Instant ocean salt for reef tanks?

[Bpb]

Sorry but it’s not worth paying 2.5x as much just to have my stupid mixing containers be a hair cleaner. Who cares about the mixing container? And if you do, why?

 

[Idoc]

Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean... can't be a bad salt.

Choose the salt that is closest to the parameters you want to maintain or which one allows you to dose less.

It's pretty simple, really.

 

[S.Pepper]

 

[jda]

I never get any residue, but I do understand chemistry. 50g gallon bag in 44g of cold water in a 44g brute. Mix. Add in 2 tbsp of dowflake. Mix a few minutes. Add in 20mls of Muratic Acid. Mix and heat for a day or two. Perfect 7.0 alk, 430 calcium water every time for a few decades.

I would have to doctor any salt that I used, so why pay more? TM would be my second choice, but at more than twice as much, why bother when I have to add dowflake and muratic acid to it too.

Just know that today's hot salt will soon be a punchline like Kent, Coralife, Oceanic, SeaChem, etc. They used to be the Red Sea, Fritz or whatever. Only IO and TM have really endured.

 

[andrewkw]

I don't like the parameters of IO that much but it's so much cheaper then anything other than reef crystals which I like even less so I use it. It mixes clear overnight and leaves very little crud compared to reef crystals or higher end salts that contain organics. While it's certainly not the best it's definitely more then adequate for any tank from fish only to packed with sps as long as you are not blinding doing 100% water changes without any care or concern for your levels*

*you could use IO for 100% water changes but you probably would want to match your parameters first.

 

[Hemmdog]

If IO and tropic marin were the same price, everyone would use tropic marin. If you haven’t used it I understand how you don’t see the value. It is honestly a superior salt, I’m not sponsored by them, I’m just sharing my experiences. Ive used IO, Red Sea blue & coral pro, and tropic marin pro. My tank grows quicker with tropic marin and the water looks more static. Idk how else to explain it. Once you try it there is no going back to IO. If it’s just about the price, then say so, but don’t just say “salt is salt”.
It’s like saying a burger from McD’s is the same as a burger from Cheesecake Factory. Yes both are burgers, but the one from Cheesecake Factory doesn’t make you feel sick and it’s made from superior ingredients. If you are in a pinch, yea run to the drive thru(metaphor for petco), and grab a burg at McD’s. If you care about your body(tank) and can financially afford it, treat yourself with superior foods(pharmaceutical grade salt)

There really is a difference, I’ve tried them myself and have nothing personally to gain from saying IO is inferior to TM.

 

[Hemmdog]

Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean... can't be a bad salt.

Choose the salt that is closest to the parameters you want to maintain or which one allows you to dose less.

It's pretty simple, really.

Public aquariums obviously use IO, that’s an economic decision, they have millions of gallons of water, it would cost hundreds of thousands more a year to use a more expensive salt. That doesn’t mean it’s superior. Also 90% of tanks in most public aquariums are fish only systems so that plays a big role in that decision process too.

 

[Idoc]

Public aquariums obviously use IO, that’s an economic decision, they have millions of gallons of water, it would cost hundreds of thousands more a year to use a more expensive salt. That doesn’t mean it’s superior. Also 90% of most public aquariums are fish only systems so that plays a big role in that decision process too.

Yes, about the economics of salt... but read the second paragraph.

And Georgia aquarium isn't only fish... huge reef loaded in corals.

 

[jda]

I have used IO and TM since 1992. I have no problem going back to IO.

I don't care for the false equivalency with burgers, but IO is probably like a In-n-Out and TM is like something from Five Guys where people crave both and will wait in line, but the price is significantly different. Neither of these a McDonalds.

Once people get to the point in the hobby where not a single salt is usable without changing parameters, then it no longer matters as long as the batches are stable year over year - this is where other salts lack.

Public aquariums also doctor their base salt like any good hobbyist should do. Not doing so is just lazy, IMO. Their salt for the polar bears just gets used as-is... reef salt gets doctored one way, fish tanks another, etc.

Learn how to use Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride and Muratic Acid to make whatever you want out of salt mix. It is not hard, takes nearly no time to figure it out (and then about 1 minute to do thereafter) and is best for all of these critters that you spend all this money on.

 

[Hemmdog]

I have used IO and TM since 1992. I have no problem going back to IO.

I don't care for the false equivalency with burgers, but IO is probably like a In-n-Out and TM is like something from Five Guys where people crave both and will wait in line, but the price is significantly different. Neither of these a McDonalds.

Once people get to the point in the hobby where not a single salt is usable without changing parameters, then it no longer matters as long as the batches are stable year over year - this is where other salts lack.

Public aquariums also doctor their base salt like any good hobbyist should do. Not doing so is just lazy, IMO. Their salt for the polar bears just gets used as-is... reef salt gets doctored one way, fish tanks another, etc.

Learn how to use Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride and Muratic Acid to make whatever you want out of salt mix. It is not hard, takes nearly no time to figure it out (and then about 1 minute to do thereafter) and is best for all of these critters that you spend all this money on.

Well said. I do love in-n-out

 

[Jeeperz]

My reef crystals comes in over 1500 mag, 450 Cal, around 10 dkh. Only time I had my tank get to 13 dkh with reef crystals was when I was new and my pH was low and kept adding buffer to bring it up. Rookie mistake long before I knew about these forums or other saltwater stores to get advice from. Now I realize my low pH was due to co2 in the house. Now I leave several windows open or cracked, even in winter at 0 degrees.

 

[andrewkw]

If IO and tropic marin were the same price, everyone would use tropic marin. If you haven’t used it I understand how you don’t see the value. It is honestly a superior salt, I’m not sponsored by them, I’m just sharing my experiences. Ive used IO, Red Sea blue & coral pro, and tropic marin pro. My tank grows quicker with tropic marin and the water looks more static. Idk how else to explain it. Once you try it there is no going back to IO. If it’s just about the price, then say so, but don’t just say “salt is salt”.
It’s like saying a burger from McD’s is the same as a burger from Cheesecake Factory. Yes both are burgers, but the one from Cheesecake Factory doesn’t make you feel sick and it’s made from superior ingredients. If you are in a pinch, yea run to the drive thru(metaphor for petco), and grab a burg at McD’s. If you care about your body(tank) and can financially afford it, treat yourself with superior foods(pharmaceutical grade salt)

There really is a difference, I’ve tried them myself and have nothing personally to gain from saying IO is inferior to TM.

I don't think anyone is going to say IO is not inferior to TM, but do you think it's 2.5x more inferior?

IE would changing 100 gallons with TM over a month really be better in your opinion than changing 250 gallons of IO?

I suppose every situation is different as there are a lot of reasons why people do water changes. For me a quick refresh with IO syphoning out detritus and left over food (I always target feed heavily 1hr prior to water change). This seems to suit my needs and doing a weekly water change is better then bi weekly or monthly.

 

[Hal3134]

Learn how to use Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride and Muratic Acid to make whatever you want out of salt mix. It is not hard, takes nearly no time to figure it out (and then about 1 minute to do thereafter) and is best for all of these critters that you spend all this money on.

I’m familiar with Mag chloride (which I mix with mag sulfate) and calcium chloride, but what is the Muratic acid for? First, is that supposed to be “muriatic” acid? I’m assuming it is an alk supplement?

 

[Bpb]

If IO and tropic marin were the same price, everyone would use tropic marin. If you haven’t used it I understand how you don’t see the value. It is honestly a superior salt, I’m not sponsored by them, I’m just sharing my experiences. Ive used IO, Red Sea blue & coral pro, and tropic marin pro. My tank grows quicker with tropic marin and the water looks more static. Idk how else to explain it. Once you try it there is no going back to IO. If it’s just about the price, then say so, but don’t just say “salt is salt”.
It’s like saying a burger from McD’s is the same as a burger from Cheesecake Factory. Yes both are burgers, but the one from Cheesecake Factory doesn’t make you feel sick and it’s made from superior ingredients. If you are in a pinch, yea run to the drive thru(metaphor for petco), and grab a burg at McD’s. If you care about your body(tank) and can financially afford it, treat yourself with superior foods(pharmaceutical grade salt)

There really is a difference, I’ve tried them myself and have nothing personally to gain from saying IO is inferior to TM.

I think everyone would agree TM is a better salt. And if price were equal I’d absolutely use TM 10 times out of 10. But prices ARENT equal is kind of the point. TM is a fully synthetic salt using lab derived Minerals, IO is a natural ocean derived salt, buffered with additional Bicarbonate as well as some anti caking agents. They’re worlds different in how they are produced. That being said. I have no paid more than $20 for a 200 gallon size box of IO or reef crystals in literally years. I happen to catch a good sale and I’ll buy every box the pet store has. Or I find people getting out of the hobby with excess salt left over. At any given time I will have about 1000 gallons worth of dry mix on hand that I paid next to nothing for. Fantastic as TM is, it’s not in my budget to spend $100 a bucket on it. Even if it resulted in marginally better growth

 

[jda]

Personally, I see no reason to use RC. I think that a lot of people confuse IO with RC. I have had residue from RC and IO gets blamed, but who cares... it is a mixing bucket, not an operating room. I see no reason to pay more for RC when I can change the parameters on my own for a few pennies and I am going to change it anyway.

Muratic Acid lowers alk. You can use bicarbonate or carbonate to raise it very easy, but some of us want to lower it. It will drop the pH, so you have to let the mix aerate for an extra day until the pH comes back up. Gallons * desired dKh drop * .123 is the milliliters of Muratic Acid to use.

 

[Bpb]

Personally, I see no reason to use RC. I think that a lot of people confuse IO with RC. I have had residue from RC and IO gets blamed, but who cares... it is a mixing bucket, not an operating room. I see no reason to pay more for RC when I can change the parameters on my own for a few pennies and I am going to change it anyway.

Muratic Acid lowers alk. You can use bicarbonate or carbonate to raise it very easy, but some of us want to lower it. It will drop the pH, so you have to let the mix aerate for an extra day until the pH comes back up. Gallons * desired dKh drop * .123 is the milliliters of Muratic Acid to use.

I’ve gone through my last 800 or so gallons of reef crystals simply because I acquired it for $20 or less per 200 gallon box. Price being equal id buy IO simply because the alk is lower and I don’t alter it with muriatic acid

 

[Flippers4pups]

To the OP's question.....

Been using IO for decades with great results. Has always mixed clean and clear for me. No residue in my mixing container. I do use Kalkwasser in my ATO top off reservoir. I keep my alkalinity at 9.5 dkh.

Debates on salt are moot to me. Use what works for you, not what anyone says you should use and what you can afford.

 

[Jeeperz]

So what are the parameters of regular IO? Are they consistent bucket to bucket? Year to year? That means more to me than a parameter I can change before doing a water change.

 

[jda]

I use IO because it is consistent batch to batch. I have no idea what the parameters are - I forgot... I just know my formula and apply it to each batch.

 

[Bpb]

So what are the parameters of regular IO? Are they consistent bucket to bucket? Year to year? That means more to me than a parameter I can change before doing a water change.

Too difficult a question to answer. It’s kind of widely accepted now that in the past couple years, instant ocean really cranked their magnesium levels. I stay around 1600 ppm with water changes alone. I supplement it with nothing else. Otherwise their production techniques are about the same as always. Massive massive operation. In theory there should be very little batch variation just because of the massive amounts of blends they do. If you get someone reporting wildly different mix parameters from batch to batch are likely a result of testing errors, test batch variation, or stratification. But.....I generally just test salinity of new batches. I don’t run them through the full parameter analysis.