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

[Hexilios]

what, it just seams fresher then the other brands i've seen . . . My big problem is the bag that the salt is in is broken and I need to figure out someway to mix the dry salt with out stratifying the mix.

[ninjamyst]

I have been using IO and Reef Crystals for three years now. Never had an issue with sludge. I started doing 50/50 mix cuz all is too high with Reef Crystals. I have like 10 200 gallons box left. Then I will switch to aquaforest just to try something new.

[fishfreak0114]

coral pro salt by red sea, love the smell

OMIGOSH ITS NOT JUST ME!!!! I thought I was weird or something.

[mystersyster]

 

 

 

You rim your margaritas's with Red Sea blue bucket? Not a bad idea - get those trace elements ... Really wouldn't the salt we use be like the best sea salt ever? Haven't noticed threads about putting it on food

Yeah man. Thats how I keep all my electrolytes in balance so I'm not hung over as shit the next morning.

[xAyanex]

Well fantastic young women, good to know you

 

As far as what I do, I drive the train, build trains, and supervise the movements of trains. I'm pretty much in the shipping business.

 

I planned on going to school to be an RN, which I learned would leave me with little "normal" free time. Instead I opted to be a military police officer, which pretty much gave me the same schedule . What do you do?

That's so neat! I am a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. I work in the hospital lab. I run QC, perform all the tests your doctor orders, set up blood for transfusions/trauma patients, etc. I am a generalist so I do everything in chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood bank). The only thing I don't do is microbiology (growing bacteria on plates, etc.) because it's smelly and I don't like it.

 

To put things kind of in perspective, the doctor orders tests (among other stuff), the RN draws collects the samples (blood, urine, etc.), and they send it to me so I can analyze it and determine the patient's diagnosis/lab values/etc. It's hard to sum up my job because there's so much more to it. It's highly complex and takes months of training before you can work. A lot of people think it's putting something on an analyzer/instrument and pressing "Go", but there's WAYY more to it than that.

 

 

Brightwell Neomarine

Cool! I will look into that!! That you so much Kat.

I have been using IO and Reef Crystals for three years now. Never had an issue with sludge. I started doing 50/50 mix cuz all is too high with Reef Crystals. I have like 10 200 gallons box left. Then I will switch to aquaforest just to try something new.

I am hearing a lot of good things about AquaForest!

[reefist]

There's a bucket of Coralife on my porch UPS just dropped off. It was cheap, I like the NSW alkalinity, and I needed a T shirt

[xAyanex]

There's a bucket of Coralife on my porch UPS just dropped off. It was cheap, I like the NSW alkalinity, and I needed a T shirt

Lol gotta love T shirts!

[squamptonbc]

Sounds like what they call Medical laboratory technologist's here, they do pretty much everything you describe, it was something I looked into doing, but my funding only covered 1 year or less training programs and medical lab tech takes 2.5 years, so I went a different direction, but interesting job it sounds like indeed.

 

 

 

 

That's so neat! I am a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. I work in the hospital lab. I run QC, perform all the tests your doctor orders, set up blood for transfusions/trauma patients, etc. I am a generalist so I do everything in chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood bank). The only thing I don't do is microbiology (growing bacteria on plates, etc.) because it's smelly and I don't like it.

 

To put things kind of in perspective, the doctor orders tests (among other stuff), the RN draws collects the samples (blood, urine, etc.), and they send it to me so I can analyze it and determine the patient's diagnosis/lab values/etc. It's hard to sum up my job because there's so much more to it. It's highly complex and takes months of training before you can work. A lot of people think it's putting something on an analyzer/instrument and pressing "Go", but there's WAYY more to it than that.

 

Cool! I will look into that!! That you so much Kat.

I am hearing a lot of good things about AquaForest!

[squamptonbc]

If it were not for Amazon ca and being able to get salt from them with free shipping, I probably would not keep a salt tank since there is no local store to buy from, well there is, but its about double the price is should be, so I refuse to buy it.

 

 

Gotta love amazon for the free shipping! Red Sea Coral Pro sounds like a great choice to me.

 

Awesome to hear! That's very accurate-I just measure with cups and usually end up adjusting it later on. Might look into a postal scale... Very great idea.

 

Never heard of that one, but it sounds like it's worth checking out. A lot of people seem to use Red Sea Coral Pro and like it. Only heard a couple complaints so far!

[xAyanex]

Sounds like what they call Medical laboratory technologist's here, they do pretty much everything you describe, it was something I looked into doing, but my funding only covered 1 year or less training programs and medical lab tech takes 2.5 years, so I went a different direction, but interesting job it sounds like indeed.

 

 

 

 

It is similar to a MLT, except MLTs are a 2 year degree and MLS (used to be MT) are a 4 year degree. MLS (like me) with a 4 year degree learn a lot more about the theory of why we do this, and how this works, etc. whereas a 2 year degree just learns the basics to get by. So a 2 year degree person performs the same job but gets paid significantly less and often has to rely on the knowledge of a person with a 4 year degree.

 

It's a pretty hidden profession, it seems.

 

 

If it were not for Amazon ca and being able to get salt from them with free shipping, I probably would not keep a salt tank since there is no local store to buy from, well there is, but its about double the price is should be, so I refuse to buy it.

 

 

Same here. I have 5 LFS. 2 are freshwater only. 1 is super crappy and doesn't carry more than 3 tiny coral frags at a time, and their tanks are just terrible. Their salt is 3X the price of amazon. 1 has a good saltwater and freshwater selection but the people were rude the 4 times I went so I finally decided they're just always rude. And the last store is great but it's like 45 minutes away, and since I rarely get a day off, I REALLY rarely go to the LFS I like.

[R_MC]

I use red sea blue bucket. If I was not running ULNS I would go with the fortified red sea salt. Also used reef crystals, but again the ALK is very high for an ULNS.

[xAyanex]

I use red sea blue bucket. If I was not running ULNS I would go with the fortified red sea salt. Also used reef crystals, but again the ALK is very high for an ULNS.

I'm assuming through Google that ULNS means ulta low nutrient system. Very interesting! Thank you for your response.

[R_MC]

I'm assuming through Google that ULNS means ulta low nutrient system. Very interesting! Thank you for your response.

 

Seems to be that the higher you keep your nitrate / phosphate the safer you are running higher alkilinity. The closer those values are to zero the more you want to approximate NSW (natural sea water) values of 7-9. Running high alk and very very low N and P results in pale coral.

Learned this one through trial and error and then a whole lot of research.

[xAyanex]

 

Seems to be that the higher you keep your nitrate / phosphate the safer you are running higher alkilinity. The closer those values are to zero the more you want to approximate NSW (natural sea water) values of 7-9. Running high alk and very very low N and P results in pale coral.

Learned this one through trial and error and then a whole lot of research.

Then it is golden information to me. Thank you.

[reefist]

Bogus! No more T shirts in the Coralife buckets.

[Tamberav]

Bogus! No more T shirts in the Coralife buckets.

 

Those JERKS!!! I used to use that kind too and it worked well. What do the parameters mix up to for ya? Forgot what they run. I need something with lower alk on my new tank.

[vision]

i started with RSCP but switched to reef crystals.

 

so far it's been consistent but i've been having to dose alk... ca/mg stay stable but are slightly higher than normal i believe from the original levels of the RSCP.

[reefist]

Those JERKS!!! I used to use that kind too and it worked well. What do the parameters mix up to for ya? Forgot what they run. I need something with lower alk on my new tank.

I know right? Free T shirts comprise the majority of my wardrobe. My wife was pleased at the shirts absence.

 

Coralife parameters:

 

Ca 400

Mg 1200

Alk 8

[JavaJacketOC]

I've been using IO for the past few years, it was decent but have experienced precipitation and residue like many others. I recently switched to IO Reef Crystals...so far it seems to mix up more cleanly and the parameters are a little better for me. Alk in IO for mixed to 11 but Reef Crystals mixes to 10 with higher calcium as well.

[Proudgeek]

Is there a thread somewhere listing to what parameters do these salts mix to?