Seachem Reef salt?
- Thread starter allsps40
- Start date
dzhuo
Active member
I have used this salt before. It mixed well, is priced reasonably and easy to find. I have since stopped using it because of the high borate. Older version of this salt is 11x over NSW in borate concentration. Randy contacted SeaChem and they corrected this issue in newer batch but it's still roughly 4x higher. Although there is no evident (that I am aware of) excess borate is harmful, it will give you about 10% false reading (lower) in alk and cal. I still don't like the excess borate and SeaChem's excuse of using so much of it is lame.
dzhuo
Active member
What are your needs? What do you look for?
allsps40
New member
My needs are for a consistent salt mix that is under $60, Ca 420-450, Alk 9-10 and Mag 1330-1380. I ended up ordering Red Sea Coral Pro, first time using it so I will see. I have heard good things except in mixes brown sometimes, had this happen with the new Reef Crystals. I was using D-D H2Ocean but the mag was at 1100-1200, to low and the customer service suck and ****ed me off got no help from D-D. When I had the problems with Reef Crystals(3 buckets) customer service was ok and they offered to replace my bad salt. Well I will see how Red Sea works out and tests.
jhoff
New member
Well Iam on my 2nd week useing Red sea coral pro after switching from reef crystals.Here's the numbers i got from a 5gal mix took 2 & a half cups of salt to 5gal of RODI water...
SG.1.025 35ppt
KH-ALK MEG 4.5 DKH 12.6
CA-CAL 430
MG-MAG 1440
Tests where done useing the Red sea Reef foundation pro multi test kit witch I love comes in a nice kit easy to use and you can buy refills when you run out .. Mixes up clear in about 2hrs and no brown stuff in the bucket and it took 3cups of RC salt to make 5gal.So far Iam likeing this salt...
dzhuo
Active member
I would look into IO as an alternative. Great params, mix fast, easy to find and inexpensive. It's also one of the most consistent salt which to me is extremely important (more so than good params or the so called minor trace elements). Unfortunately, IO is being overlooked by many because it has no fancy marketing or package.
I wish people would start breaking it out in price per gallon.. Mean they all have different sized containers and some like salinity are at a higher concentration. Of course then you have to look at what SG the salt mixes to for the said container.
You can buy a IO, RC and many other 160ish gallon mixes for under 60 bucks, and I buy my salinity 225 gallon mix for 85, so what's cheaper? I have worked out the price per gallon and think that are all pretty comparable (at least the ones I named)
Stanley-Reefer
New member
Rumor is that RSCP comes from the same place D-D salt does---so you still may have your mg probs...fwiw--I use D-D in my big tank and Seachem Reefsalt in my 90 for over 4 years with no probs at all--it's always consistant as I NEVER test that tank and change 10-20 gal/week (heavy fish load).
$ vs results it's hard to beat and I'm actually thinking of going back to it in my 175 because I get a killer deal on it at the lfs.
IMO--if it's consistency you're seeking then get a container for your salt water that will make the entire bucket--that way you don't have to worry about anything by the salinity because all the other additives are in there. I'm considering this for that reason and making my water making/changes less of a chore.
$ vs results it's hard to beat and I'm actually thinking of going back to it in my 175 because I get a killer deal on it at the lfs.
IMO--if it's consistency you're seeking then get a container for your salt water that will make the entire bucket--that way you don't have to worry about anything by the salinity because all the other additives are in there. I'm considering this for that reason and making my water making/changes less of a chore.
d0ughb0y
Active member
That's right. IO and RC and even Seachen Reef salt label are based on 1.020 sg.
So if $85 salinity salt per 225 gallons comes to 38 cents per gallon
I've used brightwell and get 170 gallon pet bucket (I use less than half cup per gallon to get 1.025) at $56, that comes to 33 cents per gallon. Even at 150 gallons, it comes to 37 cents per gallon.
RC at $54 for 160 gallon bucket would actually yield only 128 gallons at 1.025, so that comes to 42 cents per gallon!! Note I used the non sale price and the 160 gallon bucket to make the comparison to other salts fair, as the other salts go on sale as well from time to time. At the sale price of $48 for 200 gallon box which yields 160 gallons at 1.025, it comes to 30 cents per gallon, which is aboit the same as I got for brightwell (29 cents per gallon) when it was on sale.
So don't just go by the price per bucket, you need to check the SG used to calculate the gallons yield
30 cents or less per gallon at 1.025 sg on any salt I would consider a good price. It's up to you to pick which salt to get.
allsps40
New member
Yeah I was looking at that exact salt but I was informed it is 8x NSW of borate or something, which gives it a false alk reading. Their Reef salt was to high in ca for me.
I used TMPR for a while and loved it but the price hit $100 and I switched, it like $120 now. I will not pay that much for salt.
allsps40
New member
I did use IO for a while and RC but when I bought a bucket of the new formula the alk was 14 ca 500+ and it mixed up so brown it left a brown film in the bucket, so much I could wipe it off with a paper towel and it was like dirt. So I took it back and exchanged it same thing. So exchanged again for IO same thing really brown but I was happy with the alk an ca in the new IO. Alk was 10 and ca was 420.
allsps40
New member
Yep I have used it in the past for a 55g lps softy tank and it worked well for that system, but bucket to bucket was in consistent.
I dont know everyone, maybe Im just being way to picky. I have just had poor experiences with salts. RC was awesome before they changed it, used it for 2-3 years on my current tank. D-d was way low in mag. Brightwells is to low in ca for my liking, Oceanic is to high in ca and mag for me. I want a salt tah is 400- 460ish ca, 9-10 alk and from 1300-1380 mag because thats where I like to keep my tank. I had also heard that Coral Pro comes from the same place as D-D but it is made to different specs and it has a lower cost.
Stanley-Reefer
New member
You may make life easier supplementing Mg.....In my Seachem tank I use Kent Tech M and a CA reactor till the Tech M is gone from my 2 parting days
In the tank I use D-D I run Zeomag in the Ca reactor
I need proper alk more than anything in my tanks since I carbon dose.
I still think if you are to get what a maker claims you need to mix the whole bucket at once to avoid mixing it good enough.
fwiw my DD tank measures the same dkh as the seachem tank so don't let the borate fear scare you off its a good salt too.
In the tank I use D-D I run Zeomag in the Ca reactor
I need proper alk more than anything in my tanks since I carbon dose.
I still think if you are to get what a maker claims you need to mix the whole bucket at once to avoid mixing it good enough.
fwiw my DD tank measures the same dkh as the seachem tank so don't let the borate fear scare you off its a good salt too.
dzhuo
Active member
Are you sure this is not just RC? I reported this problem a long time ago and no one believe when I said RC's quality is questionable. RC then later claim they added GFO which gives the brown apparent which I don't believe.
I have use IO on and off for close to a decade and never once saw any brown residue nor the reporting params you mentioned. However, it's possible that you might encounter a bad batch even from IO.
