What brand of salt?

[Wildstar1063]

Ok, it's again time to buy salt for the aquarium, I'm just
curious what brands others are using, and why.

I seem to remember a while back the Oceanic salt was
very popular, but lately I have been reading posts about
it being high in phospates.

So what are you using?


Thanks

Chuck E.

 

[dustin Combs]

chuck,

I think you will find that there is a variety of different salts being used in OKC. I personally mix oceanic and IO to get an equal balance of Ca Mg and Alk. I have found this to work best for me. You will find differing opinions.

dustin and debbie

 

[Wildstar1063]

Dustin,

What perportions of Oceanic and Instant Ocean are you mixing?

Thanks

Chuck E.

 

[JR719]

From IO to Oceanic, back to IO.

 

[dustin Combs]

@ 60%IO and 40% oceanic seems to keep my levels good.

 

[eddybabyhd]

Tropic Marin Pro

 

[dugg]

I have tried a ton of different salts. The problem is consistancy in quality. IO is the only one that i have found that is the same every bucket. It may not be the best mix, and have all of the trace elements like some do, but atleast you know what you are getting from bucket to bucket. Even reef crystals, which is made by the same company as IO, is drasticly different from one bucket to another. I have a half bucket of reef crystals right now that if i use it, brings my PH down. A fresh mixed bucket of water from the RC i have, has a PH of 7.8. I am sticking with IO from now on.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I try to do what dustin Combs does. Normally, I don't have the money on hand to buy both salts at once. In the event that I don't have the money, I just buy IO (preferably IO:Reef Crystals) and add buffers after 24 hours as needed.

 

[scott0615]

Keep in mind that when testing a freshly mixed batch of salt the alkalinity is high [for most salts]. In using test kits - a freshly mixed batch can give false readings - especially phosphate as the dye indicator reagent is acidic in all phosphate kits.

 

[papagimp]

I've been using IO for awhile now, changed over from seachem brand. It's been okay, My levels stay pretty consistent although alk and ca stay at the bare minimums (7-8dkh, 420-450 ca) but that ain't too bad. nothing I can't fix with the right supplements. I do notice a fluctuation with my PH though, sometimes it runnin' 7.9 other times it's up to 8.3. I havn't figured out yet if it's the salt or other factors but i think it may be other factors.

 

[captbunzo]

A recent salt study done by Eric Borneman preliminarily shows that Reef Crystals and Red Sea Pro Coral Salt are the best bets.

That said, it is generally a BAD idea to quickly up and change the salt being used in your aquarium. If you DO decide to switch, I would buy some of each and gradually switch over.

Be careful.

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8628430#post8628430 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by captbunzo
That said, it is generally a BAD idea to quickly up and change the salt being used in your aquarium.
Be careful.

what about just doing a bunch of mini water changes every day or so, for a few weeks?

 

[captbunzo]

That's the sort of idea. Just some method of making sure you are switching over to it gradually....

 

[dustin Combs]

good info cap. It took me about a month to change over to a 60/40 mix. I originally used IO but wanted some of the qualities of oceanic.

 

[rdonchann]

The way I understand it IO is more of a fish only version and Reef Crystals is more for a reef. (higher calcium etc.) I can't see buying salt then having to buy additives to get the paremeters where I want them. I know there will be additives used over time with any salt, I just hate to start with a deficiency then pay to get it up to par.I have had good luck with Reef Crystals and Coralife too. They both have higher calcium content etc. than IO.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8629035#post8629035 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdonchann
The way I understand it IO is more of a fish only version and Reef Crystals is more for a reef. (higher calcium etc.) I can't see buying salt then having to buy additives to get the paremeters where I want them. I know there will be additives used over time with any salt, I just hate to start with a deficiency then pay to get it up to par.I have had good luck with Reef Crystals and Coralife too. They both have higher calcium content etc. than IO.

That's why I either mix my salt or use Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY Two Part additives. About $20 makes MANY gallons of the stuff.

 

[rdonchann]

That's why I just buy a salt with it in it to begin with. It costs no more to start out with a salt with more additives. Just my curiosity here: Why would a person want to mix in.....say I/O if it has a deficiency? Yes it can be brought up, but is there a loyalty thing here that I am not catching? Does IO have something that none of the other salts do?

 

[raycityboy1]

Salt

Salt

I use Instant Ocean because the price cannot be beat, it comes in obscene sizes that I prefer to buy in, and it has never done me wrong. I never have had any problems with it. I have also tried sea salt from RED SEA and by Kent but only by neccessity(emergency water change in the middle of the night when nobody else was open). No complaints with those except the price.

you can see my tanks at http://photos.yahoo.com/raycityboy1

 

[scott0615]

I've never understood why someone would buy a "premium salt" AND use additives. Just about every tank I've every had needed supplementation, regardless of the salt I used. I IO because it is the most consistent of the inconsistent! I've tried the higher end salts and still needed supplements. The price difference just didn't add up considering the cost of supplements and the increase in price for reef salts.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I prefer IO: RC over IO, but for me, a 160g bucket of IO for ~$35 will last me several months. On top of that, I do dose additives in addition to water changes regardless of the brand of salt. So, for me, I have about 5 gallons of additives on hand that can be bought for about $20. If all I need is a cap full, I might spend pennies to for every 5g. We'll make it easy and say I spend $0.02/gallon on additives. That means that I spend a total of ~$38.20 on a bucket of salt that I have specifically taylored to what I want in my tank. IO: Reef Crystals is almost that price, but for me it's a little harder to find and I would have to spend $20 in gasoline to go get it and bring it home. On the other hand, it's definitely cheaper than buying something like Tropic Marin.