What salt do you use?

emm0909

Member
I use Reef Crystals.
What salt mix do you use?
What do you have to add after you mix your salt to make it ready? (This means, what does your salt lack or how is it better than others.)
Does it dechlorinate, stabilize PH, etc. Why do you use it instead of somehting else?
 

yerboy

Active Member
i have used reef crystals red sea and instance ocean. the only thing i add to my salt is water.
 
T

tiberius

Guest
I have used Coralife for years. I prefer to use Tropic Marin. But, I like to buy the 5 gallon buckets and Coralife has individual bags where as Tropic Marin comes in 1 big bag. I just add water to mine. Plus, with Coralife buckets, you get a free T-shirt! If I don't use the R/O water then I use Amquel Plus to remove the chlorine.
I don't add any chemicals as far as trace elements is concerned.
 

nycbob

Active Member
u dont hv to add anything w the salt mix except water. if u chng ur water often, there is no need to add trace elements. the only time i see a need to add trace elements such as calcium is when u hv lots of calcium demanding corals, and only chng water once every few weeks.
 

emm0909

Member
Great to know. A lot of people make a stink about which salt is the best. It doesn't seem like it really matters. All the same.
 

jonthefishguy

Active Member
Everyone has their opinion on which salt is better and why, but it boils down to, use what works best for you...just like they did. Chances are most of them choose a salt brand because someone else said it was good, dogged another brand and didnt find it out for themselves whether or not the less popular brand was in fact bad or not.
 

indyws6

Member
I add food coloring to give the water a "bluer" look...
P.S. I'm joking - I'm having a "pissy" day at work and felt like being a smarta$$
 

devil dog

Active Member
I use hW Marinemix Plus BioElements or Tropic Marin... there is no need to add any trace elements if you do 10% week water changes...
 

indyws6

Member
Greetings

On a more serious (helpful and useful) note, I use Tropic Marin. Along the lines of what was stated in a previous post, I use it because someone at an LFS that had a lot of experience recommended it - not because I have done any testing (not sure how accurate that would be...).
Until about 2 weeks ago I didn't dose anything - simply Tropic Marin and RO/DI water. I started using Purple-Up and my Ca levels have gone from a consistent 400 to a consistent 420. I wonder, though, if using Tropic Marin Pro would provide the same results without the hassle of dosing? (I haven't noticed any other benefits of Purple-Up yet, but it's only been two weeks
).
I do 15-18 gallon water changes (on my 90 gallon reef) every 7-14 days, depending upon my schedule and free time.
 

digitydash

Active Member
Originally Posted by indyws6
Greetings

On a more serious (helpful and useful) note, I use Tropic Marin. Along the lines of what was stated in a previous post, I use it because someone at an LFS that had a lot of experience recommended it - not because I have done any testing (not sure how accurate that would be...).
Until about 2 weeks ago I didn't dose anything - simply Tropic Marin and RO/DI water. I started using Purple-Up and my Ca levels have gone from a consistent 400 to a consistent 420. I wonder, though, if using Tropic Marin Pro would provide the same results without the hassle of dosing? (I haven't noticed any other benefits of Purple-Up yet, but it's only been two weeks
).
I do 15-18 gallon water changes (on my 90 gallon reef) every 7-14 days, depending upon my schedule and free time.
I believe purple up has calcium in it that maybe where you calcium increase come from.
 

rudedog40

Member
No one adds Ph buffer to their RO water? I've checked mine, and it comes in around 7.8 - 8.0 after mixing the salt. I have to add the recommended Ph buffer to get it up to the 8.2 - 8.4 range. I've been using the Coralife salt.
 

jonthefishguy

Active Member
If you use kalkwasser, you will keep your ph from dropping and keep your alkalinity in check. Remember to drip slowly or your ph will rise too high since made up kalk has a ph of 12 to 14. Not to mention that it also will raise your calcium level and keep phosphates from rising.
 

angelman

Member
I have fish only system.
For years, I spent a whole lot on Tropic Marin.
I then tried something different.
I went with whatever salt my supplier had on sale that week (large, large pet supplier located in South Florida and Long Island).
The only difference I ever noted was the way the salt dissolved.
The more expensive, the finer and the quicker it would dissolve in water.
Aside from that, I can't honestly tell you the fish ever complained about one over the other.

Don't know if corals will complain.
 

reefkprz

Active Member
reefcrystals + ro/di water = what I put in my tank. I dont dose anything. (unless an unusual situation arises, In the future I'm going to have to dose calcium regularly as I have a growing gigas clam and they devour calcium and I am getting more into SPS so I have to keep my calc maxed for that.
 

donald

Member
I use oceanic, jut to try some thing different and it was cheaper. I dose some purple up now and again but not regularly.
 

frankthetank

Active Member
Tropic Marin & Red Sea Coral Pro is what I use. I have TM at home... so if I mix my own batch, TM. If I buy a 5 gal pre mixed up batch from the LFS, Red Sea Coral Pro.
They both seem just fine.
 
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