A General Guide to Salt Mixes

[kaserpick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15667476#post15667476 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HighlandReefer
This thread has information about the Brightwell Neo Salt Mix:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1677408&highlight=brightwell+salt

Thanks!

 

[Billybeau1]

I agree with mat.

TMPro should be fine with or without a reactor if those are the numbers you like.

 

[SnookSlayer08]

ok, thanks

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15671952#post15671952 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
How can you tell a new bucket of ro from the old bucket(without taking the bucket home and testing it

I am not joking--seriously---how can you tell---or can't you
I guess it is like a grab bag of salt when you buy IO:lol:

 

[Ohio BigDog]

Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix any one else use this is it that good? those numbers seem unreal

 

[wfournier]

Anyone had issues with Coralife salt recently? I just tested some I mixed and I got a dkh of 4.... That seems more than a little low (mixed to 1.025). I was so surprised by this I ended getting a Salifert kh test in addition to my API test and it confirmed my results.

 

[Billybeau1]

I haven't heard of that yet, although it seems most salts run into this from time to time.

Was it the bucket or a small box ?

I would just bump up the alk with some baking soda and lets hope this is a trend.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15696069#post15696069 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ohio BigDog
Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix any one else use this is it that good? those numbers seem unreal

Some reefers with high demand tanks have had great sucess with this salt. It is more often too much for many tanks although the only thing the excessive calcium causes is more work for the reefer and does not hurt the tanks inhabitants at all. The price is certainly right in most cases.

Just keep an eye on alkalinity when using this salt. It certainly has enough cal and mag for most.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15677439#post15677439 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
I am not joking--seriously---how can you tell---or can't you
I guess it is like a grab bag of salt when you buy IO:lol:

capn, I can't remember if the box changed or not. For some reason, I think it did.

 

[PhreeBYrd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15619954#post15619954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kc350twin

I am also looking into Seachem salts as well so any Seachem users can chime in with their thoughts please do.

Thanks again for your help.

__________________
Kc3

Over the years I've used a lot of different mixes, including IO, RC, Seachem Reef and Marine, TM and TM Pro, and MEI Crystal Seas. The MEI was my favorite of all, but it's hard to get so I started using Seachem Reef, which I like very much... although the Ca was always so high I had to take my Ca reactor offline to prevent the GFO in my phos reactor from fouling with Ca.

Long story short, DFS started a promo on RC a little more than a year ago, so I switched and used it for the past year (I left the Ca reactor out of the system). In that time, the populations of stomatella, asterina stars, and amphipods in my tanks took a nose dive, and my cleaner shrimps never spawned (with the MEI and Seachem mixes, they would spawn at least once a month). After switching back to Seachem a couple of months ago, the populations of those critters are back on the rise. I have some new baby stomatella again and a lot more life on the sand bed. My skunk cleaners spawned last week. Really, the only thing attributable is the salt mix.

I also like the fact that the Seachem always mixes to a pH of 8.30, while the RC was always 7.9. The RC left loads of brown crud in my mixing tub, while the Seachem (and the MEI) leaves no residue at all... but in the end, I figure the Seachem Reef mix is a better product, at least for my tanks, because of the animals' response.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15541271#post15541271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rigleautomotive
See this thread

Thread

I like Billybeau1's objective tests a lot more than the opinion, rumor and innuendo on the above thread... JMHO.

I am still buying RC in 200G boxes and re-mixing it myself when I pour it into 160G RC buckets for storage.

So far, BB1's results are meshed with mine, except for some funky ALK numbers caused by my test kits.

Thanks BB1

LL

 

[ehutchby]

I'll put another choice of salt in the mix:
After being referred by a happy customer, I spoke to the owner of Get Tanked Aquariums today about his Potassium concentrate and salt mixes.
Is anyone else using his salt? See the link below.
http://www.gettankedaquariums.com/i...cial.Sea.Salt.2.Part.Gallon.Mix.Main.Page.htm

He is the only salt mix that includes the ingrediants of the salt in separate packages. You can add the amount of calcium you want, up to 450. My friend, that has used his salt, has said that the salt measured exactly what he claims.

Does anyone else have an experience with the salt?

 

[PhreeBYrd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15736531#post15736531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
I like Billybeau1's objective tests a lot more than the opinion, rumor and innuendo on the above thread... JMHO.

I am still buying RC in 200G boxes and re-mixing it myself when I pour it into 160G RC buckets for storage.

So far, BB1's results are meshed with mine, except for some funky ALK numbers caused by my test kits.

Thanks BB1

LL

Interesting thread, thanks for the link.

Unfortunately, it seems that this hobby is 25% science and 75% opinion, rumor, and conjecture. When corroborated, those opinions, etc. often become anecdotal evidence. When (if ever) they are scientifically proved or disproved, they may well become scientific fact. But when most of the day-to-day 'research' is being done by hobbyists or by companies trying to sell you stuff or protect their market share, it's prudent to be skeptical. Still, that doesn't mean the anecdotal evidence and suppositions don't have merit. Objectivity is wonderful and necessary, but an objective account more often than not does not tell the entire story.

My test figures on the RC mix also agree with yours and Billybeau1's. I also agree with BB1's earlier comment that your eyes are the best test kit (sorry, I may have paraphrased slightly). My eyes tell me that some of my tank inhabitants survived but did not thrive with one salt mix, while they did and do thrive with a different salt mix.

You can call that 'innuendo' if you like, though that's a derogatory term that neither fits the discussion nor is it deserved. Rumor? Well, possibly, but then practically anything could be called as such, particularly in forums like these. Opinion, certainly, and everybody should have one. I'll stick to calling it what it is: experience, be it good, bad, or just plain dumb.

Thanks to all of those sharing their experiences. It makes better hobbyists of us all.

 

[Billybeau1]

Thanks PB, couldn't have said it better myself.

Your welcome LL.

 

[Canarygirl]

I'll put another choice of salt in the mix:

After being referred by a happy customer, I spoke to the owner of Get Tanked Aquariums today about his Potassium concentrate and salt mixes. Is anyone else using his salt?

See the link below. http://www.gettankedaquariums.com/i...x.Main.Page.htm

He is the only salt mix that includes the ingrediants of the salt in separate packages. You can add the amount of calcium you want, up to 450. My friend, that has used his salt, has said that the salt measured exactly what he claims.
Does anyone else have an experience with the salt?

I have tried the GT salt a couple of times. I used one box (I think that is ~160g mix), and it was okay, no problems with it, and a couple of months later I used a second box. With the second box, I had a bad experience after the 2nd 10% WC. I had corals start dying, wide-spread burned tips. I lost quite a few corals over the next few months (did not stop even though I went back to my previous non-GT salt mix). Maybe it's all coincidence and had nothing to do with the GT salt mix, but my opinion is that it did have to do with the GT salt. FWIW, I did measure the parameters before using the makeup water, and it all tested exactly as I would want it to. But my "eyeball" test of the tank inhabitants was obviously very bad.

 

[Billybeau1]

The "eyeball" test is the best

 

[fishkepper]

gettanked salt

gettanked salt

i dont know what you all are doing with gettanked salt but i've use it and have been since i found him and his products works!!!! I tride to use all the store brand salts but had to use more of them to keep 1025-1026 and i had to always add adtional additives and still were haveing probs then i met gary over the internet and since then my sps grow 1/4 at least per month im telling you .you must of did some thing teriably rong or got something in your water becouse thers no way 10% water change killed your corals. You didnt dump your cal. in the tank all at once did you or dump it in your sump were it could blow on the corals or something like that???????????? All i can say is its good stuff all his products and ther not as doluted as the store bought stuff thay are mostly water fishkepper

 

[Billybeau1]

fishkepper

[welcome]

You will find that there are many opinions among the reefkeeping community about salt mixes. I'm glad it works for you, but I can tell you honestly, every salt mix has its share of successes and disasters. Including the one you use. That doesn't necessarily mean the user screwed up in some kind of way.

I find it nice that there are so many brands to choose from so reefers have a choice. Most of the commercial salt mixes today are good for someones tank. I've seen it time and time again.

Thanks for your input.

 

[fishkepper]

your rite but for her to say it killed her corals i dont beleave that was the reasoncorals dieing

 

[wfournier]

I know that I have heard of people in my area having issues with GT salt, I think it was related to ALK but I am not sure.