Why anything but Instant Ocean?

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jduong916

jduong916

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@jduong916 can I ask what lights, pumps and other equipment you use? Everything in this hobby boils down to personal preference and what a person thinks is best for their tank. I started with Fritz and have now switched to AquaForest and couldn’t be happier. I don’t know that I’d have the same experience with Instant Ocean and I’m not willing to try.

This is like asking why does anyone use anything other than Jabao wave pumps? They all do the same thing... It boils down to personal preference.
I can make a lot of arguments in both directions why I use this type of light or this type of pump. Cost, efficiency and maintenance play a big role in all of the gear I buy, but in my experience all salts mixes work the same. I have never noticed a difference in my tank with other salt brands. So I choose the cheapest easy to mix product. I can't argue with personal preference, i was just curious as to the reasons why personal preference would lead others to use a different salt.
 
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jduong916

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all I use is IO but it definitely leaves a brown film. Doesnt seem to cause issues though
In my experience, IO is the only salt that doesn't leave residue in my bin and I leave mixed salt in a plastic drum for weeks without circulation lol. Maybe its the water.
 

Lowlandreef

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I think hes getting IO for the price of RSCP lol.
That's partially true. I took a look on BRS as reference (I guess that's a reliable source, correct me if I'm wrong), and a IO 200 gallon box is $55,- vs RSCP 200 gallon sack $84,-.
In the Netherlands a IO 200 gallon box is €76,- ($85,-).
However a RSCP 200 gallon box is €65,- ($73,-).

If you would compare economies the conversion factor from $ to € would probably be negligible. So in that case I think it's rather likely to say that RSCP over here is $19 cheaper than in the US.
IO is however about $30 more expensive over here...
Makes sense it isn't very popular here haha!

Coming back to your point, IO is indeed over here the price of RSCP you would pay in the US. However RSCP is a lot cheaper here as well. Probably has to do with import costs.
 

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I didn't know you could lower dKh with acid. I might have to try this out when my numbers start to get out of whack.
Sure you can. Theoretically, you could use any acid, but inorganic acids like sulfuric and hydrochloric don't add adiditonal organic load like acetic or citric acids might.

You can even use salts like sodium bisulfate (easy to find in pH-lowering pool additives) to adjust alkalinity levels. Just be careful with concentrated acids...aside of burn risks, a little goes a LONG way in alkalinity reduction.
 

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Do not use acid to lower dKh in the tank. Something like muriatic will lower the pH considerably and you have to wait to blow off all of that co2 that you just created. Fresh salt mix only...
 

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Do not use acid to lower dKh in the tank. Something like muriatic will lower the pH considerably and you have to wait to blow off all of that co2 that you just created. Fresh salt mix only...
This is a great point! I just assumed we were all talking about freshly mixed salt water :)
 

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In my experience, IO is the only salt that doesn't leave residue in my bin and I leave mixed salt in a plastic drum for weeks without circulation lol. Maybe its the water.

We all use the same water lol . I think it has something to do with heat & sitting for a few days. It doesn't affect anything, but definitely a brown residue all in the brute.
 

homer1475

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I've used IO for years. It's cheap, readily available, and has a very long standing history of being very consistent. No reason to change in my eyes. The small amount of acid, and/or calcium I add to it, doesn't negate the higher prices of other salts.

For all you guys that have the brown residue, I watched a BRS video yesterday(think it was the one about mistakes during a WC?), where they used a sediment filter from an RO/DI unit to capture any of that junk(brown crud, precipitate, anything left over floating in the water) before sending it to the tank.

Bought a RO/DI canister, and sediment filter to give it a try last night.
 

MJ in Boise

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I'm currently using reef crystals and am considering switching to regular IO. what does it mix to at 35ppt? Cal, alk, and mag pretty please.
 

homer1475

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Cal 400, ALK 10DKH, MG 1350

With slight variations, but pretty consistent. I add CAL and muriatic acid as @jda does without even testing, it's that consistent(I do test 24H later, and add or remove as needed, but typically nothing else is added or removed at this point).
 

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I can make a lot of arguments in both directions why I use this type of light or this type of pump. Cost, efficiency and maintenance play a big role in all of the gear I buy, but in my experience all salts mixes work the same. I have never noticed a difference in my tank with other salt brands. So I choose the cheapest easy to mix product. I can't argue with personal preference, i was just curious as to the reasons why personal preference would lead others to use a different salt.


What do you mean by work? That they sustain life? Sure. But the fact that every salt doesn’t mix up to the same parameters shows that they are all different. AF mixes to 7.8dKH, I saw someone post IO is around 10. My Fritz was 8 to 10 (which is why I changed, every box was different). I also like to see the icp test that comes with the AF. My AF mixes up with a pretty clean bucket, some precipitate if I let it sit. The Fritz was a mess if it sat more than a couple days. I tried Tropic Marin Bio-Actif but couldn’t get past the haziness. It bothered me. I also like that AF provides tons of information on their product. I like the purple buckets and having the salt in a bag within the bucket is nice. These are some of the reasons why AquaForest is my preference. I also only have a small nano so two buckets of salt get me through the year. I’m ok with $135 in salt for the year. If I had a monster system, then maybe I’d try it, but idk.
 

wranodj

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I switched to IO once I noticed the salt mix didn’t change anything. If I’m going to throw a percentage down the drain every week why also throw $$$.
 

CK00020

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You don’t get brown crud in your mixing station with regular io, I have been using crystals and think I am going to change, I was going to go to tropic marin but if I can make regular io work that would be way cheaper
 

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A few days ago somebody claimed IO was crap and I think I called him the same. I've used every salt mix known over the years for SPS and IO just works. RC is the problem child with it's high alk if you arent expecting it.

Salt mixes arent regulated by the FDA and such their quality standards arent enforced. The trace element myth is marketing bunk. Proven years ago in commercial tests of salt mixes. Its sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and sodium bicarb. The rest is industrial contaminants. Want purer salt you will need to get food grade ingredients and make it your self.
 

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Evening folks.

Keeping it short. I/O is a standard in my book. Otherwise it would not have endured and still endure the test of time.

To me salt is a preference. It is what you can do when it is in the tank that gets the results long term. I used TMPR to start my 180. Went to IO for 3 years. Now back to TMPR. 100% just preference. Before this 180 it was I/O for 20 something years with no issues. I have started a 90 with ESV. Gotta say, love this salt. Super pure, ability to mix custom parameters as needed.

Last thought. Some of us remember the BRS investigate salt cost per gallon. Not much diff, except I/o

 
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