Instant ocean salt for reef tanks?

[Somethingfishy_]

Ive heard that the regular instant ocean salt isn’t sufficient for reef tanks. Is this true? now that coralline is popping up in a few spots id like to try some easier to keep sps.

 

[ScottR]

There is nothing wrong with that salt. Keeping most corals will require you to dose elements and alk eventually. I believe IO has a higher alk than most other salts.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

If you keep up your water changes let’s say weekly or biweekly, you should be good. However, I suggest you check the parameters. I am currently using instant ocean and will soon be switching over to coralife. Reef crystal has a 13 DKH and instant has about 11.

 

[Fiesty]

It depends solely on what alkalinity and calcium levels u r trying to maintain plus your tanks faily needs vs. Dosing, etc. I use IO reef crystals because i maintain levels of 10 for alk and around 430 for calcium. And inbetween water changes i dose to maintain those levels. If u trying to maintain lower levels or have less needs per your tank then the standard I/O will work better.

 

[Fiesty]

A pic and description of your tank plus posting levels u tryinf to maintain and your tanks daily needs will get u a more usful and informed answer as to salt needs. Main thing to avoid is major up swings from water changes and then down swings between them.

 

[Hemmdog]

Tropic marin mixes cleaner

 

[Kyl]

I've seen tanks in person worth 40k+ in acropora running on IO, that told me it's good enough for me. You're going to be dosing with most tank types anyway. I run AWC though so the params being slightly off between batches doesn't really matter to me since the tank won't swing from large water changes.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It depends solely on what alkalinity and calcium levels u r trying to maintain plus your tanks faily needs vs. Dosing, etc. I use IO reef crystals because i maintain levels of 10 for alk and around 430 for calcium. And inbetween water changes i dose to maintain those levels. If u trying to maintain lower levels or have less needs per your tank then the standard I/O will work better.

how do you keep alk at 10 while RC alk is at 13 when freshly mixed?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

One thing I don’t like IO is that it mixes dirty most of the time.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

I have used IO for about 25 years in reef tanks. I love it.

 

[TheOne]

If they would get the dkh around 7-8 I would stick with it forever. Unfortunately I'm too lazy to bother with lowering it so I use Tropic Marine Pro.

Why do they think you need 11 dkh for a reef aquarium?

 

[Bpb]

Who on earth told you that. That is patent nonsense.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I tested it many times freshly mixed and google it, you will find out yourself.

 

[Kyl]

And the other reason why I continue to use IO, my awc storage is a 50g norwesco vertical tank. I buy IO in boxes now so one bag refills my AWC perfectly, so it's not only much quicker to "reload", but I don't have to worry about the salt settling, etc.

 

[Somethingfishy_]

i understand consistency is key but whats the difference in keeping alk consistently at 7dkh vs consistently at 10dkh?

 

[ScottR]

how do you keep alk at 10 while RC alk is at 13 when freshly mixed?

Your tank will eat the alk and even a water change probably won’t bring it back up much anyway.

 

[Fiesty]

how do you keep alk at 10 while RC alk is at 13 when freshly mixed?

Here is what reef crystals mixes up as tested by myself with a freshly calibrated Trident and doubled checked with Hannah Checker. So range i tey n shoot for other than Magnesium which I add to new mixed water to maintian my levels.

 

[homer1475]

Tropic marin mixes cleaner

And costs almost 2 1/2 times as much. I don't care who does what gallon to gallon comparison, when I can buy a 200G box of IO for $40, and tropic marin is nearly $100 for 200G. I don't see how anyone can say that they are nearly the same in price.

IO = about .02 a gallon
Tropic Marin = .50 a gallon

Listen, salt is salt. some have organics and have to be used right away. While others can be mixed and stored. Other then what they mix up to, salt is salt. No salt will make you a better reefer or make your tank magically be a thriving reef tank.

EDIT:
I've been using regular old IO for about 3 years now(used it exclusively in my on and off again reefing career for the last 20 years)and it consistently mixes up to right around 400cal and between 9 and 10DKH.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Instant ocean is a great salt, you can use it for anything.

 

[Doctorgori]

I’ve watched the BRS vids on cheapest salts ...math is math ....fact is I’ve used IO for 40 years, no joke and it’s solid ...mixes like crap, leaves residue and the gallons it claims to make is a lie ... But I rank “lab grade” salt right up there with gluten free foods and free range chicken...dying happy still winds you up in the fryer