Salt Selection

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's good to know. The things I looked at was how much precipitate was left behind after the mix, and cost. Fritz reportedly does well in those things from what I've read.

Curious why you care about residual precipitate as a primary motivator?

I agree with folks who have said there is no clear best salt, and nearly any salt mix will likely work about as well as any other, as long as you understand its pros and cons and how they relate to your other husbandry practices.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Curious why you care about residual precipitate as a primary motivator?

I agree with folks who have said there is no clear best salt, and nearly any salt mix will likely work about as well as any other, as long as you understand its pros and cons and how they relate to your other husbandry practices.

I just felt that everything should dissolve. I have no logical reason for making it a motivator.

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I mix up mine in a Brute trashcan and I see some residue on the sides for sure after it mixes and heats for 24 hours. Not as much residue as when I used Instant Ocean though. I use the RPM because of the low dKh.

 

[Ryan Marriott]

I recently switched from IO to Red Sea Coral Pro. I am happier with Red Sea so far, didn't seem like the Instant Ocean was mixing as consistent, but that also could've been user error.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just felt that everything should dissolve. I have no logical reason for making it a motivator.

OK. FWIW, it is not really any indication of where a salt mix is good or not. Most high alk salt mixes will have some calcium carbonate precipitate, in part that is spurred by the high alkalinity.

With normal IO, for example, if you lower the alk with muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate, it mixes without precipitation.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

I know this is a older thread but I have been using fritz and changing to IO.. Yes I said it.. Salt is salt!!! Using Fritz I am getting low ALK 6.3. It's the salt, faulty batch? well I just opened a new box of salt and getting between 6.3-6.5 ALK again.. I am done using fritz.

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I prefer Fritz still. But I keep my Alk at ~7.5 and dose 2 part daily. For me IO Alk is just way too high for my targets.

 

[Jeremy Luke]

Also, I do 20% water changes every two weeks.. so I guess it also depends on your maintenance schedule.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I know this is a older thread but I have been using fritz and changing to IO.. Yes I said it.. Salt is salt!!! Using Fritz I am getting low ALK 6.3. It's the salt, faulty batch? well I just opened a new box of salt and getting between 6.3-6.5 ALK again.. I am done using fritz.

Hey man, whatever works for your reef. If your critters are happy, then you're doing it right.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I ended up getting the live aquaria salt, and to be honest, I haven't checked the pH at all. My understanding is, that stability is tge most important aspect for pH. As long as it isn't extremely high or low, I should be good.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

hands down , ESV salt is the best on the market

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I ended up getting the live aquaria salt, and to be honest, I haven't checked the pH at all. My understanding is, that stability is tge most important aspect for pH. As long as it isn't extremely high or low, I should be good.

That's interesting. I'd never thought about the PH of the mix water. I just assumed that if you let it circulate for 24 hrs you were good to go on PH.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

hands down , ESV salt is the best on the market

ESV?

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

heres a good read, I been using this salt since 2012 never went to any other salt mix (ever) after I used this. its a bit complex as of mixing your batch of salt. but well worth the time and break down on how to do it.

https://reefbuilders.com/2010/01/14/b-ionic-seawater-system-is-a-microbatch-salt-mix-that-is-perfect-for-nano-reefers-large-tanks-too/

 

[Duffer]

i was also using fritz, they are a good company but i was getting low parameters also and dosing alot to keep it stable. I have switched to red sea blue bucket and found my parameters to stay in line..

 

[Jeremy Luke]

i was also using fritz, they are a good company but i was getting low parameters also and dosing alot to keep it stable. I have switched to red sea blue bucket and found my parameters to stay in line..

I had heard that the blue bucket mixes up with relatively low Alk. I may consider a switch to the blue bucket when I run out of Fritz. With where I manage my parameters the Fritz works though I do have high Mag ~1600. I just don't know that having Mag at 1600 really matters.

 

[Ktran350]

I had heard that the blue bucket mixes up with relatively low Alk. I may consider a switch to the blue bucket when I run out of Fritz. With where I manage my parameters the Fritz works though I do have high Mag ~1600. I just don't know that having Mag at 1600 really matters.

Not entirely. My blue bucket @ 1.025 mixes roughly to:

Mag: 1250
Alk: 9
Cal: 420

 

[Tamberav]

I switched from Fritz to red sea blue bucket. Fritz was just too all over the place and I got a batch with super high Mg off the charts (I think an old box) and that was the last straw.

I did pick up two boxes of LA salt because it was on sale and they had a coupon on top of it so I could not say no but I plan to use it on my LPS/softy tank and for my QT tanks but stick to blue bucket for the SPS.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

heres a good read, I been using this salt since 2012 never went to any other salt mix (ever) after I used this. its a bit complex as of mixing your batch of salt. but well worth the time and break down on how to do it.

https://reefbuilders.com/2010/01/14/b-ionic-seawater-system-is-a-microbatch-salt-mix-that-is-perfect-for-nano-reefers-large-tanks-too/

The ESV stuff looks pretty interesting.