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The Salt Life: Which salt do you use? The more responses, the better!


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Which salt do you use in your saltwater? Why do you prefer that salt? Do you have to dose anything? Have you tried other salts? Why don't you use them anymore?

 

Please at least answer the first question. Here is why I ask:

 

In May, after countless hours of research comparing salts among other things, I decided on Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. You're probably wondering why! Well, IO Reef Crystals compared as the most affordable option with good water chemistry (parameters). Many people seemed to have used it successfully. Sure, some people complained of a "tannish-brown residue-like sludge" forming on the bottom of their mixing container, but many people claimed they didn't have that issue! (Sounds most unpleasant, huh?) I was hoping I didn't have that issue either...

 

Turns out, I do. And it doesn't just form on the bottom of the mixing container, it coats the powerhead, thermometer, and heater, too. Now, maybe this is harmless. Maybe not. But it does build up, and it makes the water cloudy and gross if the slimey stuff is disturbed. I won't even use those batches of water. So I thoroughly clean things between water mixings now.

 

Needless to say, I want to switch salts. This means more and more research, and that's okay. I have quite a bit of IO Reef Crystals salt left, and I'll go ahead and use it up because I bought it by the 200-gallon box. But researching salt parameters and reading years-old reviews/threads can only get me so far, so if you're willing to share with me what salt you prefer (and maybe even why), it would be most helpful!

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GunslingerGirl

I also use reef crystals. First bag I had did this. I used it up until I moved and now no longer have the issue with the brown sludge. So I don't know if its reacting to something in the environment? Bad batches? (I use the same bottled water I always have and have always confirmed 0-1 with TDS meter). Part of the reason why I won't buy giant bags of the stuff.

 

I used to use straight IO regular salt, never had the sludge issue, but wasn't seeing the right parameters for calcium and the like to make my corals happy.

 

I am highly considering switching to something a little more expensive but we will see if after this second move if I start to develop the sludge again.

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I also use reef crystals. First bag I had did this. I used it up until I moved and now no longer have the issue with the brown sludge. So I don't know if its reacting to something in the environment? Bad batches? (I use the same bottled water I always have and have always confirmed 0-1 with TDS meter). Part of the reason why I won't buy giant bags of the stuff.

 

I used to use straight IO regular salt, never had the sludge issue, but wasn't seeing the right parameters for calcium and the like to make my corals happy.

 

I am highly considering switching to something a little more expensive but we will see if after this second move if I start to develop the sludge again.

 

I appreciate your input very much!! I buy mine from amazon in 4 huge bags that come in a box. The first box was fine until the 3rd bag, then sludge. And the 4th bag and next box had sludge too, so far. This is why I'm wanting to switch. I too have used the same type of water the whole time. I actually use gallons of distilled.

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Which salt do you use in your saltwater? Why do you prefer that salt? Do you have to dose anything? Have you tried other salts? Why don't you use them anymore?

 

Please at least answer the first question. Here is why I ask:

 

In May, after countless hours of research comparing salts among other things, I decided on Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. You're probably wondering why! Well, IO Reef Crystals compared as the most affordable option with good water chemistry (parameters). Many people seemed to have used it successfully. Sure, some people complained of a "tannish-brown residue-like sludge" forming on the bottom of their mixing container, but many people claimed they didn't have that issue! (Sounds most unpleasant, huh?) I was hoping I didn't have that issue either...

 

Turns out, I do. And it doesn't just form on the bottom of the mixing container, it coats the powerhead, thermometer, and heater, too. Now, maybe this is harmless. Maybe not. But it does build up, and it makes the water cloudy and gross if the slimey stuff is disturbed. I won't even use those batches of water. So I thoroughly clean things between water mixings now.

 

Needless to say, I want to switch salts. This means more and more research, and that's okay. I have quite a bit of IO Reef Crystals salt left, and I'll go ahead and use it up because I bought it by the 200-gallon box. But researching salt parameters and reading years-old reviews/threads can only get me so far, so if you're willing to share with me what salt you prefer (and maybe even why), it would be most helpful!

 

I feed my tank that brown sludge, it likes it. :D Harmless and annoying BUT if you want a salt that mixes fast without the sludge you might want to try AquaForest Reef salt. They also have a probiotic salt thing, stay away from that, the reef salt is good enough, mixes fast, really fast, and doesn't leave sludge.

 

Red Sea blue bucket (not coral pro) is another that doesn't leave a sludge for me if you like salts that mix closer to natural sea water params.

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I feed my tank that brown sludge, it likes it. :D Harmless and annoying BUT if you want a salt that mixes fast without the sludge you might want to try AquaForest Reef salt. They also have a probiotic salt thing, stay away from that, the reef salt is good enough, mixes fast, really fast, and doesn't leave sludge.

 

Red Sea blue bucket (not coral pro) is another that doesn't leave a sludge for me if you like salts that mix closer to natural sea water params.

 

Thank you for your insights!! Your response is golden to me. I've heard people mention Red Sea blue bucket, but I was never sure what they were referring to. You've made that a little clearer. My Quarantine tank is littered with pieces of sludge at the bottom I didn't realize were there, and the black ocellaris I've had in there for about a week still doesn't really eat unless it's on the bottom of the tank, where all the brown crap was. I figured if that fish was eating the sludge it would be bad for it.

 

I don't so much care how fast it mixes as long as it mixes in all the way.

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Thank you for your insights!! Your response is golden to me. I've heard people mention Red Sea blue bucket, but I was never sure what they were referring to. You've made that a little clearer. My Quarantine tank is littered with pieces of sludge at the bottom I didn't realize were there, and the black ocellaris I've had in there for about a week still doesn't really eat unless it's on the bottom of the tank, where all the brown crap was. I figured if that fish was eating the sludge it would be bad for it.

 

I don't so much care how fast it mixes as long as it mixes in all the way.

 

The sludge is mostly just clay I think, part of the process of creating the salt. AquaForest is pure synthetic, so they say, so incredibly fast mixing and no sludge, for me anyway. I've used Kent Reef salt in the past as well and I don't think it left a sludge, or at least not as bad as RC. I mix in big 32 gallon Brute cans so my experience is going to be a little different from say mixing in a 5 gallon bucket.

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The sludge is mostly just clay I think, part of the process of creating the salt. AquaForest is pure synthetic, so they say, so incredibly fast mixing and no sludge, for me anyway. I've used Kent Reef salt in the past as well and I don't think it left a sludge, or at least not as bad as RC. I mix in big 32 gallon Brute cans so my experience is going to be a little different from say mixing in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

I mix in a 4 gallon bucket, and only mix 4 gallons at a time. I wonder what the advantages and disadvantages are to synthetic salt! Thank you for giving me something to research :)

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I used to use reefcrystals and switched recently. I switched because of the sludge, the high alk (I like my alk around 8.0), and it never mixed up the same as far as parameters. I ordered a bucket of aquaforest reef salt. I switched to aquaforest reef salt. It wasnt that much more than reefcrystals and I had heard good things.

It mixed perfectly clear within 20 minutes. I did my water change and went to work. I got home and noticed my polyp extension was a little better in nearly all of my corals. I am so far very pleased 2 changes in. I am contemplating going full aquaforest.

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I too hate the sludge. A 20oz soda bottle mouth will fit over the screen attachment of maxi jet power heads. I cut the bottom 3Rd end off the bottle and stuff the top half with loose filter floss and put it on the maxi jet intake and attach the power head down low in the brute trash can. I add another maxi to get it all flowing. My reef crystals mixed water comes out crystal clear and no more residue. I was going to switch to red sea pro but I can get the 200g box of rcp for 50 bucks vs 80 red sea.

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I used reef crystals, and had some residue. Not sludge, not by far, but a slight tinge to the bucket always got left behind. I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro. Awesome, mixed quickly, etc, but I started to realize that my freshly mixed water was causing alkalinity spikes every time I did a 4gal water change on a tank with 14gal total volume.

 

I'm using Seachem Aquavitro salt right now, and alk from this batch mixes to around 9dKH. The tank stays at 8.5-9dKH, so it's not spiking very much.

 

Once I'm out of this bucket, though, I think I'll be switching to Red Sea blue bucket for the natural saltwater parameters. Should help keep things stable :)

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I use Kent and I don't know of any sludge you are talking about. The price is almost compatible to IO. I actually just bought IO salt (it was on sale) and it came in the mail today. I guess I'll see what this sludge is all about and if it is truly annoying, just go back to Kent. It's like 5 bucks more.

 

 

Are you mixing it right? I believe you are supposed to add the heater after it is fully mixed.

 

 

Which salt do you use in your saltwater? Why do you prefer that salt? Do you have to dose anything? Have you tried other salts? Why don't you use them anymore?

 

Please at least answer the first question. Here is why I ask:

 

In May, after countless hours of research comparing salts among other things, I decided on Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. You're probably wondering why! Well, IO Reef Crystals compared as the most affordable option with good water chemistry (parameters). Many people seemed to have used it successfully. Sure, some people complained of a "tannish-brown residue-like sludge" forming on the bottom of their mixing container, but many people claimed they didn't have that issue! (Sounds most unpleasant, huh?) I was hoping I didn't have that issue either...

 

Turns out, I do. And it doesn't just form on the bottom of the mixing container, it coats the powerhead, thermometer, and heater, too. Now, maybe this is harmless. Maybe not. But it does build up, and it makes the water cloudy and gross if the slimey stuff is disturbed. I won't even use those batches of water. So I thoroughly clean things between water mixings now.

 

Needless to say, I want to switch salts. This means more and more research, and that's okay. I have quite a bit of IO Reef Crystals salt left, and I'll go ahead and use it up because I bought it by the 200-gallon box. But researching salt parameters and reading years-old reviews/threads can only get me so far, so if you're willing to share with me what salt you prefer (and maybe even why), it would be most helpful!

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I use Kent and I don't know of any sludge you are talking about. The price is almost compatible to IO. I actually just bought IO salt (it was on sale) and it came in the mail today. I guess I'll see what this sludge is all about and if it is truly annoying, just go back to Kent. It's like 5 bucks more.

 

 

Are you mixing it right? I believe you are supposed to add the heater after it is fully mixed.

 

 

Not sure Id call it a sludge on my account anyway. reef crystals has allways left a brown residue on everything and mixes cloudy. Since I started filtering it I have no problems anymore. After a couple of mixes the filter floss looks like it cam out of my bc29.

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Regular IO. I like bringing parameters to my preference. I dose Seachem 2 part and Mg. What I have noticed is that, over time, it does not mix as well. Humidity lumps the salt a bit and messes things up. I am now packing zip lock bags with the specific amount I use for each WC to see if I can make it last longer.

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Regular IO. I like bringing parameters to my preference. I dose Seachem 2 part and Mg. What I have noticed is that, over time, it does not mix as well. Humidity lumps the salt a bit and messes things up. I am now packing zip lock bags with the specific amount I use for each WC to see if I can make it last longer.

damn that's a seriously awesome idea!
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I used to use reefcrystals and switched recently. I switched because of the sludge, the high alk (I like my alk around 8.0), and it never mixed up the same as far as parameters. I ordered a bucket of aquaforest reef salt. I switched to aquaforest reef salt. It wasnt that much more than reefcrystals and I had heard good things.

It mixed perfectly clear within 20 minutes. I did my water change and went to work. I got home and noticed my polyp extension was a little better in nearly all of my corals. I am so far very pleased 2 changes in. I am contemplating going full aquaforest.

Sounds good! I'll definitely be looking into aquaforest!

 

I too hate the sludge. A 20oz soda bottle mouth will fit over the screen attachment of maxi jet power heads. I cut the bottom 3Rd end off the bottle and stuff the top half with loose filter floss and put it on the maxi jet intake and attach the power head down low in the brute trash can. I add another maxi to get it all flowing. My reef crystals mixed water comes out crystal clear and no more residue. I was going to switch to red sea pro but I can get the 200g box of rcp for 50 bucks vs 80 red sea.

Yes! It is annoying. That's awesome! I don't really mind a higher price if it is a better quality.

 

I used reef crystals, and had some residue. Not sludge, not by far, but a slight tinge to the bucket always got left behind. I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro. Awesome, mixed quickly, etc, but I started to realize that my freshly mixed water was causing alkalinity spikes every time I did a 4gal water change on a tank with 14gal total volume.

 

I'm using Seachem Aquavitro salt right now, and alk from this batch mixes to around 9dKH. The tank stays at 8.5-9dKH, so it's not spiking very much.

 

Once I'm out of this bucket, though, I think I'll be switching to Red Sea blue bucket for the natural saltwater parameters. Should help keep things stable :)

Yeah, mine really isn't sludge either, it's just a very thin layer of residue left behind. I've never looked into Seachem Aquavitro before. And yeah right now I'm really leaning toward red sea!

 

Not sure Id call it a sludge on my account anyway. reef crystals has allways left a brown residue on everything and mixes cloudy. Since I started filtering it I have no problems anymore. After a couple of mixes the filter floss looks like it cam out of my bc29.

Yeah, really more of a thin brown residue for me too. Mine never mixed cloudy, though. I've never considered filtering it.

 

RSCP. Doing ok.

That's one of the ones I was considering!

Regular IO. I like bringing parameters to my preference. I dose Seachem 2 part and Mg. What I have noticed is that, over time, it does not mix as well. Humidity lumps the salt a bit and messes things up. I am now packing zip lock bags with the specific amount I use for each WC to see if I can make it last longer.

Mine gets a little lumpy if I let it sit around too long as well. That's a great idea!

I am seriously overwhelmed by this helpful community of people! You guys are the best! Thank you all for responding! Every bit of information is valuable.

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mystersyster

I use blue bucket. It mixes pretty fast. I prefer more natural sea water and automatic dosing of brs 2 part to keep it constantly stable. Working pretty well so far. SPS and my clams ate starting to shoot up after 10 months of stability.

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I use blue bucket. It mixes pretty fast. I prefer more natural sea water and automatic dosing of brs 2 part to keep it constantly stable. Working pretty well so far. SPS and my clams ate starting to shoot up after 10 months of stability.

I don't think I will ever be SPS-ready. Maybe once I have a decade of experience. I envy you!

 

Anyway, blue bucket seems like a good choice! Since I've got it narrowed down, sounds like I should just pick one and see how it works out for me. I don't know anything about dosing. Part of the reason I chose IO was it seemed like a fairly safe salt to use for beginners where I didn't have to adjust much.

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Regular IO. I like bringing parameters to my preference. I dose Seachem 2 part and Mg. What I have noticed is that, over time, it does not mix as well. Humidity lumps the salt a bit and messes things up. I am now packing zip lock bags with the specific amount I use for each WC to see if I can make it last longer.

 

This is another reason I bought IO to try out.

 

The most important think seems to be the parameters, never heard anyone have an issue with the residue/sludge.

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This is another reason I bought IO to try out.

 

The most important think seems to be the parameters, never heard anyone have an issue with the residue/sludge.

 

 

I just mixed 11 gallons in a brute this afternoon and it mixed crazy fast by hand and koralia 425 while the rodi was catching up. I normally mix 3 gallons though and, when not lumped, it's literally ready in minutes.

 

That's a great idea!I am seriously overwhelmed by this helpful community of people! You guys are the best! Thank you all for responding! Every bit of information is valuable.

damn that's a seriously awesome idea!

Thanks. Only time will tell if it works though.
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Regular IO. I like bringing parameters to my preference. I dose Seachem 2 part and Mg. What I have noticed is that, over time, it does not mix as well. Humidity lumps the salt a bit and messes things up. I am now packing zip lock bags with the specific amount I use for each WC to see if I can make it last longer.

 

ohhh that is too bad it doesn't' come in resealable bags. Seems like an easy fix on their end. The Kent stuff I was using does. hrm.

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mystersyster

I don't think I will ever be SPS-ready. Maybe once I have a decade of experience. I envy you!

 

Anyway, blue bucket seems like a good choice! Since I've got it narrowed down, sounds like I should just pick one and see how it works out for me. I don't know anything about dosing. Part of the reason I chose IO was it seemed like a fairly safe salt to use for beginners where I didn't have to adjust much.

SPS are ez pz once you have a stable tank. You wont need to adjust much of anything without SPS or LPS :)

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Currently using red sea coral pro or whatever its called, only thing amazon ca had in stock at the time, and as they are the only place who ships salt free, I buy whatever they happen to have in stock at the time I need salt.

 

Mixes clearer and quicker than either of the instant ocean salts did,

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Red Sea Coral Pro is the only salt I've used since I started reefing 2 1/2 years ago and I love it. Very consistent bucket to bucket.

5.9 oz per gallon (using postal scale) produces a very consistent 1.025 spgr every time.

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I just use coral life marine salt because it's cheap and works fine. Sometimes I grab s bag of Red Sea coral pro when a local guy gets some for 50 a bag (200gal)

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