dwissler Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I'm sure opinions vary greatly, but what salt mix do you guys like or dislike? Why? Link to comment
JonathanS Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I'm sure opinions vary greatly, but what salt mix do you guys like or dislike? Why? instant ocean because honestly i havent tried any other brand. If i had more money i would just buy water cuz i hate mixing the stuff myself. Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 jeremai: you're link to a search isn't working. To dwissler: search for "best salt." Link to comment
scubasteve1186 Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 tropic marine for sure Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 reef crystals is pretty good; although, some people have reported a problem in recent batches. Link to comment
ldballoon4 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I have used Oceanic for three years. Never had problems with Ca. My levels were always over 500ppm. Although I did not see anything wrong with coral growth. Recently I began the switch over to IO. I did this due to the the salt mixing process. It was more trouble than whats its worth fpr me presently. The LFS sells IO water pre made. I get it for $1 a gallon. no hassle no mixing, no waiting. Yes it would be cheaper to buy and mix it, but 4 hours water change has been reduced to 10 minutes.... Anywho.... IO so far has done me OK. I need to now watch Ca levels on weekly basis since i checked I had 350ppm. I have a heavily stocked AP12 with coral. Depending on what happens in the next six months, I may switch back to Oceanic, back to mixing...... Link to comment
reefjunkie Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I've been looking for the perfect salt for a while. I'm at a point where I don't even know if it makes a difference. I've tried IO, Oceanic, Kent, Tropic Marin, Red Sea Pro Coral, Reef Crystals. My experience: IO and RC has high alk Oceanic has high Ca Kent leaves residue Tropic Marin not worth the money Red Sea Pro is pretty balanced but hard to find Link to comment
TheFallofSidney Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Red Sea Pro will be my choice. Link to comment
Killdmycobra Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I have been using Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt and have had perfect water tests everytime. I think it mixes better than Reef Crystals which is what I used before. My calcium levels are about 450-500 with weekly 20% water changes. I also have a few clams that tend to suck up calcium with Reef Crystals, but have not since I switched to the Tropic Marin salt. Link to comment
djpaul81 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Is it that much cheaper to buy R/O water and salt mix and do it yourself? I don't have an R/O unit but I do have a spare 10G tank to mix if that will save me money in the long run. Thoughts? Link to comment
SaltWaterNewb Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Long term, your most cost effective way is to buy an RO/DI filter, make your own water and mix the saltwater yourself. Especially if you have a tank of larger size. For the time being I am buying distilled water and going that route but I will eventually get a filter. Even with a 10g tank it will cost me about $3 per week just in water. Not a lot but over the course of a year....$3 x 52 weeks = $156....the same cost as an RO/DI filter. If you do not want to or can't afford to get a filter right now, then yes, the next best (least expensive) way it to buy water and mix your own SW. Link to comment
djpaul81 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Long term, your most cost effective way is to buy an RO/DI filter, make your own water and mix the saltwater yourself. Especially if you have a tank of larger size. For the time being I am buying distilled water and going that route but I will eventually get a filter. Even with a 10g tank it will cost me about $3 per week just in water. Not a lot but over the course of a year....$3 x 52 weeks = $156....the same cost as an RO/DI filter. If you do not want to or can't afford to get a filter right now, then yes, the next best (least expensive) way it to buy water and mix your own SW. Thanks for the advice. I know that there are alot of RO/DI filters out there. What do the majority of people use? It seems like Tropic Marine, Reef Crystals, and Oceanic are the top three salt mixes everyone is using. Link to comment
Seanfg89 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I've always used Oceanic (the kind in the silver bag) because of availability and since it comes in small re-sealable bags, perfect for the smaller sized aquarium. It is relatively high in calcium which I like since then I never have to worry about it with weekly water changes but the alk is on the low end so I always boost it with some Reef Carbonate by SeaChem. Oceanic salt also dissolves very quickly from my experience so its nice if you have to do a water change in a hurry. Link to comment
HappyPlaty Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Using Tropic marine ever since. Link to comment
el fabuloso Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I know this is a dead horse but I thought I'd chime in. I use Oceanic and I love it. It has awesome solubility so the water is always crystal clear. Calcium is high and stays high even between water changes. Alk is low but not as low as most people make it sound. At least not for me. Link to comment
Burks Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Instant Ocean here. I get it by the box which is much cheaper (like $32). The savings by buying IO that way and getting less Ca/Mg/etc I can buy supplements and put the levels right where I want them. Started with Reef Crystals but always had a nitrate problem. LFS was out of Reef Crystals so I bought Instant Ocean....nitrates are 0 and I couldn't be happier. Maybe it was the RC, maybe it wasn't. Not going to chance it. Link to comment
intheb0x Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 ^ lol i understand that i used instant ocean at first and was told about reef crystals being the best cant really tell a difference. maybe ill switch back to IC Link to comment
big_fat_mushroom Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Kent Sea Salt works great. Link to comment
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