botom line what is the best reef salt.

[wombat]

IO is perfectly suitable for growing any kind of coral or invert you like. It is also, at least near me, the cheapest and most readily available salt around. Therefore it is the winner. IMO paying for RC is like paying $20 for a can of brand name kalkwasser when you can just buy pickling lime for $1 a pound. It is essentially the same stuff as IO with higher levels of ca/alk/mag.

[metrokat]

Salinity here , I switched from RSCP

So I switched to Salinity salt and never looked back.

There was a thread on here with people having issues with aqua vitro salinity, the levels were off.

I've been wanting to try this salt but my LFS does not have it even though they are listed on Aquavitros site as a stockist.

[wombat]

 

Morton Salt actually has quite high levels of phosphate in it. They add it intentionally as tricalcium phosphate, an anti-caking agent. When mixed into water at the concentration to make artificial seawater it would give you a phosphate concentration >0.10 ppm. We use Morton Salt (made in Newark CA) for the basis of our salt mix and have it specially made without the phosphate additive and after the production line has been "rinsed" to remove all traces of it.

[jbb]

There was a thread on here with people having issues with aqua vitro salinity, the levels were off.

I've been wanting to try this salt but my LFS does not have it even though they are listed on Aquavitros site as a stockist.

 

 

That was my thread , It was only the one bucket having the MAG levels off. Seachem offered to retest the bucket for me , but there wasnt much left in the bucket so I declined the offer. I have 2 more buckets currently and the levels are right on with the label from the lab.

[RayWhisperer]

I know everybody hates it, but I've been happy with Oceanic. I've tried many salt brands, including Tropic Marin (all types), IO, Reef Crystals and Crystal Sea. Out of all of them, Oceanic gets the best bang for the buck, IMO. The worst for slow mixing and residue would be IO and Reef Crystals, IME. Quickest mix would be Crystal Sea, but it's numbers are all low, especially Alk.

[jarob]

IO reef crystals

[eddiecorrea]

Seachem Salinity. But only because each bucket is tested and I'm willing to pay premium for the peace of mind.

 

So they say. You really think they test EVERY SINGLE bucket? Doubt it.

[gena]

I know everybody hates it, but I've been happy with Oceanic. I've tried many salt brands, including Tropic Marin (all types), IO, Reef Crystals and Crystal Sea. Out of all of them, Oceanic gets the best bang for the buck, IMO. The worst for slow mixing and residue would be IO and Reef Crystals, IME. Quickest mix would be Crystal Sea, but it's numbers are all low, especially Alk.

I've been wanting to try Oceanic. I think Rehype used that salt as well.

[metrokat]

 

So they say. You really think they test EVERY SINGLE bucket? Doubt it.

Sorry Eddie, in this case they do. It even has a control number from the lab. If you email the company they pull up the lab report for your specific bucket and send it to you.

 

I like fancy things and this salt is on my bucket list of things to try. Now that sounded funny, ha, bucket list.

 

Edit, see lawns answer below. Substitute bucket for batch in my post.

[Lawnman]

So they say. You really think they test EVERY SINGLE bucket? Doubt it.

No they don't test every bucket. They have batch #'s of the bucket. I would guess there are 4-500 buckets in a batch. I looked at 20-30 buckets at the LFS they all had the same batch #'s. everything tested out on my last bucket except mag was 20 under what the label said if I recall correctly. My newest bucket is exactly as the #'s on the bucket. Price is not to bad for the huge bucket 72 dollars out the door at my LFS Premium Aquatics. Me and a buddy split the bucket each time and alternate who gets the bucket. I think that is gonna end soon because he is doing waterchanges about once a year anymore lol.

[jbb]

Sorry Eddie, in this case they do. It even has a control number from the lab. If you email the company they pull up the lab report for your specific bucket and send it to you. I like fancy things and this salt is on my bucket list of things to try. Now that sounded funny, ha, bucket list.

 

 

Very True , I have had the conversation with Seachem. They don't test "every bucket" but they do test every BATCH , then a batch # is given to every bucket filled with said batch.

[Lawnman]

The salt is great but it does leave a little residue in my Brute. I clean it out once a month no big deal.

 

Very True , I have had the conversation with Seachem. They don't test "every bucket" but they do test every BATCH , then a batch # is given to every bucket filled with said batch.

To late I beat you to it.

[jbb]

No they don't test every bucket. They have batch #'s of the bucket. I would guess there are 4-500 buckets in a batch. I looked at 20-30 buckets at the LFS they all had the same batch #'s. everything tested out on my last bucket except mag was 20 under what the label said if I recall correctly. My newest bucket is exactly as the #'s on the bucket. Price is not to bad for the huge bucket 72 dollars out the door at my LFS Premium Aquatics. Me and a buddy split the bucket each time and alternate who gets the bucket. I think that is gonna end soon because he is doing waterchanges about once a year anymore lol.

 

 

Wish I could get the big bucket for $72 , its $120 here

[Lawnman]

I've been wanting to try Oceanic. I think Rehype used that salt as well.

I used Oceanic for years Gena. Then I got a bucket that was just nasty. I mixed up the water and it looked off. I did a waterchange and my tank started getting this frothy oily crap on top of the water. I took the bucket back and got a new one with the same results. I pit a thread up about this a 2 years ago and a select few had the same problems. That is when I switched to Salinity. Rehype did use Oceanic and tons still use this salt. I was a big fan of Oceanic until the bad batch came out.

 

Wish I could get the big bucket for $72 , its $120 here

Damn justed checked Premium Aquatics doesn't have it on there site. Hope that wasn't a blow out price lol. They are the only LFS that carries Salinity in my area.

[Reeftech]

I prefer rscp or the coralife marine salt.The coralife is only 45 for a 200 gallon box.

 

The label results.

Specific Gravity: 1.021-1.023
pH: 8.2 to 8.3
Calcium: 390 to 410 ppm
Magnesium: 1,110 to 1.250 ppm

[ajayjack]

Hmm, batch.. bucket...

 

That sticker on my bucket that says it's tested, yeah that makes me feel warm, fuzzy, and good

[gena]

I used Oceanic for years Gena. Then I got a bucket that was just nasty. I mixed up the water and it looked off. I did a waterchange and my tank started getting this frothy oily crap on top of the water. I took the bucket back and got a new one with the same results. I pit a thread up about this a 2 years ago and a select few had the same problems. That is when I switched to Salinity. Rehype did use Oceanic and tons still use this salt. I was a big fan of Oceanic until the bad batch came out.

 

 

Interesting. I'll probably stick with my RSCP anyways. It's not let me down yet

[ecajoe]

Well I was gonna go fancy however the closest good reef stores are like 45 min there are 2 like a mile from each other but can't always just get out there so there are two petsmarts close by they have io reef crystals for 44$ for 5g bucket cheap close and a pretty good salt

[wombat]

No they don't test every bucket. They have batch #'s of the bucket. I would guess there are 4-500 buckets in a batch. I looked at 20-30 buckets at the LFS they all had the same batch #'s. everything tested out on my last bucket except mag was 20 under what the label said if I recall correctly. My newest bucket is exactly as the #'s on the bucket. Price is not to bad for the huge bucket 72 dollars out the door at my LFS Premium Aquatics. Me and a buddy split the bucket each time and alternate who gets the bucket. I think that is gonna end soon because he is doing waterchanges about once a year anymore lol.

 

$72?!?! Lordie. You can get a bucket of IO for $45 here...it's essentially the same stuff.

[Lawnman]

$72?!?! Lordie. You can get a bucket of IO for $45 here...it's essentially the same stuff.

It is a 220 gallon bucket. Same stuff as IO LMAO ok.

[indyjaco]

I have been using Kent Salt for a while now. It comes about about 8 kdh, 1350 MG and 460 CA. I bought 2 cases for 72$ shipped to me. It mixes up extremely quickly like RSCP but without the cost. I used RCSP before but i'm not paying $70 for a 175 gallon bucket that mixes to 160 gallons at 1.025.

[ecajoe]

Either way I'm rolling reef crystals it did well at the store Iwworked at

 

Local and cheap I'd rather do more water changes I do like 5-10 a week on my Solana

[wombat]

It is a 220 gallon bucket. Same stuff as IO LMAO ok.

 

Okay, what do you believe is the substantial difference that is worth paying 50% more per bucket for? I've stuck both through a mass spec and I can tell you there is not much difference. Just in the marketing. Countless TOTM quality tanks that use IO bear this out.

[CJBuckeyes]

IO Reef Crystals. It seems to leave a brownish residue at the water level in the mixing container(for me at least). I've been told its harmless

I used RC for the last year, and this brownish slime bothered me. I've read it's the result of a tap water conditioner IO uses, but since I don't use tap water it seemed like extra stuff that I didn't need. I also did a test at aquariumwatertesting.com to double check my readings, and my iodine and potassium were way low (wasn't testing for these previously, lots of debate whether either one matters). I do 15% weekly water changes, so this surprised me. Not sure if it's a deficiency in the salt, or if it's being stripped by the BRS ROX/GFO?

 

I was placing an online order and TM Bioactif and wasn't much more than I pay locally for RC, so I thought I'd give it a try. Last week I did a 50/50 mix for my change, and yesterday all TM. So far, all my corals are open more than ever. Looks great. And my skimmer is foaming like crazy from the added carbon source. The calcium and mag have dropped a bit as would be expected (not fortified like RC). I'll get about 4-5 more WCs out of this box, then decide whether to stay or switch back.

[lakshwadeep]

I've used reef crystals most often, then ESV's bionic salt, and then Red Sea. Sometimes I had problems, but it didn't matter much. I guess I like ESV since it seems more accurate (at least more involved).