BIG AND LOUD SALT COMPARISON THREAD

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 19, 2017

Rob Lion said:
I still think that the main reason that so many people get inconsistent parameters from their chosen salt mix manufacturer, is that they end user doesn't thoroughly mix the dry salt before using it.
.

I suspect that even more issues relate to inaccurate testing.

mcarroll · Jan 19, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I prefer normal IO for a system like mine (now taken down).

+1

Sorry to hear you had to take down the tank....I remember you mentioning that the time was probably coming.

But I certainly understand being limited on free time!!

tangerine3486 · Jan 19, 2017

Reef crystals smell strange. I like red sea coral pro, but I do not like paying for it. However based on the link below, probably not worth it.

Sorry if someone has already posted this comparison of 13 different salts:

https://sites.google.com/site/reefsaltanalysis/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf?attredirects=0

tangerine3486 · Jan 19, 2017

I used ocean water off of Makapu'u and Kaneohe Bay when I lived in Oahu. Salinity 1.025/1.026.

GoVols · Jan 19, 2017

tangerine3486 said:
Reef crystals smell strange. I like red sea coral pro, but I do not like paying for it. However based on the link below, probably not worth it.

Sorry if someone has already posted this comparison of 13 different salts:

https://sites.google.com/site/reefsaltanalysis/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf?attredirects=0

Your the first to post that link on this thread.
Thanks for sharing.

mallorieGgator · Jan 19, 2017

When we had our tank up, we used Red Sea Coral Pro for awhile. It left a large amount of residue on my mixing pump but I liked the salt. Didn't like the price. So out of the need for cheaper salt, we tried instant ocean. I saw no huge difference in the quality of the tank and I saw some improvement in the residue on my mixing equipment.

dragon99 · Jan 20, 2017

tangerine3486 said:
Reef crystals smell strange. I like red sea coral pro, but I do not like paying for it. However based on the link below, probably not worth it.

Sorry if someone has already posted this comparison of 13 different salts:

https://sites.google.com/site/reefsaltanalysis/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf?attredirects=0

Don't think I've seen that one before. Thanks!
Sure wish they had tested the samples at the correct salinity though. Can't really make any comparison in those bar graphs between a salt at 30ppt and one at 35ppt.

Personally I've been using IO and other than Mg and Ca being slightly low (for what I want), I've had no issues. When I get though the current box I'm switching to HW Reefer because it was a decent price on the BF sale and from what I've read the parameters match what I'm looking to maintain.

GoVols · Jan 20, 2017

"Tropic Marin Bio Actif"
Total User Error on This Post

I used Tropic Marin Bio Actif. (It has a carbon source in the mix)

All was great. Felt like this was the best salt I ever bought at the time. Coral colors and growth was amazing. Skimmer was pulling some serious funk.

Later on (Figured more would be even better...) and I did a 50% total water change in two increments over two day period. 25% both days. (Had the biggest bacteria bloom and took months to get rid of all the coral damage and HEARTBREAK.)

So days later I went to TM website and was noted to do 10% weekly water changes.

So... (At that one moment), I fully understood, I just carbon dosed the geebers out of my reef with the large water change

and there would probably be a long ride ahead.

My bad... I didn't read instructions and lesson learned

gobeach · Jan 24, 2017

I started out using D&D, but then Red Sea took over operations so I continued with the Red Sea (regular, not Reef Pro). I got into a bit of a tiff with the owner of the LFS so decided to buy my salt elsewhere

and landed on NeoMarine. I'm not unhappy with the salt, I chose it because it's got the lower alkalinity - but am frustrated by the requirement to mix it for 24hrs before using it. This has thrown my very consistent maintenance out the window and I need to make another choice in salt. It looks like IO might be a reasonable choice - I dose 2-part, Calcium, Kalk, and Vinegar - my system is growing nicely and fairly stable so I don't want to make any dramatic changes.

I too had the buildup in my mixing can, but never in the tank!

LAFANBLUE · Dec 10, 2017

Its a bummer when I thread like this just stops. Anyone from this original discussion around and have any more results?

skiergd011013 · Dec 10, 2017

I have used regular io, io reef crystals, coralife, and now red sea coral pro. By far my favorite and what ill be sticking with is the rscp. After switching to it and using it for 4 weeks, im having steady growth of coralline popping up all over. I never had it before. It has some of the highest levels of cal, alk, and mag of any salt. I seem to be seeing results from that.

drawman · Dec 10, 2017

In the past 2 years I have used 3 different brands of salt. Bottom line is I don't trust any of the big 3 (Ca, Alk, Mg) to be spot on and I test my NSW a lot more than I used to.

Tropic Marin (not pro) is what I'm currently using. I used TM Pro many years ago with great success and not really sure why I strayed away from this brand other than price. Calcium and Magnesium have tested low for me on one bucket but I can report more as I have two unopened buckets ready to be used in the near future. Alkalinity is in a very good range which is most important for me.

Red Sea Blue Bucket. This salt has also been just fine for me but again has been pretty low in Magnesium and Calcium and needs to be supplemented. Alkalinity is in a very good range which is most important for me.

Red Sea Pro. After a couple year break from the hobby (many years ago) I stupidly used this salt without researching. Alkalinity is way too high to be any use to me.

Aquaforest Probiotic and Reef Salt. As @GoVols has said the included sheet should not be trusted and, if anything, will give you a false sense of confidence. This salt mixes the quickest of any salts but unfortunately is the most hygroscopic (by a long shot!). That means if you have any puncture in the bag (this happened during shipping with about 50% of the salt I ordered) this salt will turn to a giant rock very quickly. The reason I stopped using it was due to coral issues and potentially acro paranoia and reported "bad" batches.

Newb73 · Dec 10, 2017

Right now i have IO, RSP, Fritz, and HW Marinmix in my store room.

It makes little difference when you do 1.4% per day, you just test once a week and adjust your 2 part dosing pumps accordingly and add mg as needed.

With IO i don't need as much alk but i need a boat load of Mg and CA.

With fritz i need almost no Mg or Ca and dose alk. (Which makes fritz easier and almost cheaper than IO)

Ill be sure to watch my alk closely when running the RSP since it runs higher. (Who knows, maybe i won't need any dosing when running RSP...that might make it more attractive).

Honestly contunious water changes solves so many of these problems its well worth the price of admission..

GoVols · Dec 11, 2017

drawman said:
In the past 2 years I have used 3 different brands of salt. Bottom line is I don't trust any of the big 3 (Ca, Alk, Mg) to be spot on and I test my NSW a lot more than I used to.

Tropic Marin (not pro) is what I'm currently using. I used TM Pro many years ago with great success and not really sure why I strayed away from this brand other than price. Calcium and Magnesium have tested low for me on one bucket but I can report more as I have two unopened buckets ready to be used in the near future. Alkalinity is in a very good range which is most important for me.

Red Sea Blue Bucket. This salt has also been just fine for me but again has been pretty low in Magnesium and Calcium and needs to be supplemented. Alkalinity is in a very good range which is most important for me.

Red Sea Pro. After a couple year break from the hobby (many years ago) I stupidly used this salt without researching. Alkalinity is way too high to be any use to me.

Aquaforest Probiotic and Reef Salt. As @GoVols has said the included sheet should not be trusted and, if anything, will give you a false sense of confidence. This salt mixes the quickest of any salts but unfortunately is the most hygroscopic (by a long shot!). That means if you have any puncture in the bag (this happened during shipping with about 50% of the salt I ordered) this salt will turn to a giant rock very quickly. The reason I stopped using it was due to coral issues and potentially acro paranoia and reported "bad" batches.

drawman,
I have not used the Aquaforest reef salt mix in a very long time.

Been on the Red Sea "Blue Bucket" since the first of the year. It's been very stable from bucket to bucket and or batch to batch.
So far the Red Sea "My Batch" reports have been spot on.

Thanks, Freddie

drawman · Dec 11, 2017

GoVols said:
drawman,
I have not used the Aquaforest reef salt mix in a very long time.

Been on the Red Sea "Blue Bucket" since the first of the year. It's been very stable from bucket to bucket and or batch to batch.
So far the Red Sea "My Batch" reports have been spot on.

Thanks, Freddie

Hey Freddie,
Yeah I remember discussing "bad" AF batches with you in another thread. One of the reasons I have not used Aquaforest in a long time either. I can't say for sure the salt was my problem at the time but I'm happy with Red Sea Blue Bucket and Tropic Marin standard salts.

GoVols · Dec 11, 2017

drawman said:
Hey Freddie,
Yeah I remember discussing "bad" AF batches with you in another thread. One of the reasons I have not used Aquaforest in a long time either. I can't say for sure the salt was my problem at the time but I'm happy with Red Sea Blue Bucket and Tropic Marin standard salts.

drawman,
It's been awhile since we last talked.

Used regular IO most of my life but at this point the alk is a tad to high and got lazy about dosing up cal and mag, while mixing

Hope things are going good your way

Freddie

keddre · Dec 11, 2017

All I've ever kept in my tank is zoas and now I only have a gorgonian and just acquired a goniopora this weekend, so I never needed to keep as close an eye on parameters as others. To top that, in my city, I seem limited to instant ocean sea or reef and omega one. All that stated, I'm a fan of omega one. This is simply because instant ocean takes me 6 scoops to make 1.026 water vs omega one which only takes 4.5 scoops, using the same measuring cup.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 11, 2017

keddre said:
A All that stated, I'm a fan of omega one. This is simply because instant ocean takes me 6 scoops to make 1.026 water vs omega one which only takes 4.5 scoops, using the same measuring cup.

Just curious, why do you consider that important?

keddre · Dec 11, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Just curious, why do you consider that important?

I only have two semesters (1 year) left of college and I barely have any money saved up to move out. It sounds bad, but at this point I'm saving every nickel I have. Only thing I splurge on now is fish food and filtration, I can't skimp on those

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 11, 2017

keddre said:
I only have two semesters (1 year) left of college and I barely have any money saved up to move out. It sounds bad, but at this point I'm saving every nickel I have. Only thing I splurge on now is fish food and filtration, I can't skimp on those

Cost is certainly a good reason for choosing a mix, but I'm not sure that mixes that take less solids will cost less. The difference is some have less water in the solid crystals than do others.

Anhydrous salt mixes (those with less water) are more often the costlier ones, not the cheaper ones. It take extra energy and processing steps to remove water from the calcium and magnesium salts put into salt mixes, so making them more compact might make them more expensive too.