Who is using IO regular salt with success? (Poll)

[flatlandreefer]

Who here is using Instant Ocean regular salt, not reef crystals, with good long term success? I am getting down towards the end of my bucket and cant decide if it is really worth it to go with a more premium salt mix. Seems like my big three params are in check but am I missing out on something else?

[tk3445]

I have used IO and coralife seat salt for a little bit when I first started and didnt have a ton of sps/lps and went to reef crystals shortly after because my local shop carries Reef Crystals for $40 a bucket and that's what I paid for regular online....

 

One thing I found is the higher priced salts generally are higher in calcium/Mag and trace elements... If you don't have a bunch of LPS/SPS eating up your calcium and other nutrients I wouldn't fix something that isn't broken... If your testing you'll know when you need a more beefed up salt or to start dosing... your doing the right thing.

[Clown79]

Used it on 4 tanks - always low numbers.

 

RC Not much better for the difference in price. Params inconsistent. the mag was consistently mixing between 1050-1140. No higher. The only thing decent was Ca. Alk was 7-8.

 

 

Switched to Coral Pro.

Love the way it mixes, doesn't clump like RC. Corals look better, and my params have been consistent after each water change.

[ajmckay]

I'm an avid IO user due to good price and I haven't had any issues... I've used RC, coralife, and red sea coral pro and it's hard for me to tell if I noticed any differences at all when I used those other salts.

[squamptonbc]

I've used IO and really had no issues, I rarely test for anything since all I have are some softies and fish, have been using Red Sea coral pro since summer, and I see no difference. I am sure if I tested things like CA would be higher, but like I said, I don't test often.

[Water Dog]

I've been using Reef Crystals and will be switching to regular IO when my current batch runs out. I try to maintain my Alk at 8 or so, but I find that when I use RC, which has Alk around 12, I get Alk swings on water change day. Since I dose with BRS 2 part though my Apex anyway, it'll be easier to bring my new saltwater up to my specs, thereby avoiding the Alk swings and maintaining better stability for my SPS.

[Clown79]

Wow you get 12 with RC, i got 7 and my mag was nowhere near the right levels.

[Water Dog]

Yeah, I consistently get around 12 or higher using my Hanna Alk tester on fresh batches of newly mixed saltwater using RC. Not as concerned with Mg as I dose for that. As far as I'm concerned, it's way easier to dose up. The other way around... not so much.

[Clown79]

Ya i dose but if the salt mixes at 1140 every time you do a water change, your dt drops which effectively wastes dosers, time, and far too large fluctuations.