Tropic Marin Pro Salt - Is it a Good Salt? I am looking for a Low Alkalinity Salt

[that Fish Guy]

Tropic Marin Pro Salt - Is it a Good Salt?

What are the Pros and Cons of this Salt?

I ask because I am looking for a Low Alkalinity Salt because Reef Crystals is way too High and I get Big Alk Swings in all my Tanks except my SPS Tank because it uses up so much Alk.

First I tried Regular Instant Ocean because it was supposed to have Lower Alkalinity that Reef Crystals (It was Actually Higher)!

Second I tried Salinity by Seachem Aqua-Vitro because many people said how much they liked it.

The Parameters were way off from what the Bucket Said.

It had odd Smells (Burning Smell, Chlorine).

It mixed very Cloudy.

It was very inconsistent.

And since I usually make Salt and use it between 1 and 4 Days Later the Fact that I had to use Salinity within 4 Hours of Making It was very Annoying.

Third I tried Red Sea (Regular not Pro) because it advertised 7.7 Alkalinity which is perfect for me.

When I tested it it was 9.8 (Then I ready the fine print under the 7.7 on the bucket and it said with a Salinity of 1.035 not 1.026 like most people do).

Other than that it was fine (Mixed Very Clear, No Strange Smells, etc.) but because it failed the main reason I got it (Low Alkalinity) I will not use it.

Now for the fourth Salt I might try I chose Tropic Marin Pro because I was told that the Alkalinity was 8.5

But before I buy another Salt that I will never use I wanted to know if that was indeed true.

Also, any other thoughts both good and bad about this particular Salt.

And if anybody knows of another Low Alkalinity Salt please let me know.

 

[alexander_ktn]

A lot of reefkeepers here in Europe use it and it's a very nice salt. It dissolves fast and without precipitation and so far I haven't had a bad batch or other problems.

If you just want to get lower alkalinity in your salt you could also use the ones you already have by adding tiny amounts of muriatic acid to destroy the alkalinity in the mixing bucket.
See here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1907605

I use the classic (non Pro-Reef) Tropic Marin salt after doing that to use up the bucket I still had lying around.

 

[smatter]

Are you sure the Red Sea directions read 1.035 and not 35 ppt?

 

[jminick2]

Are you sure the Red Sea directions read 1.035 and not 35 ppt?

it says 33.5ppt below what is supposedly mixes to. If it says 1.035 somewhere else id like to know as well.

 

[FraggledRock]

i am switching to Red Sea Coral Pro.

i was using Reef Crydtals which was 13.

8 dkh is not bad.

 

[jonwright]

My boxes of RC mix up to 7-8 dKh and absurdly high CA (@520+).

 

[DieselJunkie]

I have used Tropic Marin (reg) and Tropic Marin Bio activ. Bio activ would test out at around 6.8-7 DKH @ 1.026

I have started using red sea (reg) and it is testing at 9.0 DKH @ 1.026 every batch as well.

I think Tropic Marin Pro will be next.

It is a great salt, just pricey. Not sure how much it matters, but bio activ have came in at 0 strontium for me.

Not big on dosing strontium, but it needs to be present.

 

[Eric45]

I used the Tropic Marin Pro for about six years and it was fine, except it did leave a pretty heavy brown residue around my storage container over time. Also, when I switched to Reef Chrystals, my bta sprouted bubbles and I'm now seeing xenia I haven't seen in years. Only thing is I changed my light to an LED at the same time...so its hard to tell. Still I'm sticking w/reef chrystals, its clear as a bell in the container.

 

[cleverbs]

My boxes of RC mix up to 7-8 dKh and absurdly high CA (@520+).

This is why I have stopped using reef crystals, I had 1 bag left and Im not buying it again. The boxes are always all over the place.

The last 2 boxes have proven this.

Box 1
Alk 9
Cal 460
Mag 1290

Box 2
Alk 14!!! What the hell
Cal 410
Mag 1340

and of course I didnt check it before I did a 50% water change over 2 days to my tank because I was removing my sandbed and brought my ALK in the tank up to 13....How rude.

In my search for a new salt many people gave a thumbs up to tropic marine pro however so I would say give it a shot.

 

[tmantaylor18]

Used to love it till I got a batch that was at 3 dKH. Use D&D now.

 

[that Fish Guy]

A lot of reefkeepers here in Europe use it and it's a very nice salt. It dissolves fast and without precipitation and so far I haven't had a bad batch or other problems.

If you just want to get lower alkalinity in your salt you could also use the ones you already have by adding tiny amounts of muriatic acid to destroy the alkalinity in the mixing bucket.
See here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1907605

I use the classic (non Pro-Reef) Tropic Marin salt after doing that to use up the bucket I still had lying around.

I have heard of that but do not want to add acid into my aquariums.

Plus I heard it will lower PH too and I do not want that either.

 

[that Fish Guy]

Are you sure the Red Sea directions read 1.035 and not 35 ppt?

I will have to double check that.

 

[that Fish Guy]

i am switching to Red Sea Coral Pro.

i was using Reef Crydtals which was 13.

8 dkh is not bad.

Regular Red Sea was almost 10

The Pro version is supposed to have higher Alkalinity so it will not be 8.

 

[that Fish Guy]

My boxes of RC mix up to 7-8 dKh and absurdly high CA (@520+).

Every Box I have ever tested of Reef Crystals was over 13 except one time when it was 12 something.

What are you testing it with?

 

[that Fish Guy]

I have used Tropic Marin (reg) and Tropic Marin Bio activ. Bio activ would test out at around 6.8-7 DKH @ 1.026

I have started using red sea (reg) and it is testing at 9.0 DKH @ 1.026 every batch as well.

I think Tropic Marin Pro will be next.

It is a great salt, just pricey. Not sure how much it matters, but bio activ have came in at 0 strontium for me.

Not big on dosing strontium, but it needs to be present.

I saw the Bio Activ

What exactly is it?

How is it different from regular and pro?

 

[ganjero]

This is why I have stopped using reef crystals, I had 1 bag left and Im not buying it again. The boxes are always all over the place.

The last 2 boxes have proven this.

Box 1
Alk 9
Cal 460
Mag 1290

Box 2
Alk 14!!! What the hell
Cal 410
Mag 1340

and of course I didnt check it before I did a 50% water change over 2 days to my tank because I was removing my sandbed and brought my ALK in the tank up to 13....How rude.

In my search for a new salt many people gave a thumbs up to tropic marine pro however so I would say give it a shot.

How much were you mixing? If you mix the entire bag (for the boxes) or entire bucket you should be getting consistent results. Many manufacturers including Tropic Marin have stated before that there can be separation of components during shipping.

For people that do not mix an entire bag o bucket I would recommend E.S.V. B-Ionic Seawater System Salt Mix, it is more expensive but it gives you total control on your major parameters.

To the OP
- The above applies
- Red Sea Salt gives you Salinity Levels (33.5 and 35.5) and their corresponding parameters . They do not list specific gravity, at least not in the bags I have and with SG of 1.025 (Salnity of 33.5ppt) the ALK is consistent at 7.7. If you were to mix it at higher SG your ALK would be higher not lower.

 

[ganjero]

You can also stick to IO and add Calcium Chloride which will increase Ca and lower you ALK, that will still be cheaper than any other salt. You only need about 1 tablespoon per 20 gallons to achieve parameters of Ca 480 ppm and ALK ~8 using IO.

 

[alexander_ktn]

I have heard of that but do not want to add acid into my aquariums.

Plus I heard it will lower PH too and I do not want that either.

You add it in a mixing bucket and aerate, so that the carbon dioxide gets removed from the water. That way the fresh saltwater will have the same pH as any other saltwater with the same alkalinity would have. Muriatic acid leaves no residue that would lower your tank pH after aeration...

 

[fewponds]

TM Pro Reef is very good salt, I am keeping 7kH using it for more then 2 years now.

 

[smatter]

I have never noticed any stratification with the 50g bags, it's the buckets that are troublesome. I have been considering boosting the calcium in my IO by adding calcium chloride. I was unaware of the lowered alkalinity side effect.

I have been using IO unaltered since 1988.