POLL: What's YOUR #1 factor when buying your Salt?

[ZoWhat]

This is NOT a "which Salt Brand is BEST" thread

This is discovering what is peoples #1 factor is in choosing/buying a Salt Brand.

KEEP IT CIVIL PPL!

Plz no arguing over your brand of salt is better than everyone elses....or I'll sick Daniel@R2R on you, Lololololololololol



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[malacoda]

Top 2 factors for me:

1. Alk — I like to run my tank around 7-7.5 dKH so I want my salt to mix as close to that as possible right out of the box.

2. How clean it mixes. So far, I've only tried a couple of salts (my alk level limits the selection quite a bit) and both have mixed up without leaving any in my containers. I prefer to keep it that was as it is one less thing have to deal with in my cleaning routine.

 

[windemerejack]

As long as it matches my params then it doesnt matter what brand it is, salt is salt.

 

[hart24601]

Just cost and availability for me. I have not seen any ICP tests that show meaningful differences between brands. I don't care about crud on mixing container and not really sure why people started cared about it aside from just the latest thing to get caught up in.

 

[Rmckoy]

Same salt as last time !!!

I’ve been using aqua vitro since I started .
some buckets leave a brown sludge in the mixing container but for the most part . That particular salt mixes where I want ,

 

[Acroalan]

I want a salt that mixes up as close to my tank parameters as possible. In my case that is as close to 7.5 alkalinity and 420 ca as possible.

 

[Gtinnel]

For me price is the driving factor. If buying the cheap salt caused any issues with my tank then I would switch to a more expensive brand, but I've been using a cheap brand for years and have never had a problem with it. I'm going by the old adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

 

[Anirban]

I prefer salt with natural sea level parameters, mixes clean and less batch to batch variation.

 

[fish farmer]

Price, but not looking for sales. I've tried a lot of salts over the years usually the cheaper, Coralife, Kent, RC IO and IO.

The last few years I've gotten deals on RC and Kent. The RC was really high for alk and the Kent was really low. I've been dosing kalk for a time and generally I have it where I want it when I use regular IO so that is where I'm staying. I don't go through a ton of salt with a 29 gallon tank so for me to try something new, if I don't like it I may be stuck with it for a year.

 

[jas111]

I really look for two things in the salt. That is is near the parameters I want to keep my tank at. The second thing is that it mixes clear and I don't have to clean my bin out every other week.

 

[KrisReef]

I only buy the salt my wife says I can buy.

 

[Biokabe]

For me, it's a combination of factors, but if I had to pick I'd say alkalinity is my #1 concern. But it's not my sole concern.

Alkalinity is first because... well, it's easy to dose and get your alk UP if you need to, but it's much harder to adjust your alk DOWN if it's too high.

After that, it's the speed with which it mixes and becomes safe to use. Normally I don't need a fast turnaround on mixing salt... I'll usually mix several days in advance of doing a water change. But over the years I've had more than a few times where being able to mix fresh saltwater in under a couple of hours was absolutely critical.

Finally, it needs to be consistent. I don't want to mix up one batch with an alk of 7, and another with an alk of 14. Or pick your parameter. Whatever it is, it needs to mix up reasonably close to the same numbers every time. You can compensate for any number, but I'd rather be able to make the same compensations than have to figure out a new adjustment with every batch.

Price is not really anywhere on my list. I have my limit as to what I'd pay, but none of the salt manufacturers has hit that limit. Money is just money, and I'm not so hard-up for cash that I have to pinch pennies on salt. The three factors I listed are more important to me than having the absolute lowest cost for salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not agree with this choice.

"Purity - unacceptable if my Salt bin develops "crud" on the bottom"

It implies that a precipitate on the bottom is a result of lack of purity, rather than intentionally added ingredients such as high alkalinity.

There's no evidence that purity and precipitation are related in anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The second thing is that it mixes clear and I don't have to clean my bin out every other week.

If nothing else, I can solve that problem for you. There are medications to reduce anxiety. lol

 

[JCM]

Price is my only concern.

My water changes aren't big enough to throw off parameters much and I don't care about my mixing container being discolored.

I'll buy whatever is cheapest when I need more.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

For me it's a combo between solubility and its ability to be stored without clumping up.

 

[SamsReef]

I am looking for quality salt with reasonable price. Given that I could select only only one, I selected trace element...in a Hope that a salt manufacturer will get the macro elements right if they gets the trace elements right.

sam

 

[davidcalgary29]

"Can I get it with free shipping from Amazon?": my only concern. I do not want to drive ten hours to pick up a bucket of salt!

 

[DeniseAndy]

Mainly consistency and close to ocean reef parameters.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Did it come pre mixed with water and what is the ALK.