Atlanta Aquarium

[Uncle Salty 05]

I have been in the hobby just over 20 years.
Started out with Tropic Marin because it was "the best". I soon learned otherwise and started researching which brand was the best and was lead back to IO every time.
I bought one 200 gallon box of Reef Crystals and the brown scum still lines my brute.
I used Kent for many years as well, but my best results for my tank have always been when using IO.
I am not declaring IO is great - I don't have to.

 

[MondoBongo]

I am not declaring IO is great - I don't have to.

I guess Instant Ocean is preferred by people that have A LOT riding on how good their salt mix is.

seems like a declaration to me, but hey that's cool. :deadhorse:

congratulations on 20 years in the hobby, and best of luck on your continued success. may the force be with you and such.

 

[eyesinthedrk]

another variable would be availability and logistics. how many manufacturers can provide truck loads of marine aquarium salt in 1 ton totes?

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

My point exactly.
If anyone can prove beyond doubt that another salt mix is better at matching NSW order me a 1 ton bag please.:headwallblue:

 

[slgcmg]

I hear very many different things about salt,, like certain salts specialize in certain things, more in trace elements, higher calcium, lower calcium, etc.. There should be a sticky that shows what each salt specializes in.

I buy my water from an LFS and they use red sea which I've read is high in calcium and alk.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

There should be a sticky that shows what each salt specializes in.

There is: Compliments of Bertoni

Salt Product Calcium Alkalinity Magnesium
Aquatic Gardens 430 8 1240
Brightwell Neomarine 370 11 1140
CoraLife 560 9 1380
Crystal Sea Marinemix 340 9 1050
Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay 340 9 1050
D-D H2Ocean 450 10 1380
Instant Ocean 400 11 1350
Kent 540 11 1200
Marine Environment 480 7.5 1450
Oceanic 580 8.5 1650
OceanPure 510 10 1320
Red Sea 400 8 1300
Red Sea Coral Pro 470 12.5 1400
Reef Crystals 490 13 1440
Reefer's Best 420 11 1200
SeaChem Marine Salt 500 10 1400
SeaChem Reef Salt 540 10 1450
Tropic Marin 375 10 1230
Tropic Marin Pro Reef 450 8.5 1380
Tunze Reef Salt 420 9.5 1350

 

[slgcmg]

awesome, thanks!

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

You're welcome.
For a better view go to the Chemisrty forum, it is one of the stickys.
I copied and pasted and it got out of alignment.

 

[likefish]

hey uncle is there a date on that chart? Wondering if its current info.

Im a reef crystals user and have condisered stepping down for the price diff since I dose my tanks anyway. That brown skum line 24 hours after mixing has always freaked me out a bit.

The IO reps at MACNA said it is a precipitate from the combination of minerals in the salt. SWORE it is nonorganic and not a big deal. It works for me though..

Thanks for the original post. I am a huge fan of the Georgia Aquarium!

 

[reeferstace]

Georgia Aquarium | Where Imaginations Go To Play
225 Baker Street NW | Atlanta, GA 30313

Yes, I know. Your title, however, said "Atlanta Aquarium" which is something totally different.

 

[RatReef]

They would use something where they are saving a ton of money. If we save a few bucks, they save a crap ton (I believe that is the official term).

Its a metric crap ton in Europe...as long as we are being all official:clown:

Is a butt load more or less than a crap ton? this topic may require its own thread

 

[eyesinthedrk]

A butt load is a singular unit where as a crap ton is cumulative. It takes 64 butt loads to make a crap ton. 82 to make a metric crap ton

 

[Breadman03]

All that means is that Instant Ocean is the cheapest salt that meets their minimum standards for quality and nothing more.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Yes, I know. Your title, however, said "Atlanta Aquarium" which is something totally different.

I was mistaken.
Going from my not so good (at times) short term memory.
I apologize.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

All that means is that Instant Ocean is the cheapest salt that meets their minimum standards for quality and nothing more.

In your opinion.
You can't possibly know this to be true.
Like I said, prove to me that ANY other salt more closely matches NSW, not just the big three but all major and minor trace elements and I will buy a 1 ton bag (If even available).

 

[d2mini]

Serious question here for Oceanic users...

Isn't the low alk (or high calcium) of Oceanic a problem when dosing, especially using a CaRx that should be adding balanced amounts of each???

 

[animalkingdom]

may i mention that while georgia aquarium is a great aquarium overall their reef tank stinks. browned out stning acropora, run of the mill orange digis, and a variety of lps and softies that are hard to differentiate between the brown live rock. They have one or two nice green caps, but come on a green cap is the nicest coral in your reef tank. The fish selection is nice though. I think they purchase large colonies and let them slowly wither and when they die they replace them with new ones. The few super hardy corals like digitata may cling on to life and then begin to grow, but the majority of the tank is sad. Wish they could run a large reef more like Atlantis in NY.

 

[arnoldrew]

In your opinion.
You can't possibly know this to be true.
Like I said, prove to me that ANY other salt more closely matches NSW, not just the big three but all major and minor trace elements and I will buy a 1 ton bag (If even available).

That's the most obvious answer. If it's good enough, why spend more money than you need to? Instant Ocean works. Their fish fish and corals are alive, as are mine, and Instant Ocean is all I've ever used. Assuming that they would spend any amount of money to get the absolute "best quality" salt mix they could find is silly. If that were the case, they would just pay insane amounts of money to have container trucks bring them regular shipments of natural salt water, since most would agree that it's the best if you can get it.

 

[animalkingdom]

That's the most obvious answer. If it's good enough, why spend more money than you need to? Instant Ocean works. Their fish fish and corals are alive, as are mine, and Instant Ocean is all I've ever used. Assuming that they would spend any amount of money to get the absolute "best quality" salt mix they could find is silly. If that were the case, they would just pay insane amounts of money to have container trucks bring them regular shipments of natural salt water, since most would agree that it's the best if you can get it.

they would probably fly it in from the indo pacific too

 

[screamingibis]

may i mention that while georgia aquarium is a great aquarium overall their reef tank stinks. browned out stning acropora, run of the mill orange digis, and a variety of lps and softies that are hard to differentiate between the brown live rock. They have one or two nice green caps, but come on a green cap is the nicest coral in your reef tank. The fish selection is nice though. I think they purchase large colonies and let them slowly wither and when they die they replace them with new ones. The few super hardy corals like digitata may cling on to life and then begin to grow, but the majority of the tank is sad. Wish they could run a large reef more like Atlantis in NY.

Agree 100 percent. I'm a yearly member and love to take the kids there a couple times a year, but the coral in the reef aquarium is sad. The rest of the facility rocks, though.