Which salt do you use?

[fishypets]

Well it won't be long before I'm wet again and I was wondering which salt you guys/gals were using? I'm going to try my hand at SPS and want to know if one salt is better than the other. I do plan on using a CA reactor if that matters. Thanks in advance and I can't wait to get back in the sickness!

Clint

[Ed]

Welcome back Clint!

I use Red Sea Coral Pro and have a CA reactor, too. I seem to do as well or better than I did with Tropic Marin and at a lower cost.

[DrMark]

Welcome back Clint!

I use Red Sea Coral Pro and have a CA reactor, too. I seem to do as well or better than I did with Tropic Marin and at a lower cost.


same as above
mark

[CoryDude]

Yeah, I used to use HW Marinemix, but gave the Red Sea Pro a try. Just as good at a much lower cost. Only complaint is that some batches mix up w/some measurable NO3. Not sure if that's common when mixing new salt.

[hobogato]

i am using reef crystals. have a calcium reactor and kalk reactor.

[LoneStar]

Good to see you back in the game Clint!

I too am starting to try and figure out which salt I am going to use. Ed, Mark, were you using Tropic Marine or Tropic Marine Pro?

[rg]

Kent

[ErikH]

reef crystals with a CA reactor.

[Ed]

Good to see you back in the game Clint!

I too am starting to try and figure out which salt I am going to use. Ed, Mark, were you using Tropic Marine or Tropic Marine Pro?


I tried both, mainly used regular Tropic Marin. As I understand it, the Topic Marin Pro has less calcium and is intended to be used with a reactor??? Maybe there is other added goodness, but it always seemed to me like I was paying more for less. Just my experience.

I really have better luck with the Red Sea Coral Pro.

[LoneStar]

Ok thanks for the info Ed

I have heard good stuff on Red Sea Coral Pro too.

[dapettit]

X2 Red Sea Coral Pro w/ B-ionics

[fishypets]

Thanks for all of the feedback! I was reading that the zeo guys are using a different salt brand? Does anyone know or have experience with it? After speaking with John at Kingfish I think I might try Tunze salt he says they've have great luck so far.

[Bill S]

RC

[greenmako]

I use Reef Crystals or just the regular instant ocean

[lt1z28]

Instant Ocean

[robisunreal]

Found this page, it compares some of the major salt mix brands.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://web.archive.org/web/20010303215133/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/mar/features/1/default.asp

[RayAllen]

Was using Instant Ocean, Now using Reef Crystals.

[DrMark]

Here is a link i had posted a while back comparing 14 different synthetic sea salts:

http://www.aquariumwatertesting.com/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf

mark

[DrMark]

Incidentally, I use www.aquariumwatertesting.com (http://www.aquariumwatertesting.com) to do a monthly test on my tanks.
Works out very well and is very complete. 14 different parameters, I think.
mark

[patman]

regular old instant ocean here

[clone]

I use to use Reef Crystals till I won a bucket of Red Sea Pro at a metting.
I havent finnished this bucket yet but plan on staying with it.

I recently had to move corals over to a medical tank for a day and they did fine with the Pro because it has all the trace elements.

[Kyle46N]

Instant Ocean.

[BIGBIRD123]

Glad to have ya back! Reef Crystals...

Steve

[DBlackman]

I use SeaChem Pro.

[LoneStar]

After speaking with John at Kingfish I think I might try Tunze salt he says they've have great luck so far.

Thats what I narrowed my search down to as well. I'm going to try that initially once I add water and see how well it goes.

[cpreefguy]

I need salt, Im thinking Reefers Best Salt or Tunze..,.

[Robb_in_Austin]

I use Red Sea Coral Pro.

The D-D(Deltec) H20 looks promising though. Seems to use less salt per gallon too which might offset the increase in price.
See: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1493616

[g-ray]

I use red dea coral pro also

- Gary

[cpreefguy]

Hmmm...
Maybe Ill try the Deltec salt out. I like the Mg level of it for the mangroves since it is essential for their salt export system...

[Joshua]

Can't beat Instant Ocean, been proven consistent results over and over.

[LoneStar]

I opted for Red Sea Coral Pro......

I wasn't able to find the Tunze salt local and my whole plan for ordering it online with the rest of my equipment went to heck when the tank showed up sooner than I thought! So far I like the Red Sea. My cycle was really short and I am getting good results with it.

[Robb_in_Austin]

I think you'll be happy with it, I know I am.
I went with it(RSCP) because if it's good enough for Melev it's good enough for me!

Although I would like to try the D-D at some point. Just need to do some math on it to see if it's cost effective. Anyone want to take a stab at it for me? I hate math.

[caferacermike]

Been using Seachem for years.

[Noober]

I've been having great results with morton iodized salt for decades... it tastes freakin great on a steak!

wait shoot were we talking about saltwater aquariums, ooh yeah reef crystals or instant ocean, whatever's at the store.... haha kudos:bighug:

[mikedelgado]

reef crystals kalk reactor and a calcium reactor

[thedude]

Just so ya'll know... who makes D&D's salt? Red Sea.

We tried Reefer's best for a short time and found that it had high levels of phosphate and contributed to some weird algae.

HW manufactures Tunze salt but Tunze salt is cheaper than HW... go figure. I've been extremely pleased with Tunze's salt but liked the Red Sea Coral Pro for awhile. The main turn off for me with the Red Sea was the gross brown particulate that is left after you mix it.

John

[cpreefguy]

Is D&D's salt more dry that Red Sea's?

Im using the Red Sea Pro salt and Im indifferent about it, I also don't like the left over residue...

[thedude]

Sean,

I honestly have no idea as I was pretty turned off when I heard that Red Sea was manufacturing it. Tunze salt is also a pretty amazing deal here in Austin as Roger is seconds away. The price match on the 160 gallon box is 63.63 which I'm sure ya'll could do no problem if someone was willing to pick it up.

I feel for everyone else in the country shipping salt in. Reefers Best came from Canada to us and added about 20% to every box until you went up to a pallet quantity.

The best way to mix salt is still just to have alk, ca, and mg and adjust every batch to your needs. A little more time consuming but no more expensive in the long run.

John

[cpreefguy]

I was at the Tunze warehouse not too long ago and was wondering what the shipping cost was on the wall of salt I was looking at :)

Tunze it is! Probably looking at the 126g bucket...

[Robb_in_Austin]

Good info John, thanks for the heads up.

[cpreefguy]

I decided to order this salt from Get Tanked Aquariums :

http://gettankedaquariums.com/index_file/2.Part.Artificial.Sea.Salt.File/Artificial.Sea.Salt.2.Part.Gallon.Mix.Main.Page.ht m

[fishypets]

Well I started off using Tunze salt and I'm more than pleased. My frags couldn't be happier.

[swjim]

I use Instant Ocean but the Calcium and Magnesium levels tend to be a little low from it so I add 30ml magnesium and and 30ml calcium chloride to each 5 gallon bucket I mix.

[Troutmasters02]

SeaChem reef salt. Check this out...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

[ErikH]

Reef Crystals, with my reactor I don't have to dose to get my CA & Alk levels perfect.

[BioCube14]

picked up some seachem reef from B&B. I have never heard anyone that uses it say anything negative about this stuff. I have checked out the specs on all the other salts and seems like this one is a good one to try out. best bang for the money.

[clone]

i hate to say i told you soooooo

[J_G]

Everyone still using Reef Crystals now that they went up $15 a bucket?

[AustinReefClub]

For a 5 gallon bucket of R/O, how much Reef Crystals gets salinity right? Up til now I've just added salt, stirred, measured until hydrometer says go. I know there is probably a fixed measurement but know that one of you has calculated or measured it....

[hobogato]

i put 3 cups of salt for 5 gallons of RO water and it is about 1.025 for the specific gravity. half a cup per gallon will give about 1.023.

[jrsatx20]

picked up some seachem reef from B&B. I have never heard anyone that uses it say anything negative about this stuff. I have checked out the specs on all the other salts and seems like this one is a good one to try out. best bang for the money.


at tmac i told the guy at seachem that i use instant ocean he said thats what seachem reef is only they add other things to it to make it their own

[moe]

I first started with "oceanic" salt mix the Dr. mark posted this link on a previous tread. http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41194
After reading that I now use Red Sea. I don't have cal reactor nor the other. I only use the Red Sea for my quarantine tank and my 125 that still cycling. I must say there a big difference in the cycling process with the red sea.

Thx Dr. Mark for the link, I don't think I ever got to thank you.

[mharmon]

Instant Ocean, at the moment... I'm open to something else that might be better.

[moe]

Instant Ocean, at the moment... I'm open to something else that might be better.

check this out it really awesome.

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41194