Reef salt or sea salt for first tank

[newbee1208]

Hello everyone I’m new here and I’m new to the hobby . I have a few questions looking for some help for you guys on getting my first tank up and running . I have most of the things I need to get my tank going , I’m starting a 40 salt water reef tank so my first question is I’m buying RODI water from my local aquarium and I would like in put on what salt to use . Because I’m a few months I want to add frags , coral to my tank would it make a difference if I just started with instant ocean sea salt or reef crystals sea salt by instant ocean . I was thinking of just using the reef salt because I want to add reef later anyway (plus I rushed and bought a bucket all ready ) . And my next question is if I did use the reef salt with out any reef for a few months until I decided to add reef would it affect the fish because I know it has calcium/alkaline and some other thing in the reef mix . And is that something I need to worry about at the beginning if I use reef salt with fish and no reef for a few months if that makes since . Thanks for the platform to ask for help ..
I forgot to add this to my post or question I went to my local fish store or aquarium and ask which salt should I use sea salt or reef salt dude said they all the same I said why the instant ocean have reef salt and sea salt in two different color buckets he said one has a little more add to then the other but they are basically the same . He said one of the guys that work there uses the most expensive reef salt in his home tank and still has to dose . This is very confusing to a newbee like me I’m all over the place .

 

[Spare time]

Instant ocean would be the better choice in my opinion. Its cheaper and I don't think the benefits of reef crystals would necessarily be a better choice at this stage

 

[Floyd-]

I just use normal IO and have fish and corals for over a year without issues.

 

[Derrick0580]

Depends on your budget, i started with red sea blue bucket but have since switched to reef crystals due to the fact I can get close to 3 buckets on sale for the price of one blue bucket which rarely goes on sale!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I have used instant ocean since day one, brilliant, can match salinity easily during water change.
Last buy of 20kg of reef crystals... I'm using alot more to match and seems to take longer to disintegrate, costs more per kilo also . Still playing with it

 

[reef_725]

I have used both high and "low end" mixes, in my opinion just use what you already bought, I've never heard of causing any issues with fish so I wouldn't worry about that. seeing as your just getting started and your first frags will likely not be very demanding I would put this low on the things to worry about scale for a while..

 

[AydenLincoln]

Reef Crystals from Instant Ocean!

 

[SebastianM]

Salt is salt, especially if you’re going to be starting up with easy corals, I’d recommend Reef Crystals. Senior and newbie reefers run it, it’s been around forever, it’s cheap, and easily available. It will not hurt a fish only system and if you decide to go with coral later on, the elevated mineral levels will serve your beginner LPS and soft corals well. Just remember to be consistent with water changes, 10% weekly.

 

[FishDaddy1992]

I am currently upgrading from a 30 to 55 gallon tank. I am making the switch from Instant Ocean salt to Reef Crystals. I feel like it is better for the coral that I plan on getting.

 

[homer1475]

Been running regular old purple box IO for years with many massive colonies of LPS, and SPS.

Salt is salt, the only thing they claim as "reef salt" is the elevated parameters. All manufactured salt mixes have the same thing in them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am currently upgrading from a 30 to 55 gallon tank. I am making the switch from Instant Ocean salt to Reef Crystals. I feel like it is better for the coral that I plan on getting.

FWIW, I prefer normal IO to Reef Crystals for a reef tank.

These are my reasons:

1. Reef Crystals adds organic matter (vitamins and metal chelators). I do not want organic matter in my salt mix because I want to store it for an extended period as it gets used up in water changes, and without organics in it, it cannot become anaerobic even without stirring. There's no demonstrated benefit of added vitamins in the water.

2. I do not want artificial metal chelators messing with the bioavailablity of metals in the seawater (that's the whole reason to add them, and the "benefit" of doing so is, to say the least, dubious.

3. Normal IO is cheaper.

4. Normal IO has (or had) a lower calcium level, which I prefer when dosing kalkwasser since it very slowly raises calcium.