salt vs salt

[dse]

ok i'm about to buy a 25kg bucket of salt. problem is i don't know out of the two is better.... reef crystals 25kg or instant ocean 25kg.
i normally use red sea these days but i want a better quality of salt.
its for a reef tank of 210 gal.
i've used a 2kg reef crystal bag before but that was when i first started so there was no corals nor fish.... well apart from my clowns back then.
any opinions negitive or possitive on your experiances on these two salts would be greatly appreciated.
many thanks
Dean

 

[topfins-mj]

I haven't had experience with red sea but if I was you, out of the two I would go with Reef Crystals. I used it before for two years without problems.
I hada small reef colony and 5 fish. All did well. With reefs, you will have to test for all applicable elements to make sure you keep it to good levels, depending on your demand off course. Reef Crystals has good amount of elements so I vote 1 for Reef Crystals.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by dse
http:///forum/post/2743859
ok i'm about to buy a 25kg bucket of salt. problem is i don't know out of the two is better.... reef crystals 25kg or instant ocean 25kg.
i normally use red sea these days but i want a better quality of salt.
its for a reef tank of 210 gal.
i've used a 2kg reef crystal bag before but that was when i first started so there was no corals nor fish.... well apart from my clowns back then.
any opinions negitive or possitive on your experiances on these two salts would be greatly appreciated.
many thanks
Dean
Reef Crystals is the salt made by the same company as instant Ocean, specifically for reefs. (I guess that's why they call it "Reef Crystals") IMO, its an excellent reef salt.

 

[cveverly]

I would get the Reef Crystals also. IO is great for a fish only tank but lacks the calcium a reef tank needs. I recently made this mistake and had a hard time getting my Ca over 360 with IO.

 

[jmesmcm]

I have used both over the years. They claim that Reef Crystals has higher levels of calcium in it than IO but I can't say that I really noticed any difference between the two. Having said that I never mixed a bucket of each and tested the levels to confirm this statement either.

 

[mr_x]

both reef crystals and instant ocean will need additional calcium added.
i have switched from reef crystals to oceanic, and i believe it to be much better.

 

[saltn00b]

i just saw a recent comparison of salts that i wish i had a link to share,
but the moral of the story is that red sea reef pro and tropic marin were neck and neck with the closest chemistry to natural seawater, with slightly more alkalinity , and calcium, which is what you want with a reef. if you have any sort of coral load, you will need to dose calcium and alk regardless what salt you use IMO.

 

[dse]

cheers so far on the info. i use reef success calcium from red sea and reef success coral trace. but i baught reef crystals 25kg and will arrive tuesday.

 

[mr_x]

Originally Posted by saltn00b
http:///forum/post/2745272
if you have any sort of coral load, you will need to dose calcium and alk regardless what salt you use IMO.
i don't have to dose anything. i have a tremendous coral load.