How come no one talks about Seachem Reef Salt?

[willthethrill]

So let me preface this by saying that I've been in the hobby for a few years and this isn't the typical noob question "what's the best salt". There is no such answer to that question.

When I stopped using reef crystals, and switched over to Seachem reef salt, I did so because I wanted something that mixed better and cleaner, had good parameters, and was good on price as well. I'm a big fan of consistent water changes so I buy salt often.

Seachem reef salt's parameters are always pretty spot on and you can buy a 200g box that mixes to 1.025-1.026 for 59.99 online. Some other "cheaper" salts have parameters that are either too high or too low.

Every once in a while I come across new guys asking for salt suggestions on these forums, and I always see the same few answers. But rarely does anyone bring up Seachem reef salt. Is it because the other salts are more expensive therefore people think they might be better? Maybe those salts are advertised more? Everyone always brings up the Red Sea Coral pro salt but that's 72.99 for a 175g bucket.

I'm one to try new stuff but I feel like I can't justify switching to a more expensive salt. But I feel like those salts are the ones pushed on new guys whenever they wana venture away from IO or reef crystals.

Just my thoughts after a long drive to work lol.

 

[Antics]

Don't have a concrete answer. I think a lot of it has to do with the price point. IO 200g box is ~50$ locally here. When someone isn't happy with RC or IO they usually want something that mixes at a higher dKH, which makes Coral Pro the instant go-to. I personally use the Aquaforest brand, and before that I would bounce around between HW and Coral Pro. My store has never carried the Seachem Reef Salt, but we do have their AV Salinity.

 

[becks]

I like seachem products and would use it in future.

 

[greg 45]

Switched over to Fritz PRO RPM

 

[steve&mari]

No real answer here either but we use av salinity. As any other there's good reviews and bad reviews on it. Personally it's been a great salt mix.

 

[rayn]

It could come down to availability. I can get IO and RC easily. Could get red sea for a long time too. I have to order anything else.

 

[Ike]

I won't use it because of the high boron content and how it messes with alkalinity test kits and because I don't want it elevated in my salt, it's bad chemistry in my opinion.

 

[willthethrill]

I won't use it because of the high boron content and how it messes with alkalinity test kits and because I don't want it elevated in my salt, it's bad chemistry in my opinion.

You sir, are making me re-think my salt.

I just read up on this for the past half hour. Not that I've ever had issues with this salt myself, but I'm going to be dosing in the future and want to be accurate with my dkh readings.

In smaller tanks I've relied on water changes for replenishing the parameters to acceptable limits. I was unaware that this salt has such high levels of borate. Not that it's bad because it's in natural seawater. But it seems in high levels it can cause some ill effects. Not so bad that you'd know about it, but your coral altogether might prosper more without so much of it in the water.