Salt mix poll

[schigara]

Has anyone ever taken a real world set of tests of any salt mix, with all the basic tests for a reef and come away saying, "I don't have to buffer anything!!"? Alk, PH, Ca, Mg, etc. etc , all are in very good balance and not thinking in the slightest, that one or the other might need to be upped a bit?

Is this too much to be asked? I mean seriously, we are paying $30-80 per 5 gallon bucket for a mix of the cheapest things on the planet and none that I have heard of, have gotten it right!!

Ofcourse this is a specialized hobby and we all expect to get screwed when it comes to price but one would think the screwing in quality, would be on the lower price range and the ones who didn't want to pay extra for any buffers at all, could pay the higher price(70-80bucks) for a perfectly balanced salt. I am talking only about when the salt has just been mixed with ro/di and before entering any tank. We all know certain tanks will have different loads and consume more of one thing than the other but is it too much to expect to start out with everything needed????

 

[Melody]

Used IO for a long time, switched to Reef Crystals approx 6 months ago.

 

[EvilE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11047283#post11047283 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by schigara
Has anyone ever taken a real world set of tests of any salt mix, with all the basic tests for a reef and come away saying, "I don't have to buffer anything!!"? Alk, PH, Ca, Mg, etc. etc , all are in very good balance and not thinking in the slightest, that one or the other might need to be upped a bit?

Is this too much to be asked? I mean seriously, we are paying $30-80 per 5 gallon bucket for a mix of the cheapest things on the planet and none that I have heard of, have gotten it right!!

Ofcourse this is a specialized hobby and we all expect to get screwed when it comes to price but one would think the screwing in quality, would be on the lower price range and the ones who didn't want to pay extra for any buffers at all, could pay the higher price(70-80bucks) for a perfectly balanced salt. I am talking only about when the salt has just been mixed with ro/di and before entering any tank. We all know certain tanks will have different loads and consume more of one thing than the other but is it too much to expect to start out with everything needed????

true dat!

 

[reefkoi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10913569#post10913569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
High enough for me. I posted my findings with two different buckets in the past 60 days. I remember in the latest batch, Calcium was 450 and Mg was 1380. pH was 8.2, alk was 9.7 or 10 dKH. I'd have to find my post to get those numbers for you.

I'm surprised to see Pro Reef alk that high? My batch tested at 5 dKH That is the only reason the TM rep told me to use the Pro. He said the only significant difference from that and regular TM is the low alk which combats the rising of alk when using a calcium reactor only as a source of calcium maintenance. The slightly elevated calc. and mag. are not going to raise those values in the aquarium.

It will be interesting to see what AWT comes up with for alk.

 

[EvilE]

Reef Crystals is taking it to the house!

 

[DrBegalke]

The people who are using "other", what are you using?

 

[Hypo]

 

[hawkfish]

Reef Crystals or Instant Ocean...they seem to get the most consistent results.

 

[cloak]

IO.

Guessing the reef crystals are more potent, but if your adding additives to that, maybe not.

 

[EvilE]

I used to use aquatic gardens marine salt, it seems very good, but I have found better deals elsewhere on other salts......

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11046844#post11046844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HBtank
Curious why you don't think it is for heavily stocked tanks?

Well, you can use it but will have to supplement calcium and occasionally magnesium.

Heavily stocked tanks use calcium rapidly and if you want to keep your Ca++ at 420ppm or so, you will have to supplement between water changes. Not a problem for most.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11068321#post11068321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hypo

:lol:

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11070846#post11070846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EvilE
I used to use aquatic gardens marine salt, it seems very good, but I have found better deals elsewhere on other salts......

Aquatic Gardens ( sold at Petco's) actually comes in at pretty good numbers for the big three.

I just haven't used it long enough so see what the other effects are.

If you are using Aquatic Gardens and not having any microalgae problems or elevated PO4, I suspect it is pretty O.K.

 

[DrBegalke]

I'm surprised more people say they us RC over IO.

 

[EvilE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11108297#post11108297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBegalke
I'm surprised more people say they us RC over IO.

Well RC is basically IO with added elements and calcium right? Makes sense to me that people would rather go with RC. RC are only a couple bucks more for a bucket also--about the same price for a better salt!

 

[MikeyNYC]

Reef Crystals

Reef Crystals

The batch's that i've pickup have been pretty consistent so far. Reef Crystals also good for the price.

 

[DrBegalke]

Its surprising to me b/c instant ocean is more readily available and generally the most popular salt.

I tried RC and I still had to had Ca++ to it to balance out the high alk.

Soon we should have more data on how all the different salt brands test:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1216536

 

[stan zemanek]

when your tired of trying the rest... try the best!
http://www.gettankedaquariums.com/
I will never go back to TPM Pro, Or Reef Crystals
poke around on this guys site he makes his own salt for his aquaculture business its called saltwater correct

 

[DrBegalke]

interesting.

 

[Billybeau1]

When are you expecting the results Doc ?

To answer your ealier question, the Reef Crystals explosion seems to have started within the last year or so. If you would have done this poll a year ago, IO would have ran away.

Better pricing and availability seems to have attracted many reefers to RC.