Salt mix for SPS

[smoothdog]

I know this question has been asked a million times in the general forum but I'm curious as to what salt is being used by SPS keepers that have great color. I've pretty much always stuck with coralife but when I set up my new tank a year ago I used seachem reefsalt because I found a great deal and when I transferred everything over my SPS started growing better and colored up a lot more. Now a year and lots of water changes later, color is fading on some things again. At first I thought it may have been due to pretty much having a 100% water change and lower nutrients when they were transferred, but now I'm wondering if it may be due to something in the salt mix.

 

[Peter Eichler]

People achieve great color and growth with a wide variety of salt brands. Personally, I stick with reef crystals and instant ocean.

 

[smoothdog]

People achieve great color and growth with a wide variety of salt brands. Personally, I stick with reef crystals and instant ocean.

I understand this, but I'm trying to see if there is any evidence that one brand or another tends to do better without supplementation of some kind, i.e. if you are only doing water changes to maintain trace elements (not the big 3), do some brands do better than others at maintaining SPS color. I just found it odd that with all other factors being the same (lighting, etc.) that over time some SPS colors faded after going back to coralife.

 

[trueblackpercula]

There are other factors that create great colors on Sps then salt. I use reefcrystals and have good color but I think my Sps look this colorful because my mitras led fixture is amazing.

 

[swk]

I use Red Sea salt. Not coral pro but the regular formula. I love it

 

[tilo]

Aquavitro Salinity here.

 

[Jim Z.]

I use Red Sea Coral Pro and my SPS seem to do well with that salt brand. This salt works well for me because I do not dose magnesium--just calcium and alkalinity. I used Reef Crystals for a while, color was quite good, but I had to do more tinkering with the water chemistry. So the salt that I use is more convenient for me regarding alk, calcium, and mag. For SPS color, lighting, nutrients, water circulation, and excellent water quality all play a role. So, don't expect the brand of salt to bring out the colors--it is more of how you manage the reef aquarium's parameters. You may want to try the reef chemistry forum for additional info on salt mixes.....................Jim

 

[toothman]

I found that 2 salts that have made the most positive impact on my reef tank, Aquavitro and royal nature. I do not really think any salt will make colors better. My recommendation is strickly on the vitality and pe of my sps after a water change, both these salts seem to have a more beneficial effect than other salts I have tried.

As far as color, faunna marin has some great additives that do make sps have deep rich colors. They are rather easy to use compared to zeovit. You just add supplements to your 3 part dosing.

This is a picture about a year ago with faunna marin additives. This is just a picture with my I phone, promise no photo alteration. 10k halide, actinic fl. It breaks my heart to see what it looked like then, prior to AEFW

 

[fishguy597]

Tooth man how about an update?