Best Salt For SPS?

[XxMutedYouthxX]

hey guys ive been using Oceanic salt in the past but am thinking aobut switching... In my other tank I have been getting mad hair algea even with biweekly water changes and no feeding and running my PC's for MAYBE 5 hours a day... this leads me to believe its the oceanic salt, ive heard its high in phosphates and this just makes me believe it all the more... What do you guys think about Tropic Marin salt?

 

[panic]

I didn't think TM was that special for the money. I like half Oceanic and half IO. I also run a calcium reactor and run phosban.

 

[Horace]

If your running NSW levels, either the Oceanic/IO mix or Seachem Reef Salt are my top choices.

 

[RichConley]

If you're having algae issues, the salt isnt the problem, IME/IMO.

Check your RO for phosphates. Also, how mcuh flow do you have, what for a skimmer?

 

[DitchPlains2]

oceanic

oceanic

Buy 90g containers, not buckets. I would say thats my number 1, number 2 is Reefcrystals.

David

 

[Znut Reefer]

I have been using Oceanic not long after they came out with their salt. And never had any algae problems. And I have alot of sps.

 

[ScotchMaster]

I love tropic marin best salt out there IMO

 

[Ti]

Oceanic has been great for my sps so far.

 

[jda]

I use 50/50 IO and Oceanic. However, I will use either if that is all that I have. TM was good too when I have a few bags. Honestly, I could never tell a difference in the coral with any of them, but I let them mix for a day or two. Of course, my test reading were slightly different.

 

[impur]

Oceanic from day 1. Great salt, i buy the 90gal jugs too. 20 bucks at petsmart and always steady readings.

 

[PUGroyale]

So what's the theory behind mixing IO and Oceanic 50/50? Anyone?

 

[DitchPlains2]

hmmm

hmmm

getting your calc and alk too perhaps?

david

 

[-=DieselDave=-]

IO Has low Mg(1050ppm-1150ppm), low Cal(320-350ppm), High Str(16ppm) and good Alk(8-9 dkh)
Oceanic Has High Mg(1450-1550ppm, High Cal(500ppm), zero Str., and Low Alk(7dkh)
Mixing brings a good balance to both salts.

 

[Serioussnaps]

What dave said...i use strictly IO because i dose for everything else....IO tests 0 for phosphates and RO/DI keeps out phosphates so i know if there are measureable phosphates it is my fault....also i buffer, use Kalk, and dose Mag so i skip the oceanic because its levels are so far from NSW you have to mix it so i just think it is crapola salt

i would use TM if any LFS carried it but they dont...and shipping is prohibitive on buckets of salt so its IO for now....i read somewhere that TM has MAG, CA, ALK all down pat but tests high in phosphates

just a couple of tidbits hope its helpful

 

[Wiskey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7736528#post7736528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
So what's the theory behind mixing IO and Oceanic 50/50? Anyone?

IO has high alk, low ca and mag
Oceaniac has low alk, High Ca and Mag

Mix them together and they all come out perfect.

Whiskey

 

[Odin1]

Im trying Coralife salt to see how it does, they say that it has between 390-410 Calcium and 1250-1300 magnesium.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7786495#post7786495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Serioussnaps
What dave said...i use strictly IO because i dose for everything else....IO tests 0 for phosphates and RO/DI keeps out phosphates so i know if there are measureable phosphates it is my fault....also i buffer, use Kalk, and dose Mag so i skip the oceanic because its levels are so far from NSW you have to mix it so i just think it is crapola salt

i would use TM if any LFS carried it but they dont...and shipping is prohibitive on buckets of salt so its IO for now....i read somewhere that TM has MAG, CA, ALK all down pat but tests high in phosphates

just a couple of tidbits hope its helpful

Snaps, I've been using TM, and I'm going back to the IO/Oceanic mix.

TM, from my experience, was very low in magnesium, and I really saw little difference in coral health between them. THe only real difference I see was that the TM was ground very fine, so it dissolved quickly, which isnt really an issue.

 

[Serioussnaps]

IO has the lowest phosphate measurement of any salt.......TM actually has a high phoshpate reading----just did my homework for ya...im sticking to IO..have pondered mixing oceanic but right now my tank is kept up by the Nautilus/kalk dripper...maybe in the future if it wont keep up ill start mixing oceanic to give that little bit extra calcium from the get go...but that will be a year or so down the road

 

[trueblackpercula]

TM PRO ALL THE WAY

 

[Pyrrhus]

TM Pro here, better mag than the original formula, mixes well, comes out to a proper balanced CA/ALK/MG ratio, and actually mixes to the stated amount at 1.025. It also requires less supplementation than other salts that I have used.