2022 salt poll

[Billldg]

HW Marine Reefer mix, I am not lying as it is 2022 and I am still using it. I do plan on switching to a mix that is on your list, BUT, I did not make the decision to change because of the salt, just availability. So I say other to support HW Marine.

 

[JNalley]

I've seen a lot of mention about TM Pro and some issues.. I've been using the salt for 3 years or so and haven't noticed many problems other than it being harder to get of late.

What are the issues with TM Pro?

People are reporting reddish-brown sludge in their mixing bins, but I have not had any of those issues. I love TM Pro Reef, it just mixes too low Alk for me at this point otherwise I'd stay using it. Plus, I like that ESV is mixed in like 2 hours because it's 4-part mixing where 2 of those things are liquids, so emergency water changes can be faster.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Why can I only pick one?

 

[Chrisv.]

I use IO. Cheap, consistent and cheap lol. I have a ton of water to take care of, so this allows me to not spend a fortune on salt. I change out almost 350 gallons a month. Do not want to even imagine what that would cost with anything else lol.

Wow. Do you have a build thread? 350 gallons a month? Is that a 10% wc?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Wow. Do you have a build thread? 350 gallons a month? Is that a 10% wc?

I do and it is kind of a scattered one. It should be linked to my build thread badge. For the fish barn, I do about 8 gallons a day. For my dualing (now single) 180 setup, I do about 4 per day. That will change to 2 this weekend, so the total water changed will go down.

30x4=120
30x7.5=225
120+225=345 give or take.

And I still have to dose alk and calcium lol. Even with about 50% water change a month on the tanks.

 

[Chrisv.]

I do and it is kind of a scattered one. It should be linked to my build thread badge. For the fish barn, I do about 8 gallons a day. For my dualing (now single) 180 setup, I do about 4 per day. That will change to 2 this weekend, so the total water changed will go down.

30x4=120
30x7.5=225
120+225=345 give or take.

And I still have to dose alk and calcium lol. Even with about 50% water change a month on the tanks.

Ah I was just reading this one today! Nice!

 

[Jw258]

I started off using Aquaforest Reef and had good results but friends suggest I switch to TMPR so I did. It makes sense to use TMPR because I use All For Reef but I am tempted to return to AF Reef every time I run out if TMPR as I've never been able to get the yellow/green tips back on my Bubblegum Monti since going to TMPR.

 

[Reefahholic]

The most important part of this thread that 50% of people missed. ;Pompus ;Hilarious

 

[Trouble1375]

I have been and plan to continue to use HW-Marinemix Reefer which was not in the poll.

 

[ajtomase]

Red Sea, widely available and mid point price.
Mine mixes clean, every single time (not heated) through 24 buckets.
But in the end, salt is salt, more of this, less of that, bio additives, elevated, NSW.
Some of the most amazing tanks I have ever seen use the most inexpensive salts.
It’s the reefer that makes this possible, not the salt.

do you follow Red Sea's advice to mix no more than 2 hour max, or do you follow BRS with the 24 hours to mix it?

 

[Acros]

do you follow Red Sea's advice to mix no more than 2 hour max, or do you follow BRS with the 24 hours to mix it?

I use Red Sea blue bucket. It is fine to mix and store for as long as you want. Red Sea pro salt should not be mixed/stored for more than 2 hours. BRS investigates came to the same conclusion.

 

[ajtomase]

I use Red Sea blue bucket. It is fine to mix and store for as long as you want. Red Sea pro salt should not be mixed/stored for more than 2 hours. BRS investigates came to the same conclusion.

The BRS investigates video that I'm referring two is this one:
They say the mix doesn't mix clear not until 24 hours. What BRS video are you referring to?

 

[ajtomase]

Red Sea Blue Bucket, for the past 1.5 years. Before that I always used instant ocean or reef crystals, but the alkalinity is just too hot for me.

how much alk about you getting from your mixture?

 

[14 foot reef]

The most important part of this thread that 50% of people missed. ;Pompus ;Hilarious

I picked up on that, first thing I looked for.... What would Randy do ?

 

[Acros]

The BRS investigates video that I'm referring two is this one:
They say the mix doesn't mix clear not until 24 hours. What BRS video are you referring to?

I was talking about it from a alk drop stand point. There are at least 2 videos that talk about it (with heat and circulation, without heat and circulation). Here is one
I typically end up mixing overnight so that the temp comes up to my tank temp before water change.

 

[Acros]

The most important part of this thread that 50% of people missed. ;Pompus ;Hilarious

I picked up on that, first thing I looked for.... What would Randy do ?

As far as I recall, randy does not keep a personal reef tank. The goals of a public aquarium is way different from a hobbyist. @Randy Holmes-Farley please correct me if I am mistaken.

Edit: No salt performed considerably better than any other salt (of the same category) in the brstv investigates series.

 

[i_am_mclovin]

I had considered switching to TM Pro but holy cow is that expensive - like 67 cents per gallon vs the 27-47 other salts are. As my next tank is going to be north of 300+ gallons, I have no desire to spend that much on salt.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I switch back and forth between Fritz blue box and Brightwell Neomarine. Both are a synthetic salt, so no brown crud in my mixing container like red sea blue bucket used to leave. They both also run dKh around 8.5.

I will say that I have to use quite a bit less salt from brightwell to get it up to 1.026. Like 17 cups for 40 gallons instead of 20-21 for fritz and red sea.

 

[Quietman]

HW Marinemix Reefer. All I've used for 3 years, no plans to change.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

i use reef crystals. they dont have any problems for me because i maintain my trace elements with dosing as opposed to water changes. i am curious though, why dosent anyone put saltwater through a crazy fine filter mesh then just take the water & evaporate it, would have exact ocean peramaters

Red Sea gets their salt this way. They pump it from the ocean into evaporation vats.