Salt

[Chris B]

I’ve decided to get back into the hobby and was wondering which brand people are using for salt and what are the Calcium, Alk and Magnesium levels out the gate?

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Brightwell neo marine

 

[Skeeter7424]

Used to run Instant Ocean Reef Crystals, over the past year I saw a huge jump in the amount I needed to mix to get to desired SG. 3 water changes/3 weeks ago I switched to Red Sea Coral Pro, and things in the tank look amazing. Polyp extension seems better, nuisance algae growth is down, skimmate about normal. Very happy with the switch, even for the price jump

 

[MarvinsReef]

I use fritz rpm blue box salt. Alk is always between 8-9 dkh for me when I test a batch of salt mix at 1.026. I like this salt because it generally mixes without residue left behind and it is right inline with my tank parameters so little fluctuation when I do water changes.

 

[Chris B]

Anyone else using red sea coral pro? Have parameters been consistent?

 

[this is me]

IO.

 

[Jose01550]

fritz blue box used reef crystals for a few years but mixes to dirty. and fritz is very stable. and good price

 

[ifarmer]

I use the regular Instant Ocean salt. Not only it helps save me money but it also gives me more control and to manage the trace element as needed

 

[Zirky]

I keep going back and forth between aquaforest, HW and tropic Marin pro. The tropic Marin is the cleanest and goes the farthest but a little pricey and lower alk than the other two which are about the same.

 

[rock-n-reef]

Red sea Blue bucket. Not the cleanest. Leaves a good amount of residue in the mixing bin, but I like the consistency between batches (Alk 8.3 to 8.5 at 35 PPT). I have used HW in the past with similar results.

 

[coralfishreef]

Softie tank - TM Pro or TM Classic if Pro is unavailable. I do small daily water changes with AWC and adjust dosing when using Classic
SPS tank - RedSea Blue also with AWC
Frag tanks - RedSea Black with small water changes to not spike Alk. I’m going to switch to RedSea Blue when the black bucket is empty for the lower Alk.

 

[Skeeter7424]

Anyone else using red sea coral pro? Have parameters been consistent?

In my short (4 week) experience with it, it has been consistent and clean. IO left way more residue in my mixing barrel than the RSCP has. I will test my next 2 batches and report back with some levels.

 

[coralfishreef]

In my short (4 week) experience with it, it has been consistent and clean. IO left way more residue in my mixing barrel than the RSCP has. I will test my next 2 batches and report back with some levels.

Oddly, Redsea black hasn’t left any residue in the mixing barrel after a year. RedSea blue has some brown residue.

 

[Chris B]

Has anyone notice a supply shortage from the Red Sea, IO, Tropic Marin or Fritz?

 

[coralfishreef]

Just TM

 

[Greg Hiller]

I've pretty much always used IO. Yes, the mixing bucket is not the cleanest after several water make ups. About once every three years or so I'll clean out the bucket with some acid and a good scrub. I don't get too worked up on the levels of calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium straight out of the bag. If the level of both calcium and alkalinity are too elevated then they won't really go properly into solution (in this case it doesn't matter who is making the salt). I never do water changes larger than 10-15%. I control calcium and alkalinity with a calcium reactor and on very rare occasion with a single adjustment with either calcium chloride or baking soda, depending on which is low. I also check for magnesium once in a great while, my tank used to consume it at some clip, but that's no longer the case, so I almost never have to correct the levels (maybe the level in IO is higher than it used to be, I don't really know).