Salt
- Thread starter Ntvper
- Start date
Yes and no. Different salts, as an absolute fact, measure with different levels of stuff.
Most of the minor stuff isnt critical as long as you get enough. Things like Mg/Ca/Alk are more important and different salts mix to different levels. So, you can get salt with more balanced levels which mean none to little doctoring to reach ideal levels, or get cheap salt and do the work to balance it out.
I've had really good luck with Tropic Marin pro and AquaVitro Salinity. Also used Seachem Reef for a little with good results. NEver used the other "not as balanced salts". I've heard really good things with ESV. Right now I am still using Salinity. If I can get more for a reasonable price, i will.
One thing to keep in mind when shopping, is not to look at just price. Look at $/gallon made at 35ppt. Two buckets of the same size may cost the same but one might make 20% more solution. Likewise, two buckets might cost the same, make the same advertised amount of salt water, but at different salinity levels (cheating imo).
Most of the minor stuff isnt critical as long as you get enough. Things like Mg/Ca/Alk are more important and different salts mix to different levels. So, you can get salt with more balanced levels which mean none to little doctoring to reach ideal levels, or get cheap salt and do the work to balance it out.
I've had really good luck with Tropic Marin pro and AquaVitro Salinity. Also used Seachem Reef for a little with good results. NEver used the other "not as balanced salts". I've heard really good things with ESV. Right now I am still using Salinity. If I can get more for a reasonable price, i will.
One thing to keep in mind when shopping, is not to look at just price. Look at $/gallon made at 35ppt. Two buckets of the same size may cost the same but one might make 20% more solution. Likewise, two buckets might cost the same, make the same advertised amount of salt water, but at different salinity levels (cheating imo).
Ntvper
New member
knew that first part, thank you for the second part, never thought about the third part thats going into the lesson book under salt.
excitedforfish
New member
Hi! I absolutely love the instant ocean salt, but the one in the orange bag. I think it has more beneficial minerals in it and stuff. My corals love it! I also make sure to dose my tank with reef accelerator every 2 weeks or so and am having tremendous coral growth with this combination. Hope I helped!
What kind of salt do you use?
What kind of salt do you use?
Ntvper
New member
after days of research i am gonna try the IO reef crystals, to start it doesnt have the dechlorinator in it and the ingredients seemed in balance of what i want compared to others and the one called H2O had dechlorinator in it wasnt happy about that, though i really wanted to try the one made by seachem but couldnt find it locally so Ill end up ordering that after i run out.
sgallant04
New member
I have found in the past I liked Sea-chem products, for Alk & calcium and their reef salt. Then for my second tank setup I used mostly Instant Ocean Reef crystals and have been pleasantly surprised by them.
The one item i was sure to be a gimmick that has worked well for me is the HBH Balance Blocks little block that dissolve over time to release trace minerals. I was sure it was a gimmick, but my corals seems to love it, and PH keeps NICE and high. Much cheaper and easier then dosing a 2 part regimen of overly costly and exotic chemicals.
The one item i was sure to be a gimmick that has worked well for me is the HBH Balance Blocks little block that dissolve over time to release trace minerals. I was sure it was a gimmick, but my corals seems to love it, and PH keeps NICE and high. Much cheaper and easier then dosing a 2 part regimen of overly costly and exotic chemicals.
Ntvper
New member
yes i do like those HBH balance blocks, im hoping with the new salt i wont have to use as much. one block of the 100 gallon kind lasts a lil more then a week in sump by return. i know they say it will deplete as needed but with more flow on it, it tends to dissolve faster and raise levels regardless. But the PH maintaining is just priceless and a lil high calcium/alk doesnt hurt nothing i see. so i find these lil items worth their weight
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=309108&highlight=SeaLab+28
Some pretty bad reviews on these blocks. Haven't used them myself though. Probably won't from what I'm reading.
puffin04
S.T.A.R.S VICE P
LOL i still have two boxes of those sea-chem blocks. I think they are good if you dissolve them in RO/DI water and then add them. But i have not used them in a very long time. lol My salt of choice and what i always recommend is Red Sea Coral Pro. They actually released there new formula and it has a read out what your alk, calc, and mag are at different ppms. I tested a bucket and it is within there specs.
I used to use IO and Oceanic in the past. And from what i have gathered is actually a 50/50 mix of IO and Oceanic is supreme!!!! Why might you ask??? Because IO is a little on the low side when it comes to calcium and mag, but oceanic is higher in calc and mag. So they kind of off set each other. Also IO has a good amount of trace elements which i like but hated to always have to add to it every saltwater change. Thanks
Steffen Sparks
I used to use IO and Oceanic in the past. And from what i have gathered is actually a 50/50 mix of IO and Oceanic is supreme!!!! Why might you ask??? Because IO is a little on the low side when it comes to calcium and mag, but oceanic is higher in calc and mag. So they kind of off set each other. Also IO has a good amount of trace elements which i like but hated to always have to add to it every saltwater change. Thanks
Steffen Sparks
sgallant04
New member
Tony,
I did check outline some of that Salinity, and it looks interesting. Have you noticed much differences between it and other reef formulated salts you've used in the past?
I did check outline some of that Salinity, and it looks interesting. Have you noticed much differences between it and other reef formulated salts you've used in the past?
