Scottrshoe
Active Member
Cross post:
Switching Salt?
- Thread starter Scottrshoe
- Start date
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livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
I use Julian Sprungs Accurasea1 salt (the small bags) because they come prepackaged in bags that mix 4.5 gallons of water at 35 ppt and since you use the entire contents of each bag you don't have to worry about settling like you do with buckets.
OP
OP
Scottrshoe
Active Member
I see red boxes and blue boxes with the same name...is there a difference?
Max Hill
Community Member
I spoke to my LFS owner about this very topic when i was starting. He explained to me that the differences between the brands is going to be a tolerance issue as well as an additive issue. The additive issue is the easy one to figure out. What doe your animals need, what of thoes variables do you want to control, which salt allows you to control them. The second variable, tolerance, is where the cost come sin. From what he told me salts like instant ocean reef crystals are excellent starter salt because they are inexpensive, the animals you'll have in the beginning are likely to be more robust which is why its ok for the tolerance on their salt to be loose. Some of the more expensive reef salts like Red Sea salt will have tighter tolerance and you have greater choice over what additives they have. My take away from that was the type of salt you get is more a comment on how much control you need to have over your parameters or how sensitive your animals are.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
They sell boxes with bags for 50 gallon batches and bags for 4.5 gallon batches...that's probably the difference...I like the parameters...alk 8, calcium 420, pretty much where most people aim to keep their parameters at
OP
OP
Scottrshoe
Active Member
Thanks. It's a little pricey, but I will give it a try. WAY over priced on Amazon...$44 for 50G. 
But found it a better price at other online sources. I normally do 4 gal WC, but can certainly increase to 5 gal, and this will make it all the easier.
But found it a better price at other online sources. I normally do 4 gal WC, but can certainly increase to 5 gal, and this will make it all the easier.
EricR
2500 Club Member
Fritz RPM 14 lb (50 gallon) bags are usually pretty cheap on PetSmart website -- FYI. (They're usually like $14-$15 and occasionally down to $11-$12)
*not as cheap as Instant Ocean but parameters are more in line with what it sounds like you might be looking for
*not as cheap as Instant Ocean but parameters are more in line with what it sounds like you might be looking for
LeftyReefer
2500 Club Member
There are salts that are taken from dried (evaporated) sea water. and then there are salts that are "mixed" from various individual ingredients.
Salts like Instant Ocean and Red Sea salts are created by drying/evaporating sea water and collecting the salt left behind. Whatever was in the sea water before it was dried is in the resulting salt. Salts like this tend to have the extra crud, brown stuff, etc.. in the mix from time to time. All of which are perfectly safe and normal in sea water.
Then you have the salts that are mixed from individual ingredients. They usually don't have the extra crud in the mix, but as you can see from the Tropic Marin salt contamination issue that these salts can have plenty of other issues if there are any problems with any of the individual ingredients, or even the mixings/storage process.
I don't think tolerances have much to do with it.
Salt from evaporated sea water may have crud in it, but it will always be perfectly safe.
Salt from individual ingredients may or may not have crud in it and may or may not be mixed correctly.
No salt is perfect it seems.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
My salt is better than your salt, blah blah blah. Get any one of the major brands that are cheap and readily available. They all work. There is no "best" salt.
OP
OP
Scottrshoe
Active Member
I appreciate all the input. My main goal is to use a salt that will provide the chemistry I will need to grow soft/LPS corals without the need to dose...if this exists.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
That's just a standard salt you're looking for...that's why I like the Accurasea1 salt since both parameters are in good places and it mixes to the perfect amount for a nano without concerns over settling I got with buckets
OP
OP
Scottrshoe
Active Member
My tank sits on my desk in my office, and I do not have a place to run dosing pumps, and don't think I would be able to keep up with daily dosing of the tank. In the future my opinion may change, and as I gain more experience in managing my tank, I may try to dose, but for now, I need to keep it as simple as possible.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Looking at your listed parameters doing additional water changes might actually be causing you problems. Your phosphate is non existent, nitrate is getting low, and your alk is low. Simply dosing some baking soda and water (doesn't require a dosing system) would allow your nutrients to come up a bit while getting your alkalinity acceptable. I have a 90g that I just add a little soda ash water to daily and haven't done a water change in months.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
I'm agree with OP on the water change vs dosing choice...if you wanna raise nutrients just feed more. A weekly water change of 4-5 gallons isn't gonna deplete your nutrients terribly. And dosing for a 20 gallon does seem like it would be extra effort vs a weekly or biweekly water change.
OP
OP
Scottrshoe
Active Member
I will read up on that. My tank is only about 5 weeks old. I have only done two water changes since I added fish, because my nutrients are so low, I am kind of letting that guide my changes. I feed home mixed frozen food 2x daily
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
The time and money involved in doing a weekly 5g water change vs mixing some baking soda and water in a 20oz then adding a shot every day or 2 isn't even close. Most people get intimidated when new about the thought of dosing. It's not hard, and it's much cheaper and less time consuming. Dosing pumps are not necessary.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
OP only has a 5 week old tank though...how could he have enough corals to warrant dosing without those parameters getting out of control? @Scottrshoe how many corals do you have that you would have a need to dose at all in a 5 week old tank?
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Sounds like you're already getting the feel for things and are on the right track. Don't be intimidated by the idea of dosing, it's not a big deal once you get your feet wet. It's much cheaper and less time consuming to manage a parameter or 2 rather than relying on water changes to make everything perfect.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Even the cycle or maturing of a tank will consume alkalinity, as his test shows. Instead of feeding more, water changes weekly, and trying to dial in the unknown amount that over feeding will increase numbers. Simple baking soda and neophos could accurately get him what ever numbers he wants.
