Reef Crystals vs. Seachem Reef salt vs Seachem Salinity

[PAStreetGlide]

Thoughts? Experiences? I'm curently using Reef crystals but am considering switching.

 

[insanefishguy]

Instant ocean... I'm cheap and didn't like how high the alk in reef crystals used to be.

 

[Fizz71]

I was OC for a while and now I'm RC. I guess I like it better...it's hard to say if the tank is happier because I switched salts moving to a new system so there were too many other changes to know what did what.

I've never used Seachem.

 

[Just Jim]

IO, as u know and not really helping ya. I run a CA reactor. I add a dash of CA and MG here and there to the mix. The cost savings and the lower DKH is why I stay with em.

 

[jrhaughey]

Reef Crystals for me as well. I'm cheap too, but spend the extra $7/box for RC.

Seems to work well for me, so I don't change.

 

[PAStreetGlide]

So many people like to put RC down but if you look at the numbers it isnt that much different. I pulled this info from another thread. I do have to admit I dont like the brown slime it leaves inside your mixing barrel.


Aquatic Gardens
Calcium 430
Alkalinity 8
Magnesium 1240

Brightwell Neomarine
Calcium 370
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1140

CoraLife
Calcium 560
Alkalinity 9
Magnesium 1380

Crystal Sea Marinemix
Calcium 340
Alkalinity 9
Magnesium 1050

Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay
Calcium 340
Alkalinity 9
Magnesium 1050

D-D H2Ocean
Calcium 450
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1380

Instant Ocean (new)
Calcium 400
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1350

Kent&nbsp &nbsp
Calcium 540
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1200

Marine Environment
Calcium 480
Alkalinity 7.5
Magnesium 1450

Oceanic
Calcium580
Alkalinity 8.5
Magnesium 1650

OceanPure
Calcium 510
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1320

Red Sea
Calcium 400
Alkalinity 8
Magnesium 1300

Red Sea Coral Pro
Calcium 490
Alkalinity 7
Magnesium 1300

Reef Crystals (new)
Calcium 490
Alkalinity 13
Magnesium 1440

Reefer's Best
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1200

SeaChem Marine Salt
Calcium 500
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1400

SeaChem Reef Salt
Calcium 540
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1450

Tropic Marin
Calcium 375
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1230

Tropic Marin Pro Reef
Calcium 450
Alkalinity 8.5
Magnesium 1380

Tunze Reef Salt
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 9.5
Magnesium 1350

 

[insanefishguy]

Dkh of 13 is high. It means a spike with every water change. Sure if you are doing small water changes, maybe it's no big deal, but I'll stick with my IO

 

[ParanoidObseshn]

I used Reef Crystals in the past but just recently switched over to Seachem Reef Salt.

 

[Just Jim]

I usually mix my salt at 1.027 to compensate for skimming. That's a bigger spike than 13 on the DKH scale. I'm a little surprised that IO is at 11. I'll have to check my next batch. I have one mixing now, but its a lighter batch stacked with extra mg so the test would be off.

 

[psusocr]

Those are what the salts are "supposed" to mix at correct? because I bet if you took all of those and actually mixed them the numbers would vary, just from my experience anyway...IO here , if I test and need to add something so be it..

 

[PAStreetGlide]

Those are what the salts are "supposed" to mix at correct? because I bet if you took all of those and actually mixed them the numbers would vary, just from my experience anyway...IO here , if I test and need to add something so be it..

No, this was from another thread where the guy was testing diferent salts and posting them.

 

[Just Jim]

Did he list his salinity with that? I target 1.026 some people do 1.025 and that would make a small difference. Next week I'll check my IO at 1.026 and see what I get.

 

[PAStreetGlide]

Here is what he put "Here is a list of what I measured for the big three in a number of the salt mixes we use today. This is intended as a guideline and I, in no way, guarantee these figures. All I can say is they were all tested under the same conditions, with a number of different brand test kits, using the same methods for each test. I believe these numbers are reasonably what you can expect from these salts mixed at 35 ppt or 1.0264 "


Also a link to reference the thread. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118