What Salt do you SPS Keepers Use?

[LJA]

For those of you with moderate + stocked SPS tanks, which salt do you use? and please explain if you have had any inconsistancys or problems with a salt mix.


Here is a list of calculated Ca, Mg, and dKH levels via link provided.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118&perpage=25&pagenumber=1


Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium

Aquatic Gardens
430
8
1240

CoraLife
560
9
1380

Crystal Sea Marinemix
340
9
1050

Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay
340
9
1050

D-D H2Ocean
450
10
1380

Instant Ocean
350
12
1070

Kent
540
11
1200

Marine Environment
480
7.5
1450

Oceanic
580
8.5
1650

OceanPure
510
10
1320

Red Sea
400
8
1300

Red Sea Coral Pro
490
7
1300

Reef Crystals
420
12
1260

Reefer's Best
420
11
1200

SeaChem Marine Salt
500
10
1400

SeaChem Reef Salt
540
10
1450

Tropic Marin
375
10
1230

Tropic Marin Pro Reef
450
8.5
1380

Tunze Reef Salt
420
9.5
1350

 

[ssamick]

I switched to dd's. I used Reef Crystals for years but got tired of the inconsistencies lately. About 4 months and so far spot on. Good salt I would definitely recommend.

 

[LJA]

Personally, after reading the article linked above I was surprised to see that RC had those problems. I currently use RC's and was thinking of switching to either Seachems or Tropic Marine.

I don't really care of the cost, I was looking for the most consistent as well as high Ca and Mg values.

 

[tmantaylor18]

tropic marin pro here.

 

[SALT WATER CRAZ]

Crystals hear

 

[spleify]

I use Reef Crystals.

 

[Bolo Tran]

I use Red Sea Coral Pro and have had excellent results. Primary reason being low alk as I'm doing ULNS. I know Reef Crystals is going to be the biggest winner on this poll as it is cheap and readily available but I used to use it and my corals hated the 12-13 alk. Red sea is just a bit more but worth every penny.

 

[trippkid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14529555#post14529555 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bolo Tran
I use Red Sea Coral Pro and have had excellent results. Primary reason being low alk as I'm doing ULNS. I know Reef Crystals is going to be the biggest winner on this poll as it is cheap and readily available but I used to use it and my corals hated the 12-13 alk. Red sea is just a bit more but worth every penny.

I recently have had about 3 buckets I got from my LFS(gotten at different times, about 2 months apart and my LFS is That Fish Place, so they do a fair amount of volume and business) that are ungodly high in Alk, like 16 and above on DKH scale, I too really liked this salt and would swear by it, but after seeing this Alk issue, I am rethinking my methods. I don't know of any others with this problem so it could just be me, IDK, I have switched to Seachem for the time being and have reduced the frequencies of my WC's big time, till I can figure out what I will be happy with. All other parameters have been fine, just this raised alkalinity issue, just my 2 cents on my last buckets of RSCP.
Matt

 

[cccapt]

I recently have had about 3 buckets I got from my LFS(gotten at different times, about 2 months apart and my LFS is That Fish Place, so they do a fair amount of volume and business) that are ungodly high in Alk, like 16 and above on DKH scale

I just picked up a bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro from TFP when NCPARS had their swap. I've been using RS Coral Pro since it came out and the bucket I just got from TFP came in around 8 dKH, just like at always does. I just bump up the alk with a little Arm&Hammer, but I like the salt.

 

[scaryperson27]

A long time ago, I got some Diatom algae when I used Red Sea Coral Pro.

 

[trippkid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14532894#post14532894 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cccapt

I just picked up a bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro from TFP when NCPARS had their swap. I've been using RS Coral Pro since it came out and the bucket I just got from TFP came in around 8 dKH, just like at always does. I just bump up the alk with a little Arm&Hammer, but I like the salt. [/B]

Yeah, I was there too, got rid of a bunch of my stuff, and picked up a couple nice things. Maybe it is just me, but I have tested it with 3 different kits and different source RO/DI than my own and still comes out very high, maybe it is my mixing can, it is just funny that the Seachem comes out good right around 8 or 9, it has been a couple of weeks since I have mixed some up. I will clean out my can and give it another go with the RSCP, like I said I loved the stuff before and is alot better than paying $70+ for some of the other really good brands. Hopefully, we can actually meet one another the next time. Are you going to the swap at Penn State coming up in a month or so?
Matt

 

[LJA]

I actually surprised to see so many different salts being used. I guess a lot of people prefer to add their own supplements to make it exactly what they want.

On a side note, I just picked up a TDS meter and found that my LFS RO water reads 45 ppm of TDS.

It also seems to me like a lot of people are testing their salt mixes right when they get them, this is something I have always taken for granted until recently I had a very very low Mg reading. After a year of using Reef Crystals my tanks parameters were all in check except for Mg which was below 1100.

 

[cccapt]

Are you going to the swap at Penn State coming up in a month or so?

Yep, I'll be there.

Larry

 

[LJA]

Can we get this to 200 votes???

 

[AquamanE]

I have found my reef crystals to be consistent with the posted results on that thread.

Occasionally Ca will be in the 380-400 instead. I just bump it up with bulkreef supply (CA part, of their 2 part kits). Actually since I do weekly WC, i bump up Mg to 1380-1400. that becomes my only way to supplement Mg, and have 1380 consistently.

Like stated above, availability and price makes what I do with it well worth it.

 

[greenmonkey51]

Instant Ocean here. I'd rather have my salt low in supplements. Its fairly easy to buffer up to the levels I want. I do with that IO was lower in alk.

 

[tsr770]

I use TropReef from Tropicorium, basically from what everyone can tell it is reboxed Reef Crystals, but at 320 gallon mix for $75 its really too hard to pass up even if I have to bump up the calcium and mag a bit.

 

[Nanook]

1000 gallon system. Water changes with four bags of IO and one bag of Coralife for my 225 gallon water change each month.

 

[LJA]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14539236#post14539236 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
1000 gallon system. Water changes with four bags of IO and one bag of Coralife for my 225 gallon water change each month.

That's how much water I change in a year. :eek2:

 

[lurchccd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14539073#post14539073 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsr770
I use TropReef from Tropicorium, basically from what everyone can tell it is reboxed Reef Crystals, but at 320 gallon mix for $75 its really too hard to pass up even if I have to bump up the calcium and mag a bit.

How much is SeaChem reef salt at your LFS? Here in Nothern Cali I can get it for 35.99 For a 5G bucket. That makes 160G. So 2 buckets make 320 and thats for 70 bucks, about the same you pay, but I dont have to boost anything. JMO