botom line what is the best reef salt.

[CJBuckeyes]

California Academy of Sciences

When do you conduct behind the scenes tours? :-)

[ClaytonG]

Only thing I hate about Salinity salt is how heavy the bucket is lol

 

Try lifting the barrel... Lol

[Lawnman]

Try lifting the barrel... Lol

Barrel? It comes in a bigger container?

[chachew]

I use rcsp and i like it.

[BulkRate]

Started my tank with Seachem Reef Salt, switched to Salinity about 3 months ago to decent if not incredible results. No real issues on mixing, some white residue on the mixing paraphernalia but not as bad as some report I get a lot less precipitation if I plan ahead and let the filtered water sit in the bucket for a week circulating at room temp and mix the salt in slowly over an hour. Helps that I've got a small tank and only mix 5-6 gallons at a time... I'd go nuts if it took 6-10 hours to batch in the salt like some doing 30-60 gallons at a time claim to do.

 

For some reason Hotlanta's the mecca of cheap (inexpensive) salt. Maybe since Seachem's based out of Madison?

 

Whatever the reason, Seachem Reef Salt and Salinity both hang around $55/$85 for the 120/225 gallon buckets and are usually on special at one or more of the LFS's, and most seem to price the other common brands at about the same price point.

[Sea_Of_Treachery]

I prefer tropic marin, although right now im using reef crystals for my new setup because it was available, but it takes forever to dissolve. IMO there is no "best salt". To each his own.

[ecajoe]

 

I prefer tropic marin, although right now im using reef crystals for my new setup because it was available, but it takes forever to dissolve. IMO there is no "best salt". To each his own.

. This is kinda a opinion based poll from lifes experiences like what your using used like hate ext

 

Also big batches are not the same its kinda like an average number I'm more interested in 5-20 mix type of situations

[chrisK]

I've used IO Reef Crystals and did not like it because of not only the brown residue that it leaves in my mixing buckets but because I also noticed the salinity can vary.

 

With RSCP I always use 2 1/2 cups for 35ppt salinity for 5 gallons. But for Reef Crystals it would be a little less or a little more here and there. And this is using a refractometer.

 

Maybe it's human error. But I like the consistency of RSCP

[Bill Nye]

I have been using ESV and it is pretty good. No residue and mixes fast. I am looking to go away from ESV though because I mix smaller batches and its very annoying to mix the four part and can lead to errors in your levels if you are not spot on. After doing a lot of reading I have decided to either go with D&D H20 or Seachem salinity.

[Fishgirl2393]

I've used Reef Crystals, Instant Ocean and Oceanic. Oceanic is my favorite by far. Anytime I use Instant Ocean, the pH/Alk end up really low (even when mixed with RO/DI or Distilled water), if I use Reef Crystals, I end up with super high calcium levels (580+ppm). Oceanic mixes with high enough calcium levels and keeps my pH/Alk stable. Oceanic also mixes really fast for me!

[Spirofucci]

What I get from this thread and all the others like it, is that most if not all of the brands of salt are just fine.

[Lawnman]

What I get from this thread and all the others like it, is that most if not all of the brands of salt are just fine.

+1

[Marteen]

So they say. You really think they test EVERY SINGLE bucket? Doubt it.

They never said they test every bucket, they test every batch. There could be 500 buckets in a batch, but as long as the mix is well mixed in the batch each bucket should be relatively identical.

[Graver]

I'm using RSCP and love it.

[blasterman]

Best salt is the stuff I make myself.

 

Grocery store food grade sodium chloride. I then mix in salt substitute (potassium chloride) to get the right ratio of the two main salts.

 

Reef grade magnesium which is a mix of magnesium sulfate and chloride. Depending on where my calcium is at I *might* add calcium chloride, but I try to mix in calcium carbonate powder, which works much better although it disolves slower. I top it off with bicarbonate for targeted alk and add some strontium.

 

This mix works orders of magnitude than commercial mixes, and leaves alk / calcium ratios alone. Even with a 50/50 change my most sensitive corals do not even react to the water change.

 

I've had mixes of RC and some users buffer as high as dKH 13 and higher.....no thanks.

[VABumpkin]

I like Tropic Marin. Mostly because of the pretty packaging. Lame I know, but it's still great salt.

[Jaden1592]

brightwell and instant ocean rock..

Best salt is the stuff I make myself.

 

Grocery store food grade sodium chloride. I then mix in salt substitute (potassium chloride) to get the right ratio of the two main salts.

 

Reef grade magnesium which is a mix of magnesium sulfate and chloride. Depending on where my calcium is at I *might* add calcium chloride, but I try to mix in calcium carbonate powder, which works much better although it disolves slower. I top it off with bicarbonate for targeted alk and add some strontium.

 

This mix works orders of magnitude than commercial mixes, and leaves alk / calcium ratios alone. Even with a 50/50 change my most sensitive corals do not even react to the water change.

 

I've had mixes of RC and some users buffer as high as dKH 13 and higher.....no thanks.

That's amazing I hope you can back this up with a picture of some sort,

[TheKleinReef]

aquavitro salinity. i'll never use another salt again

[Polyp Addict]

I don't touch anything but aqua vitro

[Gooburz]

Used to use a Natural Sea water, Instant Ocean, Brightwell, Tropic Marin but nothing has opened up my corals and made them look better than the Red Sea Coral Pro.

 

To this day Red Sea Coral Pro salt is number 1 in my book.

[Sunar357]

Loved Salinity...so good! Not cheap though...so for now i'm with Reef Crystals because of the budget i'm on.

[MikeTR]

Best salt is the stuff I make myself.

 

Grocery store food grade sodium chloride. I then mix in salt substitute (potassium chloride) to get the right ratio of the two main salts.

 

Reef grade magnesium which is a mix of magnesium sulfate and chloride. Depending on where my calcium is at I *might* add calcium chloride, but I try to mix in calcium carbonate powder, which works much better although it disolves slower. I top it off with bicarbonate for targeted alk and add some strontium.

 

This mix works orders of magnitude than commercial mixes, and leaves alk / calcium ratios alone. Even with a 50/50 change my most sensitive corals do not even react to the water change.

 

I've had mixes of RC and some users buffer as high as dKH 13 and higher.....no thanks.

Do tell more.. a dash of this and a dash of that sounds like a recipe for disaster. I think we all wonder what's in a salt mix anyway.

[CrazyEyes]

I started with Reef crystals, I liked it a lot. Switched to RSCP then realized the alk was too high for carbon dosing. Went to regular red sea salt. Used it for some time with great results. Then switched to E.S.V and I really liked E.S.V, it's one of the cleanest salts I've personally seen myself. Upcoming tank will probably get either Tropic Marin or E.S.V.

[markalot]

I used Red Sea regular for a while because of the lower Alk. I found Mag was a little low for my taste so I switched to Kent, also lower Alk but insane Calcium and mag. Everything lives, and having two tanks I can see how one might believe a salt actually makes a difference, since my tanks look totally different, but the salt is the same. Use what works for you.

 

And bottom is spelled with two T's dammit.

[RK_tek]

I've been using IORC for 3 years, but mainly because of the price. Never had issues with it other than the brown residue. I recently found a source for Salinity that isn't outrageously priced in a city I frequent regularly enough to stay stocked.