Switching Salt
- Thread starter Matt_Mc
- Start date
- Tagged users None
homer1475
Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
Why? Because it's the most expensive?
Many aquariums the world over use regular old IO. I would think the most widely used salt in the industry should be the gold standard, not the most expensive.
homer1475
Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
Among the major brands, salt is salt. Choose what salt makes your wallet happy, and mixes to the parameters you want.
There is no "magic bullet" in any salt that will make your tank miraculously better. if you want to switch, just mix up a new batch and start using it. No need to "ween" your tank onto a new salt. Salt is salt.
There is no "magic bullet" in any salt that will make your tank miraculously better. if you want to switch, just mix up a new batch and start using it. No need to "ween" your tank onto a new salt. Salt is salt.
AydenLincoln
Pufferfish lover!
And costs an arm and a leg compared to other brands haha.
AydenLincoln
Pufferfish lover!
Definitely more than that. But maybe around like $100-$150. I also do regular water changes and have multiple tanks.Depends. I spend $50 a year (that's year - not month) on salt. How about you?
I started out my tank on TM, tried all the varieties they had, especially when it was sold out.
Stopped using it when the bad Turkey batches came out - I too had a loss of livestock and that gunky buildup in my mixin container.
I submitted a request for the replacement buckets (2), but never received a thing.
I tried a variety of brands since then, but stuck with IO, as it’s what I was using for my TT quarantining.
I’ve seen no ill effects using IO compared to TM - if anything, I feel I’ve had better success with IO.
Having said that, I do keep a bucket of TM as an “emergency” bucket, as it mixes really fast.
Not saying TM is bad, because I do like their products and have learned a lot from Lou, however, there’s no real difference that I can see nor that my corals and fish exhibit.
plus I don’t have to worry about it being sold out and it’s sold everywhere
Stopped using it when the bad Turkey batches came out - I too had a loss of livestock and that gunky buildup in my mixin container.
I submitted a request for the replacement buckets (2), but never received a thing.
I tried a variety of brands since then, but stuck with IO, as it’s what I was using for my TT quarantining.
I’ve seen no ill effects using IO compared to TM - if anything, I feel I’ve had better success with IO.
Having said that, I do keep a bucket of TM as an “emergency” bucket, as it mixes really fast.
Not saying TM is bad, because I do like their products and have learned a lot from Lou, however, there’s no real difference that I can see nor that my corals and fish exhibit.
plus I don’t have to worry about it being sold out and it’s sold everywhere
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2009
- Messages
- 5,071
- Reaction score
- 8,108
Then you don't do water changes or rely on the salt to maintain major or trace elements... making the brand of salt even more irrelevant.Depends. I spend $50 a year (that's year - not month) on salt. How about you?
Use what you please, but "gold standard?"
I am not sure there is a "gold standard" salt. What is the metric and who decided it?
IO is (by a huge margin) the most used salt worldwide. As with each of these salt conversation, what is the goal?
Water changes instead of dosing?
Cost?
Availability?
Customer Support?
Ease of Mixing?
Closeness to steady state tank parameters?
Etc.
Thuan
10K Club member
I used to use Tropic Marin Classic before I switched to Red Sea Blue bucket. The reason was that TM went up $10. Most importantly, Red sea parameters are very very close to what I keep my tanks at. So far, my corals are all happy.
OP
OP
Matt_Mc
Active Member
I appreciate everyone’s insight. I originally chose TM because it mixed fast and came highly recommended. I saw a video the other day where WWC said they only use Brightwell. So I was reaching out to see if anyone used both and decided to change from TM.
Matt
Matt
Salty_Northerner
Valuable Member
There's a reason it's sold so cheap, even in Canada it's dirt cheap but I had my issues with RC, but back in the day there wasn't RC just IO and it worked. Now fast forward to today and I'll show ya what crap I've found in RC salt that'll blow your mind, like what looked like tiny twigs from a tree, the salt mixes up with a yellow tinge to it.. thankfully the only place that carries any salt where I live (PetSmart) refunded my money back.
For me to buy TM 200 gal mix is $149 +tax and cheapest delivery costs $92.30 so that's pretty much $300 bones for it. Thankfully I travel cross border and buy my salt from BRS and for a $1.99 I get it delivered by the next day. It's a 3rd the price I pay in Canada for it even with the exchange rate.
I know once I'm done with my RS black bucket I'll be going TM all in with no concerns of ever having a problem with it. And remember not all salt is created equal
That's my 2 cents.
If I couldn't buy TM I'd go with Brightwell salt for sure or maybe Fritz but that be a big maybe on fritz rpm salt.
Roatan Reef
Valuable Member
Reef Crystals...
Close Thread!
Close Thread!
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Well I spend about $25 a year, but my tank is only 90 galDepends. I spend $50 a year (that's year - not month) on salt. How about you?
It'd probably be $50 if I were using Tropic Marin though ...
At the end of the day you're paying for the name on the tub, not the content.
Roatan Reef
Valuable Member
Every so often Petsmart has an online only deal for the Reef Crystals for $40. Normally $85.00 for the bucket wich makes 165G of saltwater. Show them the online ad, and they price match it.
It's been the best saltwater mix ever for my 40B....legit changed my tank to doing awesome!!
UkiahTheTurtle
Valuable Member
I used reef crystals at one point and my corals looked horrible switched to Red Sea and they got better
