fairly new to salt water.

[sergifed91]

my tank has only been running since april. Been using instant ocean reef crystals. but been thinking about switching to a different salt. not sure on the contents on the following but these are the 2 top contenders.
Brightwell aquatics neomarine salt mix or Liveaquaria professional reef salt. I don't know anything about these brands. thoughts on these 2 types. I heard liveaquaria is made from fritz? or repackged from fritz?

 

[theatrus]

my tank has only been running since april. Been using instant ocean reef crystals. but been thinking about switching to a different salt. not sure on the contents on the following but these are the 2 top contenders.
Brightwell aquatics neomarine salt mix or Liveaquaria professional reef salt. I don't know anything about these brands. thoughts on these 2 types. I heard liveaquaria is made from fritz? or repackged from fritz?

What are you hoping to gain by switching?

Factors include clean mixing, consistency, and parameters when mixed. For example, RC tends to be high alk.

 

[Ranjib]

I use reef crystal, wondering what issue you are facing .

 

[Montiman]

Perhaps the greatest advice I have heard when it comes to salt is that your tank parameters should match your freshly mixed water parameters. If you like the normal mixing parameters of reef crystals don’t switch. If you have target parameters in mind that are different then switch to a salt that mixes to what you want.

I like reef crystals but I aim for a calcium of 450 alk of 10 and magnesium of 1350 which is about what reef crystals mixes out at.

 

[sergifed91]

I use reef crystal, wondering what issue you are facing .

Been mixing salt in 5 gallon buckets with reef Crystal's. Waiting over night. Wave maker in it and heater to temp 78. Alk is what I expect. Ca 400 mg 1100. Maybe s bad batch. But seems lately the last 3 batches of salt just not what I expected for readings on ca and magnesium. Salanity is 35.

 

[Montiman]

It could be a variety of things. What I wouldn’t rule out is using such small quantities. It is really best to mix a whole bag at once if possible. If you are only doing 5 gallons at a time I might try Two Little Fishies Accurasea. It comes in a 50 gallon mix with 10 5 gallon bags. I use this on my office tanks and have been very happy.

 

[sergifed91]

It could be a variety of things. What I wouldn’t rule out is using such small quantities. It is really best to mix a whole bag at once if possible. If you are only doing 5 gallons at a time I might try Two Little Fishies Accurasea. It comes in a 50 gallon mix with 10 5 gallon bags. I use this on my office tanks and have been very happy.

I think instead of filling a bunch of 5 gallon buckets at one time and then let each one sit with a heater and circulation pump for 24 hours I might try a bigger storage container. something like sterilite 30 gal. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-30-Gal-114-L-EZ-Carry-Flat-Gray-Spicy-Lime/111488611

 

[Ron Reefman]

I don't know what you expect for parameters on your new salt. But IMHO, switching to a different salt isn't necessarily getting a better salt. But I'd wager it's a more expensive salt!

I've used both IO and IO RC for years with both zoas and anemone tank and a 80% sps coral tank. I've tried a couple of much more expensive (supposedly better) salts and found no difference in end results in the tank.

My suggestion is be prepared to dose Ca, alk and Mg if needed and forget about paying more for salt.

 

[Bpb]

Oddly as it may seem, salt mix seems to have little bearing on the health of a tank. There may be some people who will call me on this, but there are too many great tanks using just about every commercially available salt on the market. The minor differences in various elements wont matter much, especially on a new and lightly stocked tank. Use what you're comfortable with and have readily available. You're not going to suddenly have an unrecognizable tank by switching from instant ocean to brightwell. Matter of fact Id wager the only difference you'll notice is in your pocketbook.

Anyone who swears this or that salt crashed their tank cant fully be trusted unless they have an actualy ICP analysis of some fresh mix of their salt in question and there is a parameter that is so far elevated it becomes toxic, after a sufficiently large water change. People are so quick to blame salt for problems without even actually verifying there is a specific problem. Just alot of "Such and such salt crashed my tank. Everything was fine and when I switched this or that died." You cant make that claim without at least specifically saying what did it by actually verifying it.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Oddly as it may seem, salt mix seems to have little bearing on the health of a tank. There may be some people who will call me on this, but there are too many great tanks using just about every commercially available salt on the market. The minor differences in various elements wont matter much, especially on a new and lightly stocked tank. Use what you're comfortable with and have readily available. You're not going to suddenly have an unrecognizable tank by switching from instant ocean to brightwell. Matter of fact Id wager the only difference you'll notice is in your pocketbook.

Anyone who swears this or that salt crashed their tank cant fully be trusted unless they have an actualy ICP analysis of some fresh mix of their salt in question and there is a parameter that is so far elevated it becomes toxic, after a sufficiently large water change. People are so quick to blame salt for problems without even actually verifying there is a specific problem. Just alot of "Such and such salt crashed my tank. Everything was fine and when I switched this or that died." You cant make that claim without at least specifically saying what did it by actually verifying it.

I think you are 100% right on the money! I'd wager salt gets blamed almost as often as lights or water with a TDS reading above zero!