Salt selection.

[Reefs anonymous]

I’m almost finishing up my current salt and considering changing brands. I’m down to 2. Tropic Marin reef pro and aqua forest reef salt. I’ve been searching far and wide and can’t find out if aqua forest is using all the trace like tropic Marin uses (they use all 70). Thoughts on these salt brands on a sps aquarium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m almost finishing up my current salt and considering changing brands. I’m down to 2. Tropic Marin reef pro and aqua forest reef salt. I’ve been searching far and wide and can’t find out if aqua forest is using all the trace like tropic Marin uses (they use all 70). Thoughts on these salt brands on a sps aquarium?

All salt mixes work fine.

Certainly they have different amounts of trace elements that are pretty hard to control well, but don't assume advertising tells you what mix is best that way, and since many trace elements are rapidly consumed, what came with a salt mix may not matter much after a short period of time.

 

[Reefs anonymous]

All salt mixes work fine.

Certainly they have different amounts of trace elements that are pretty hard to control well, but don't assume advertising tells you what mix is best that way, and since many trace elements are rapidly consumed, what came with a salt mix may not matter much after a short period of time.

Wow, not the reply I was expecting. So if the minor trace are consumed quickly, I would think I need to dose a broad spectrum of trace elements. I’m currently dosing Red Sea coral color but based on their info it’s simply 4 trace elements. Would you recommend an even more broad spectrum trace addition, keep in mind we are talking about a sps tank and I do perform weekly to semiweekly 10% water change. I do run activated carbon and a skimmer but dry.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is impossible to know exactly what is needed, because we have virtually no information on what levels of a trace element (say, copper or manganese or vanadium) is actually needed. We can try to match natural seawater for most of them as a goal, but that does not mean they are needed at that level. Some, such as iron, we cannot readily measure at natural levels.

I do think many folks should experiment with certain rapidly depleting trace elements (e.g., manganese). A mix can be an OK way to go.