D-D H2Ocean PRO+ Review

[nanoreefnate]

 

1. 
   Description
    
   H2Ocean Pro+ is a new pro formula aquarium salt - produced by a solar evaporative process which produces a totally natural base salt where all of the main and trace elements are in complete balance as nature intended.
    
   The pure natural salt is then specially enhanced for aquarium use by elevating specific elements that over time become depleted, such as calcium and magnesium which are used by corals and coralline algae for growth.
    
   Free from Nitrate and Phosphate.
    
   Chemistry
   The formulation for H2Ocean+ salt has been developed by D-D following many months of testing and evaluation. The salt is designed to dissolve quickly and easily and to have a specific chemistry which in our opinion is the optimum formulation to maintain a healthy reef and allow regular water changes whilst maintaining a natural balance.
    
   Calcium and Magnesium levels are boosted to replace that used up through coral growth within the aquarium whereas chloride levels are slightly lowered to allow post additions of calcium and magnesium chloride with a minimized affect on the chloride balance.
    
   Parameters when mixed to a S.G: of 1.025 @ 25°C = 35.5 ppt
    
   Parameters Level Range Units
   pH 8.3 8.2-8.4
   dKH 9.3 8.7-9.8
   Calcium (Ca2+) 440 430-460 mg/l
   Magnesium (Mg2+) 1340 1300-1380 mg/l
   Chloride (Cl-) 19550 19960-20130 mg/l
   Potassium (K+) 410 380-420 mg/l
   

 

Ok so i got this salt over the weekend and i mixed it up yesterday morning when i was sick. let it sit about a day and a half and did the water change after a massive feeding. all i have to say is WOW.

 

so here are some good points about the salt.

 

• -Awesome packaging (comes in a bag with a reusable zip tie and a good snap lock lid)
  
• -Easy measuring (no clumps and very good texture, doesn't give off dust when poured)
  
• -Fast dissolver (and i mean FAST)
  
• -Clear dissolver (no milkiness like some other salts)
  
• -Good Parameters (everything read out pretty close to advertised levels)
  
• -Awesome PE from my SPS! (a few minutes after the WC the Polyps were super extended)
  

 

So i would Definitely recommend everyone here at least try it out!

(trust me...i dont use salt mix unless its REALLY GOOD...thats why i usually use NSW )

pix to come.

[gus6464]

I have been using this salt as well for a couple of weeks now instead of IO and I agree that it is fantastic. My hammer has split from 3 heads to 6 during that time and growth has been explosive. I also love how exactly 1 cup of it mixes 2 gallons of water to exactly 1.025g. With IO it was a guessing game and would always leave a lot of residue salt even after 24 hours of mixing whereas H2Ocean leaves absolutely no residue.

[nanoreefnate]

thanks for adding your experience Gus!

 

teaser pic.

 

 

PS i know it looks saturated but believe you me, this is totally unedited. i was amazed with how my ghetto viewing box (plastic tub) distorted the background and how it shaded the metal halide light a little.

Plus. i dont have PS on my lappytop

[NVTE]

I got the different result than you.

1st mix 1/4 of bucket

I think they take longer to fully dissolved the salt. (previous use Tropic Marin Regular which took me 1/2 hour mixing before I do waterchange) Both use Mag 9.5 to mix in 44gallon bin.

The water is cloudy with large residue in the bottom. I need to run filter for 1.5 days before I can do water change.

The corals doesn't react well with the salt ( no open like with Tropic Marin )

2nd mix. 1/4 of bucket.

I still got cloudy water and have to wait 1.5 days.

The coral don't react well with the salt too.

3rd mix 1/4 of bucket.

I got clearer water but not clear like I got with Tropic Marin. The salt is still take longer to mix.

I still got 1/4 of bucket left. and think give it a last try before I make the decision to switch back to TM or not.

The coral is doing okay this time.

I noticed the salt look dense than my Tropic Marin, and when I poured D&D salt in the bin, I didn't get salt dust( whatever it is) like I got from Tropic Marin.

[nanoreefnate]

you know that with ANY salt your supposed to wait at LEAST 1 day to do a WC... with all salts the right chemical balance will not be reached for at least 24hrs.

 

as for tropic marin i have seen a product review on it and it does dissolve rather quickly but again, rate of solution into water has nothing to do with the chemical balancing that has to take place. As for D-D it dissolves a lot quicker than Instant Ocean and at about the same rate as Oceanic. and IMO thats pretty fast. many of the people in my local reef club are using it ATM and they all have beautiful tanks ( linky; http://norcalreefclub.com/forum/viewtopic....f=59&t=1562 )

 

As for the densities, i like that D-D has less fines. less irritating (unless you like irritating dust in your nose and eyes) and seems like i can get more G/cup of salt mix with this salt.

[disaster999]

you know that with ANY salt your supposed to wait at LEAST 1 day to do a WC... with all salts the right chemical balance will not be reached for at least 24hrs.

 

as for tropic marin i have seen a product review on it and it does dissolve rather quickly but again, rate of solution into water has nothing to do with the chemical balancing that has to take place. As for D-D it dissolves a lot quicker than Instant Ocean and at about the same rate as Oceanic. and IMO thats pretty fast. many of the people in my local reef club are using it ATM and they all have beautiful tanks ( linky; http://norcalreefclub.com/forum/viewtopic....f=59&t=1562 )

 

As for the densities, i like that D-D has less fines. less irritating (unless you like irritating dust in your nose and eyes) and seems like i can get more G/cup of salt mix with this salt.

 

do a search, you find a lot of people dont mix their water for a full 24 hours before a water change. i dont, i mix mine for 1 hour or until all the salt is dissolved and go on with my water change.

 

also, there is a huge thread here about the DD salt and from what people are reporting, their testing arent as good as it claims.

 

to me these high end expensive salt does nothing for me. with prices more than double a bucket of RC, i rather use the money on some corals.

[nanoreefnate]

do a search, you find a lot of people dont mix their water for a full 24 hours before a water change. i dont, i mix mine for 1 hour or until all the salt is dissolved and go on with my water change.

 

also, there is a huge thread here about the DD salt and from what people are reporting, their testing arent as good as it claims.

 

to me these high end expensive salt does nothing for me. with prices more than double a bucket of RC, i rather use the money on some corals.

My local reef club guys were pestering me to try it out...thats why i did. i usually use NSW

[disaster999]

could probably explain why your corals are reacting so well with it. aside from biotopes, ive never seen anyone have any real success with NSW. usually more hassle than its worth.

[masterbuilder]

I have used it for 6-8 months with good results and no complaints. I used Tropic Marin regular for a couple of years prior to H20. My reason for the switch was to reduce the need for dosing as it was higher in the big 3 elements than TM. I am almost thru a 2nd large bucket and I have not experienced any of the problems NVTE has. It mixes easily and no cloudiness. I normally use it within 1 hour of mixing with distilled water. Occasional testing has shown it to be very consistent batch to batch which is of prime importance to me. API test kit shows 9-9.5 and 420-440, Salifert Mg is around 1325-1350. Corals have always reacted favorably to the water change and generally look their best shortly afterwards. I can’t say if it’s better than several other salts out there but my tank reacts favorably to it. I have no plans to change t another salt for the foreseeable future.

[deepdvnarq]

i have been using this salt for about 6 moths now and i love it! parameters have = out and are as advertised on the packaging. not much more than IO or any of the other regular salt brands. it's done very well for me and i will keep using it.

[NVTE]

Yes, I heard good thing about this salt especially Magnesium level, that why I thought I might try out. But for now it is not what I expecting for.

I know many reefers around here use it. Even guys love it, they still get cloudy water.

I just witnessed my friend mix 55 gallon bin of this salt for his frag tank (He used the Tropic Marin Regular like mine) It was super cloudy and the large residues flew everywhere. He thought extra pump might break some those residue, so he used Mag 9.5, Mag 7 and Seio 1000 (1000gph powerhead) to mix it. 4 hours later, still got that cloudy and large residue, so he decided to wait till next day.

Next day we checked the water, still cloudy and large residues My friend was so p....ed and almost dump the mixed water, so I told him to use on his Fish Only tank. We mixed another 55gallon bin with Tropic Marin and do water in 40 minutes later. He swear that he never buy this salt again.

That can't be coincident, because I witnessed my mix and my friend mix, same problem.

We never got this problem with Tropic Marin ever. We use Tropic Marin for 3 years, we got same results every time.

That is my experience and my friend's .

 

 

Nate: I don't see that "Wait at least 1 days" level on my Tropic Marin salt. I don't get it why do we have to wait for when the salt is complete dissolved which I think all the supplements in the salt also dissolved too. If that is problem, then my tank doesn't do well in last 3 year with the way I mix and change water.

Wait at least 1 day is not convenience for me because I usually put the mixing bin inside my TIGHT ROOM. I want to mix fresh saltwater, do waterchange, and get my bin out of my room quickly.

[nanoreefnate]

could probably explain why your corals are reacting so well with it. aside from biotopes, ive never seen anyone have any real success with NSW. usually more hassle than its worth.

First of all...pleash look at my tank most of that growth was with NSW as i've only done 2 WC's with D-D

 

LOL... Me and Fosi have been using NSW for a considerable amount of time now (me for 2 years and him for longer) with no real problems. IMO NSW is the best stuff you could get. doesn't have any of chemical reaction "side effects"

 

If Fosi chimed in he would give you a cornucopia of info about it. hopefully he will.

 

about the cloudiness, i cant see anything wrong with my tank... i mean my tank becomes cloudy because i feed tons before a water change but the next day, its all clear.

 

As for the your 30min quick changes, all of my local reef club friends and people on here usually wait a day... hell even the package says it on D-D. Its because the chemical reactions that take place when you put the salt into the water make byproducts that will harm your reef animals.

 

 

BTW do you have a tank thread? id like to see how good the growth in your tank is with Tropic marin.

 

Lastly, as you have already seen from this thread, the overwhelming majority of people that have chosen to voice their opinions have been in favor of this salt.

[Deleted User 6]

also, there is a huge thread here about the DD salt and from what people are reporting, their testing arent as good as it claims.

 

misleading. there are plenty of people on that thread that have gotten excellent results with the salt.

 

but don't take my word for it:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=161449

 

It's also worth noting that the cost difference between a very high quality salt and a low quality salt for a small tank (10g or so) is negligible. $30/year give or take. So for nano tanks, i don't see any reason why someone would use IO when there are so many better choices.

[nanoreefnate]

Thanks for the linky Dhaut

[reeftankguy]

I love this Mix! Cloudy water???? I must have been lucky cause it doesn’t mix cloudy!

 

In my opinion, considerable growth has been noticed with my Coralline Algae, and Zoa's... And my Clam loves the stuff!

 

A Perfect Salt Mix!

[Deleted User 6]

Thanks for the linky Dhaut

 

np man - and if you say "linky" again i'm putting my foot up your ass.

 

also, for the record, i use the salt and like it just fine. have never had a reason to switch.

[nanoreefnate]

np man - and if you say "linky" again i'm putting my foot up your ass.

 

also, for the record, i use the salt and like it just fine. have never had a reason to switch.

ok fine, link be it.

 

thanks for chiming in Dhaut and RTG

[deepdvnarq]

the only time i had cloudy water is when i didn't wait a day and mixed the salt with a powerhead for a few hours only. the cloudiness however didn't harm the corals and only last a few hours. since then i have been mixing it for at least a day or lnger and the cloudiness issue hasn't happened since.

[gus6464]

I don't see the negative posts this salt has gotten in this thread. I started my out tank with IO and it was a pain to mix and growth was decent. After using DD for 4 weeks now my hammer has gotten massive and my GSP is growing too damn fast. I like that with this salt 1 cup = 2g @ 1.025g whereas with IO it was a pure guessing game.

[fishez4alivin]

Ive been using D-D for the past year, I never noticed any cloudy water, because I mix it in a Brute can, and leave it there to mix overnight. One thing a lot of ppl tend to forget to do when using a new batch of salt is to thoroughly mix the bucket before use. I've had no issues doing 25-30G water changes a week. I may be biased though, since I have 5 @5G buckets in my garage that I need to use. With that kind of inventory, D-D is the best salt available..LOL

 

I will say that my local club had only a couple of guys who were using it last year, most of the guys made fun of us for spending 70-80 dollars a bucket. Today, many are using it, prompting our LFS to stock it. To me the greatest part about this water is the fact I don't need to buffer it, before I dump it into the tank. No need to add Ca or Mg to it to get it to what levels I want.

 

I'll bet that a lot of people here don't even get their wc water to proper levels before adding it, if you belong to that club and keep hard corals...SPS and LPS,...you will one day find yourself with super low levels, wondering why they are so low, since you dose everyday, week, whatever.

[nanoreefnate]

Ive been using D-D for the past year, I never noticed any cloudy water, because I mix it in a Brute can, and leave it there to mix overnight. One thing a lot of ppl tend to forget to do when using a new batch of salt is to thoroughly mix the bucket before use. I've had no issues doing 25-30G water changes a week. I may be biased though, since I have 5 @5G buckets in my garage that I need to use. With that kind of inventory, D-D is the best salt available..LOL

 

I will say that my local club had only a couple of guys who were using it last year, most of the guys made fun of us for spending 70-80 dollars a bucket. Today, many are using it, prompting our LFS to stock it. To me the greatest part about this water is the fact I don't need to buffer it, before I dump it into the tank. No need to add Ca or Mg to it to get it to what levels I want.

 

I'll bet that a lot of people here don't even get their wc water to proper levels before adding it, if you belong to that club and keep hard corals...SPS and LPS,...you will one day find yourself with super low levels, wondering why they are so low, since you dose everyday, week, whatever.

Theres the person ive been waiting on!

thanks for chiming in Craig!

(guys this is the person i bow down to on my local reef club... heres a link to his tank thread;

http://norcalreefclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=391 )

[Nano sapiens]

I'll bet that a lot of people here don't even get their wc water to proper levels before adding it, if you belong to that club and keep hard corals...SPS and LPS,...you will one day find yourself with super low levels, wondering why they are so low, since you dose everyday, week, whatever.

 

Hmmm, I agree with you, but it also depends on how much of a WC is performed and if the tank's params are where they should be when beginning the WC.

 

I change 10%/wk. using Reef Crystals and when I've performed 'before-n-after' tests the param differences were negligible. After a bit of testing I've determined exactly how much fully saturated Kalkwasser my ATO bottles should contain to keep Cal. and Alk. levels stable, so my tank has the correct levels before the WC is initiated. Mg has its own, separate dosing schedule. After months of doing this I've never been surprised by super low levels of anything that I test for. SPS and LPS doing fine.

 

I'm tempted to try the D-D salt and I know I'll have to adjust my Kalk and Mg dosing levels (no big deal). The idea of using 'dehydrated saltwater' (now there's a contradiction in terms!) with elevated levels of those elements typically 'used up' in a reef tank is a great one.

[nanoreefnate]

Hmmm, I agree with you, but it also depends on how much of a WC is performed and if the tank's params are where they should be when beginning the WC.

 

I change 10%/wk. using Reef Crystals and when I've performed 'before-n-after' tests the param differences were negligible. After a bit of testing I've determined exactly how much fully saturated Kalkwasser my ATO bottles should contain to keep Cal. and Alk. levels stable, so my tank has the correct levels before the WC is initiated. Mg has its own, separate dosing schedule. After months of doing this I've never been surprised by super low levels of anything that I test for. SPS and LPS doing fine.

 

I'm tempted to try the D-D salt and I know I'll have to adjust my Kalk and Mg dosing levels (no big deal). The idea of using 'dehydrated saltwater' (now there's a contradiction in terms!) with elevated levels of those elements typically 'used up' in a reef tank is a great one.

^^^ this guys has been reefing for like 15 years!

and he's AWESOME.

thanks for chiming in Ralph!

[fishez4alivin]

Hmmm, I agree with you, but it also depends on how much of a WC is performed and if the tank's params are where they should be when beginning the WC.

 

I change 10%/wk. using Reef Crystals and when I've performed 'before-n-after' tests the param differences were negligible. After a bit of testing I've determined exactly how much fully saturated Kalkwasser my ATO bottles should contain to keep Cal. and Alk. levels stable, so my tank has the correct levels before the WC is initiated. Mg has its own, separate dosing schedule. After months of doing this I've never been surprised by super low levels of anything that I test for. SPS and LPS doing fine.

 

I'm tempted to try the D-D salt and I know I'll have to adjust my Kalk and Mg dosing levels (no big deal). The idea of using 'dehydrated saltwater' (now there's a contradiction in terms!) with elevated levels of those elements typically 'used up' in a reef tank is a great one.

 

 

Yes, depending on the size of the WC....if you test you won't have these surprises, and you seem to know exactly what's goin on with your tank.

 

With my own RO/DI, D-D costs around 30 cents a gallon to make, which is pretty good in my book.

 

No need to bow to anyone Nate, your tank is definitely coming around, and you should be proud of it

[nanoreefnate]

too bad i still have to buy RO/DI