Switching Salts, what do you suggest?

[Giancarlo]

Currently using Red Sea Coral Pro, - loved the salt, but had some issues with other products, sent the company a few emails, no response so figured it is a good time to try another product.

Any Suggestings, biggest factor for me would be having ALK at around 8 - 9 dkh.

 

[Ian]

I love D&D salt...

 

[Robert@MD]

Instant Ocean Reef Crystals is awesome for price. D&D and Brightwell are my favorites otherwise.

 

[mfinn]

Reef Crystals is a good choice

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Pkunk35]

Hey Giancarlo I am in the same boat, i used to use RSCP but recently ran out and didn't want to continue to use due to the higher Alk that it was mixing at (mine was mixing at >10dkh at 1.026 spg) although i do like the salt a lot and used it for several years.

I tried going back to IO reef crystals but decided to not use anymore because of difficulty in mixing completely and some residue left over in the bucket (of which i got none with RSCP).

After seeing the Aquacraft thread on marine salt testing and taking a look at their params (1.026 / 77F: Ca 445 ppm, KH 9.25-9.50, Mg 1340 ppm) I've decided to give their salt a try, I think they are worth looking into.

I was also looking at Aquavitro which i have heard works well from some buddies. Here are their params according to website:

Calcium: target 422 mg/L, range 400 to 443 mg/L
Magnesium: target 1336 mg/L, range 1269 to 1403 mg/L
Strontium: target 8.4 mg/L, range 8.0 to 8.8 mg/L
Alkalinity and pH values vary widely over the Earth's oceans. salinityâ„¢ will be within the following ranges:
pH: 8.4 to 8.6
Alkalinity: 3.2 to 3.8 meq/L

Wondering what other issues you had with RSCP?

 

[TulsaTye]

I've tried just about everything but I like DD Solutions H2Ocean the best! It costs a lil more but worth it IMO!

 

[Ms. Mermaid]

Tagging along here.... I currently use Instant Ocean Reef Salt but thinking about switching over to the B-Ionic Seawater System 200 gal. unit cost a little more but you don't have to wait 24 hrs for mixing.
I will not use the Aquavitro again it burned my hands when I was scoping it out of the bucket and heated up the water and took forever to clear up. To me not worth the money that it cost.

 

[Knuckles33]

Aquavitro salinity. Just started using it and its great. Tested the levels in comparison to what was stated on the label and it was exactly the same

 

[MyBoyGus]

Tagging along here.... I currently use Instant Ocean Reef Salt but thinking about switching over to the B-Ionic Seawater System 200 gal. unit cost a little more but you don't have to wait 24 hrs for mixing.
I will not use the Aquavitro again it burned my hands when I was scoping it out of the bucket and heated up the water and took forever to clear up. To me not worth the money that it cost.

I just finished my first bucket of Aquavitro Salinity. It is almost double the price of Reef Crystals, which I was using previously, but seems to have made a visible difference in color and growth in my tanks. Has many different trace elements that I wouldn't test for or add manually.

From what I've read elsewhere you should add it to cold/room temp water. No heater. I don't use a heater in my trashcan that I use for mixing, and it seemed to mix and clear almost immediately. I do have a pump in the can to continuously mix the water.

I've never been burned. You may be sensitive to one of the chemicals used. The salt does make a "ssssssss" sound when added to water, so you know there is an immediate chemical reaction happening. Was your hand wet when you were burned?

Big plus is even though it is expensive, you actually use less of it to reach your desired salinity.

From their website:

 

[akma]

I went from esv to dd salt. Esv salt alk is consistant at around 9. Never had corallie algae, but as soon as i switched i had crazy growth in coralline. Only drawback isnthe alk seems too low so i have to add. Alk for dd is between 6.4-7.5. Bit lower than what i am used to.