-word the advert at BRS.

"Tropic Marin Bio-Actif Salt mix has been professionally designed to be used in reef tanks that employ some type of carbon dosing to create an Ultra-Low Nutrient System (UNLS)".

Since carbon dosing such as vinegar and pellets created a roller coaster of nutrients in my system and a constant battle with Dino's (more attributable to GFO), I've found better stability with a refugium. I do feed what may be considered heavy (6-8 cubes a day). Between the fuge and running marine pure in a reactor that has helped stabilize N/P considerably. If Tropic Marin Salt mixes clear and can be run in these types of systems that may not be considered ULNS than changing the advertising language may help folks like myself and others make a more informed decision. I do like that your salt has trace elements that may require me to dose less trace to my Kalk solution. I'd rather have it in the salt mix itself than separate bottles to be honest.

 

[JDowns]

I've tried a lot of salts to find one that mixes clear. To be honest I have tried a bucket of Bio-Actif....can't recall how it mixed up though. Neo-Marine was just as dirty as IO. I currently have a box and a bag of IO left over that I'll use to cycle the new tank. The Neo-Marine buckets have been great for storing the boxed salt, and using for transporting Kalk from a mixing container to a ATO near the tank. I'll be hard plumbing this in the future to a 50 gallon Kalk container for both tanks to feed from. I use the Bio-Actif bucket for my cleaning supplies. Out of all the buckets I have to say I prefer the lid on the Bio-Actif. Seals well and very easy to get on and off.

 

[basement reefer]

I've tried a lot of salts to find one that mixes clear. To be honest I have tried a bucket of Bio-Actif....can't recall how it mixed up though. Neo-Marine was just as dirty as IO. I currently have a box and a bag of IO left over that I'll use to cycle the new tank. The Neo-Marine buckets have been great for storing the boxed salt, and using for transporting Kalk from a mixing container to a ATO near the tank. I'll be hard plumbing this in the future to a 50 gallon Kalk container for both tanks to feed from. I use the Bio-Actif bucket for my cleaning supplies. Out of all the buckets I have to say I prefer the lid on the Bio-Actif. Seals well and very easy to get on and off.

So I was forced to choose between Fritz and Seachem when I unexpectatly found out my local box-LFS no longer carries Instant-Ocean, mind blown.

Anyhow I asked him opinions on the Seachem but he insisted on the Fritz to which I raised my eyebrows.

Long story short it mixes up really clear really fast, much easier then the IO or the IO Reef Crystals

It takes a few minutes longer for salinity to stabilize compared to IO, 2.5 cups of salt mixes up a little strong per 5 gallons. Not really a negative, just thought I would mention it.

 

[spsick]

Now someone needs to go 1 step further and calculate the cost of adding Ca/Mg etc to get IO to the mixing levels of the other salts.

 

[madweazl]

Now someone needs to go 1 step further and calculate the cost of adding Ca/Mg etc to get IO to the mixing levels of the other salts.

I keep the calcium and magnesium levels right where it mixes up (no reason to change them) so the additional cost is free dollars for me

 

[Mrx7899]

Now someone needs to go 1 step further and calculate the cost of adding Ca/Mg etc to get IO to the mixing levels of the other salts.

I bought a gallon of brs calcium and magnesium to bring the levels of IO up and have had them for probably 2 years so not much more of a cost.

 

[Frogger]

They use brightwell salt.

Again there is more at play here then WWC choosing the best salt for their tanks. Basing what they use to determine what you use is not a lot different than wearing Nike because Tiger Woods wears it.

 

[Frogger]

I bought a gallon of brs calcium and magnesium to bring the levels of IO up and have had them for probably 2 years so not much more of a cost.

Adding another step to make your replacement water match your tank water seems like work to me. My time is worth something especially when doing something as trivial as mixing salt. Wouldn't it be best to choose a salt that best matches the water perimeters that you have in your display tank? Or design your display tank to match the perimeters of your favorite salt?

 

[Mrx7899]

Adding another step to make your replacement water match your tank water seems like work to me. My time is worth something especially when doing something as trivial as mixing salt. Wouldn't it be best to choose a salt that best matches the water perimeters that you have in your display tank? Or design your display tank to match the perimeters of your favorite salt?

I dont have to add to it all the time every once in a while you get a box thats a little low and you have to bump it up a little.

I doubt that most people even test their salt mix most people just assume you get what its says on the box. That should be the next BRS test if these salt mixes match their claimed levels.

 

[robmiller2]

Not sure where to go with this whole thing. I have been talking to a few people in the area and so far all I have gotten is they use IO in there reef. I wanted to try the Pro Reef by Tropic Marin but I am not sure now. I still have time to decide but its getting quite confusing with all of this.