New salt mix

[kajhurley]

I have been using Instant ocean salt in my tank for about three months now and I was thinking of making the move to reef crystal. Is the extra money spent on the salt worth it? I have a small amount of sps/lps in the tank right now. not a lot of calcium or alk uptake at the moment, just want to use something better than regular salt. I think they would benefit from it.

 

[thegrun]

Personally, no I don't see the value in it. I actually switched back to IO after using Red Sea Pro for the past 5 years in my SPS dominated mixed reef tank. The Red Sea salt had gotten to the point where I was paying twice as much for it as IO and I wanted to give IO a shot. I have had to slightly increase the dosing of calcium and alkalinity (I use two part), but if anything my corals look better, not worse from the switch.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I use IO Reef Crystals after using just the regular IO and I like it and honestly for $53 for a 200 gal box with free shipping I see it as cheap. It's only a few bucks more than the IO regular. I have a few mixed corals and starting to get the back glass covered with coralline algae. My corals seem to like it and I don't have to dose anything. Just my opinion.

Also watch Petsmart they have it on sale every now and then for like $35 in the 160 gal bucket

http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aquar...8&cadevice=c&gclid=CPbTt5rQ2cgCFUMWHwod_MEAdA

 

[Bent]

Isn't regular IO devoid of mag, calcium, and iodine?

 

[Buzz1329]

Personally, no I don't see the value in it. I actually switched back to IO after using Red Sea Pro for the past 5 years in my SPS dominated mixed reef tank. The Red Sea salt had gotten to the point where I was paying twice as much for it as IO and I wanted to give IO a shot. I have had to slightly increase the dosing of calcium and alkalinity (I use two part), but if anything my corals look better, not worse from the switch.

Could not agree more. I have been using IO for decades. From time to time I have tried other buckets, but I have never seen any bennies from using more expensive brands.

Mike

 

[thegrun]

Isn't regular IO devoid of mag, calcium, and iodine?

Instant Ocean: 400 CA, 11 Alk, 1350 Mg.
Reef Crystals: 490 CA, 13 Alk, 1440 Mg.

Instant Ocean is actually closer to my parameters than Reef Crystals. The calcium is a little low, alkalinity a little high and magnesium spot on.

 

[Bill Nye]

I used reef crystals for a while but have been using Red Sea blue bucket (the regular salt) and its really awesome. Perfect parameters and it leaves my mixing container clean.

 

[kajhurley]

Thanks for all the input

 

[theMatrix]

Seems the mix container being left dirty is what drives users from IIO...i use seachem reef salt and its spotless...
Water is clear in less than 30 mins.

I want to stick to seachems but willing to try IO or tropic marin

 

[DesertReefT4r]

You name the salt mix i have used it. Never saw a major difference between any of the as far as coral health or growth. I always kalk dosed so alk, ca and mag was covered. I liked reef crystals but alk was always high, then i got 3 buckets in a row that when mixed the water was light brown. I stopped using reef crystals at that point. A good reef salt is H2Ocean Pro pricy but good quality and consistency. Plane old IO is my go to salt for setting up a new tank or regular water changes since it is cheap and easy to find at lfs even petco or petsmart. Coralife salt is my number 2 salt mix its cheap and pretty close to reef crystals in alk ca and mg.

 

[MeghanisradxD]

My go to salt is red sea, just because I know my levels stay in the proper ranges and I don't have to worry about testing as much (although I know I should)

That being said...I have seen some beautiful tanks done with reef crystals and Instant Ocean. I think it is less the type of salt you use and more about being consistent about what brand is being used. Reef tanks don't like change.