LFS or Mix at home..??

[mark2781]

I just wanted to see how many of you buy your salt water from a LFS or mix at home??

My LFS only sells Instant Ocean.. would having a store with more variety of ready to use water be beneficial?? Say with a variety of water specifically for SPS, Mixed Reefs or beginners .. i believe WWC does this

 

[Uncle99]

LFS, for me……never
Water is everything!
why take that risk?
Mixing is simple.
Get a small RODI unit with a DI canister.
Always mix from Zero TDS (which for sure, will not be at LFS)

 

[Bucs20fan]

I’d gather to say the vast majority of us mix our own and a lot of us use instant ocean.

 

[h20cyclone]

Mix at home with Instant Ocean. Used other more expensive salts but I was done paying more after the whole Tropic Marin Pro deal. Honestly corals look just as happy and at a fraction of the cost for salt. More money for corals that way too lol. I did find ESV to be great but finding it in stock consistently can be a bit challenging.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Home, I don't trust any LFS.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I have used instant ocean from day one, easy to mix and get very close to salinity during water changes,
Usually £43 for 20kg
I paid more for reef crystals thinking it was better £53 20kg but I find I am using more to match salinity nearly double the amount altough I did add to my instant ocean container during my last water change and scooped from bottom. 'knowing I had instant ocean at the bottom' just to build up salinity as it was not increasing with reef crystals.
I will only use reef crystals this weekend and let you know but already fear it is useless for salinity

 

[gbru316]

Can you run to the LFS at 11 pm on a Saturday night after you discover that ________ happened and you need to do an emergency water change?

I can't.

Can you ensure your LFS water was made with 0 TDS RO/DI, and that they change their filters/membranes as-needed to keep it that way?

I can't.

Can you guarantee that they mix up the salt consistently, that they shake the bags/buckets of salt to redistribute the mix after shipping caused stratification?

I can't.


Which is why I mix my own. Just about any salt will do. There's no reason to spend $75 for a bag of Aquaforest if you don't want to. IO will do just fine.

 

[Tired]

Mixing at home is probably much less trouble. RODI filter for your water, big ol bucket of salt. No hauling water home from the LFS, no worrying about if the water's settled or if someone messed up the numbers on the batch.

 

[Sthomp01]

mix at home

 

[Crustaceon]

I mix at home and use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. This is in an SPS (predominently acropora) tank.

 

[exnisstech]

Mix at home 50% regular instant ocean 50% reef crystals.

 

[ReefnFamilyMan]

Mix at home for sure. I use to buy premixed from LFS but had issues with salinity and cloudy water a couple times. Since changing coral has never looked better. You will save a lot of money every month mixing at home in the long run.

 

[reaper93]

Mix myself

 

[Tiki_Reef]

Mix at home using Tropic Marin Pro, I do not trust my LFS to change their RODI filters.

 

[fish farmer]

I mix at home, I can't think how much of a hassle it would be to lug buckets of water out of a store.....you also need to top off with fresh, so there is another bucket.