Instant ocean vrs reef crystals.

zheka757 · Mar 2, 2023

Reef crystals for reef tanks! Instant ocean for fish tanks! Is that true!! What so different about each other? Other then what's obvious (alk, cal, mag) what else is in reef crystals that we need for reef tanks that instant ocean don't have?

Seansea · Mar 2, 2023

You named it

Roli's Reef Ranch · Mar 2, 2023

I've used both with success. Unless you get bad salt, which we've seen from at least 3 brands in the past year, it will not be a limiting factor.

Reef. · Mar 2, 2023

zheka757 said:
Reef crystals for reef tanks! Instant ocean for fish tanks! Is that true!! What so different about each other? Other then what's obvious (alk, cal, mag) what else is in reef crystals that we need for reef tanks that instant ocean don't have?

Nothing, as you say the parameters, pick which ever matches the parameters you are aiming for, no reason to not use IO in a reef, I do.

zheka757 · Mar 2, 2023

I'm my mind, I always thought that reef crystals have more then just alk, cal, mag, to support reef tanks. But if this is not the case then I have no need to pay for reef crystals. Back in 2018 randy sayd this about it

Roatan Reef · Mar 2, 2023

Well...I switched to RC about 6 months ago, and tank has never been better.

zheka757 · Mar 3, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 3, 2023

My current thoughts are the same as the old post of mine above: I prefer normal IO.

Slocke · Mar 3, 2023

I use RC for my reef tank but ended up switching to regular IO for my FOWLR because my alkalinity just keot getting higher. I believe it was 13.2 when I switched.

zheka757 · Mar 3, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
My current thoughts are the same as the old post of mine above: I prefer normal IO.

thank you for input, but I was looking for actual chemistry input of what is in it other then main 3. you mentioned organics?! what else? ...my main concern/question is; why is this company (instant ocean) promoting reef crystals to be used for reef tanks vrs Instant ocean for fish only tanks.
if higher calcium, magnesium, alk all it is, then we don't need to pay more for salt. if it was designed 15-20 years ago for hobbyist who didn't know how to check and adjust their water levels...

Seansea · Mar 3, 2023

More calcium magnesium and higher alk. All the things corals really like. My old fish only with some easy to keep softies i used io. think the calcium is around 360. WOrks fine. If you have anything with hard skeletons you probably want reef crystals. I like the higher alk in it. Keeps my alk around 9 with water changes every 2 weeks.

exnisstech · Mar 3, 2023

I have corals and fish so I use a 50/50 mix of both. Didn't intend to originally but I kept seeing one or the other on sale and ended up with buckets of both and started mixing it. Fish haven't complained and corals are looking better than ever. It may or may not be the salt but I'll take a win anyway I can get it.

xabo · Mar 3, 2023

Was told that RC contains other "trace elements" that are needed for reef tanks. Take that quote with a "grain of salt."

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 3, 2023

zheka757 said:
thank you for input, but I was looking for actual chemistry input of what is in it other then main 3. you mentioned organics?! what else? ...my main concern/question is; why is this company (instant ocean) promoting reef crystals to be used for reef tanks vrs Instant ocean for fish only tanks.
if higher calcium, magnesium, alk all it is, then we don't need to pay more for salt. if it was designed 15-20 years ago for hobbyist who didn't know how to check and adjust their water levels...

I do not think the big 3 are very different and have nothing to do with my preference. Salt analyses I’ve seen don’t really show that RC is enhanced in any significant way.

Why do they promote 2? Because it leads to more sales.

CivicS14 · May 5, 2023

I use reg IO because when I used RC, it left a brown residue in my mixing tank. I don't have that experience with reg IO.

Sisterlimonpot · May 5, 2023

I was always led to believe that IO had more trace elements than RC. But admittedly that might very well be tribal knowledge without any facts to back it up.

nuxx · May 5, 2023

When I was buying, the price different wasn't much different on the big boxes of salt. (Feel bad for the UPS guy...)

Even with multiple QTs running where I could have saved a bit and just run IO, I still picked to just use the RC I had coming in. Same water for new fish going into the display which is already stressful enough.

dadnjesse · May 5, 2023

To me the biggest difference is the Alkalinity. Reef Crystals has a higher level of it, I like to keep mine around 8 DKH so I use regular Instant Ocean. Been using this salt for 13 years and never had a problem. I have tried different Salt brands but always come back.

zheka757 · May 5, 2023

I forgot I made this thread, with salt going up in price. I don't know what my plans are going to be for salt, I'm still using reef chrystal, as I have bunch of it left.
What I did since this thread, I start using "Replenish" by Britewell. I'm my opinion by dosing this, I'm doing same as someone buying that experience salt, that has all those (20 something) trace elements that we find in the ocean.

redfishbluefish · May 5, 2023

They also claim that Reef Crystals contains vitamins, which Instant Ocean does not have. I have not idea what vitamins they might have. Anyway, regardless of IO or RC, I'd have to dose, so I'm an IO user and have no complaints.