king_neptune
Active Member
Or does it really not matter If I get one brand of salt over another?
Do sea salt brand's differ much?
- Thread starter king_neptune
- Start date
reeftanker84
Member
IMO i will not use anything but Instant Ocean, i like how it disolves faster then some others and it has no added nitrates or phosphates
wangotango
Active Member
I've used Reefcrystals since day one, and overall it's ok. Doesn't have the calcium I need, and leaves a brown residue on my mixing container.
Some of the more popular are Oceanic, Tropic Marin, and Redsea Coral Pro.
It all comes down to a matter of personal preference though.
-Justin
Some of the more popular are Oceanic, Tropic Marin, and Redsea Coral Pro.
It all comes down to a matter of personal preference though.
-Justin
reeferrookie
Member
I started with IO about a year ago, and have changed to Oceanic. It has more calcium and dissolves much better than IO, which always left a scummy deposit on my holding tank. I also see a difference in the tank
cranberry
Active Member
I use IO. Mostly because it was what was available when I started. Because my tanks look pretty darn nice and it's what is available locally. Now if I had tanks that really needed the calcium mag etc and all those other fine products, I'm not sure what I would use. I can't speak to that because it's not the situation I'm in. But for my basic LPS and softy tanks, IO has been fine.
culp
Active Member
i have wanted to try Oceanic salt but i can only buy Oceanic Salt in store hear in either 5 gallon mix or a 90 gallon mix and pay 34.99 for it.
really though you can have a great tank using just about any name brand salt mix. where it is Instant Ocean, Oceanic, Kent, Red Sea...
really though you can have a great tank using just about any name brand salt mix. where it is Instant Ocean, Oceanic, Kent, Red Sea...
jerryatrick
Active Member
Originally Posted by Reeftanker84
http:///forum/post/2970712
IMO i will not use anything but Instant Ocean, i like how it disolves faster then some others and it has no added nitrates or phosphates
What others have you tried? Mortons
? When you say that IO has no added nitrates or phosphates, I think that all companies strive for no nitrates or phosphates. You can get a bad batch of salt from IO just as easy as you could from any other salt company.
I have used Oceanic and Tropic Marin pro. I did not notice a difference using TMP except for a thinner wallet. The only beef that I have with Oceanic is that the calcium can be to high at times causing a lower alk level. For the money though I would never switch to anything else.
http:///forum/post/2970712
IMO i will not use anything but Instant Ocean, i like how it disolves faster then some others and it has no added nitrates or phosphates
What others have you tried? Mortons
I have used Oceanic and Tropic Marin pro. I did not notice a difference using TMP except for a thinner wallet. The only beef that I have with Oceanic is that the calcium can be to high at times causing a lower alk level. For the money though I would never switch to anything else.
bizzmoneyb
Member
it also depends on what type of tank you have.
if you just going with fish only, instant ocean should be fine.
if you going for a reef, id recommend something better than IO. ive heard great things about Tropic Marine Pro Reef, so thats what im going with. ive heard when using this you dont need to dose with anything else, just regular water changes will do.
if you just going with fish only, instant ocean should be fine.
if you going for a reef, id recommend something better than IO. ive heard great things about Tropic Marine Pro Reef, so thats what im going with. ive heard when using this you dont need to dose with anything else, just regular water changes will do.
king_neptune
Active Member
Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/2970978
I've used Reefcrystals since day one, and overall it's ok. Doesn't have the calcium I need, and leaves a brown residue on my mixing container.
-Justin
I had reef crystals recommended to me by a guy with 15 years experience. I was personally about to buy it last night...but the shipping cost was more than the purchase of salt.
He mainly grows coral and sells it to fish stores up and down the northwest. he preferred it because it worked best with his reefs due to its additives, however he told me a good calcium reactor is a must...mabee that's what he was talking about.
http:///forum/post/2970978
I've used Reefcrystals since day one, and overall it's ok. Doesn't have the calcium I need, and leaves a brown residue on my mixing container.
-Justin
I had reef crystals recommended to me by a guy with 15 years experience. I was personally about to buy it last night...but the shipping cost was more than the purchase of salt.
He mainly grows coral and sells it to fish stores up and down the northwest. he preferred it because it worked best with his reefs due to its additives, however he told me a good calcium reactor is a must...mabee that's what he was talking about.
king_neptune
Active Member
Originally Posted by joncat24
http:///forum/post/2970983
I have used IO, Reef crystals, Red Sea, and now I use Seachem reef salt. I will never use anything else. The colors of my corals are way better with the Seachem. It disolves pretty good and has higher Mg and Calcium than any other I have used.
That claim holds a lot of weight.....you used them all...but could it also be that your skills have improved over the years as well? or is that not really a factor?
http:///forum/post/2970983
I have used IO, Reef crystals, Red Sea, and now I use Seachem reef salt. I will never use anything else. The colors of my corals are way better with the Seachem. It disolves pretty good and has higher Mg and Calcium than any other I have used.
That claim holds a lot of weight.....you used them all...but could it also be that your skills have improved over the years as well? or is that not really a factor?
king_neptune
Active Member
I wonder if this is really a Chevy vs. Ford question?
stanlalee
Active Member
not only do they differ much brand to brand they differ all too much batch to batch. If you look at the test that have been done so far with two batches of each salt along with just your own testing alot of salts are rediculously inconsistant batch to batch. I've never had a problem mixing different brands of salt and no salt has worked particularly better than the other for me. all your really looking for is a target ca, mg and alk that works well with your tank. many people mix brands on purpose to reach a target ca or alk.
as far as I'm concerned all sea salts are artificial. evaporating seawater does not= natural sea salt. some manufacturers claim thats the cheap and less effective way to process salt. just because you can precipitate the salt doesn't mean you can preserve all the elements properly.
as far as I'm concerned all sea salts are artificial. evaporating seawater does not= natural sea salt. some manufacturers claim thats the cheap and less effective way to process salt. just because you can precipitate the salt doesn't mean you can preserve all the elements properly.
joncat24
Active Member
Originally Posted by King_Neptune
http:///forum/post/2971194
That claim holds a lot of weight.....you used them all...but could it also be that your skills have improved over the years as well? or is that not really a factor?
Could be a little of both, I guess.
Like stan said, the main thing for me is consistency, of which there is none with the Reef Crystals. I tested about 14 different buckets and everyone tested different for calcium levels(anywhere from 300 to 440), which for me is just not acceptable.
So far, I have tested 7 buckets of Seachem, and all were within 420-440calc, and 1240-1300mg. I only test these two elements along with alk, and the seachem wins that race too, so I will stick with it til they let me down.
http:///forum/post/2971194
That claim holds a lot of weight.....you used them all...but could it also be that your skills have improved over the years as well? or is that not really a factor?
Could be a little of both, I guess.
Like stan said, the main thing for me is consistency, of which there is none with the Reef Crystals. I tested about 14 different buckets and everyone tested different for calcium levels(anywhere from 300 to 440), which for me is just not acceptable.
So far, I have tested 7 buckets of Seachem, and all were within 420-440calc, and 1240-1300mg. I only test these two elements along with alk, and the seachem wins that race too, so I will stick with it til they let me down.
michelleolds
Member
i started out using instant ocean reef crystals and then switched to oceanic because i was tired of dosing calcium.
geoj
Active Member
Originally Posted by joncat24
http:///forum/post/2971478
Could be a little of both, I guess.
Like stan said, the main thing for me is consistency, of which there is none with the Reef Crystals. I tested about 14 different buckets and everyone tested different for calcium levels(anywhere from 300 to 440), which for me is just not acceptable.
So far, I have tested 7 buckets of Seachem, and all were within 420-440calc, and 1240-1300mg. I only test these two elements along with alk, and the seachem wins that race too, so I will stick with it til they let me down.
Which are you testing Seachem marine or Seachem reef?
http:///forum/post/2971478
Could be a little of both, I guess.
Like stan said, the main thing for me is consistency, of which there is none with the Reef Crystals. I tested about 14 different buckets and everyone tested different for calcium levels(anywhere from 300 to 440), which for me is just not acceptable.
So far, I have tested 7 buckets of Seachem, and all were within 420-440calc, and 1240-1300mg. I only test these two elements along with alk, and the seachem wins that race too, so I will stick with it til they let me down.
Which are you testing Seachem marine or Seachem reef?
king_neptune
Active Member
I just ordered 2x160gal buckets of SeaChem Reef mix. $47 each, $10 shipping/handling for the two...not bad.
One for me, one for my dads 28gal nano.
One for me, one for my dads 28gal nano.