The Salt Prices All Around - Opinions

[2Sunny]

IO from Chewy.com costs $58 for a 200 gallon box. Been using IO for over a decade with never a problem. Personally I think folks reporting high alk etc. are either mixing improperly or testing too soon after mixing and not allowing 24 hours for a proper mix.

 

[Beau_B]

Chewy has a code right now for $30 GC with $100 purchase, so 2 buckets of IO works out to $73 + tax ($36.50/ea) ... or 2 boxes for $88 + tax ( slightly cheaper than bucket per "gallon") assuming you use the GC in the future. It's not the lowest it's ever been, but certainly manageable.

Actually, they have another code that is $15 off $49, so that works on a single bucket or box without needing to mess with the gift card.

 

[Reef By Steele Verified Sponsor]

Don’t know if it’s been said, but IMO Instant Ocean (Reef Crystals might be the same) takes more salt to equal the same salinity as fritz. I use IO for my FOWLR tanks and my phyto and pod cultures and use fritz for my reefs. So the price difference is mostly absorbed. I do know that Petsmart always has IO discounted online and my store matches online in store. But yes recently IO jumped from $39 for 160 bucket to $51 on sale.

 

[sawdonkey]

I paid $66 ea for the 200 gallon box during the last sale. only complaint is that the box is pretty flimsy

I got the 200 gallon bags for $58 each a few months ago. I thought that was pretty phenomenal…and that deal is happening right now too!!!

 

[sawdonkey]

I started with AF sea salt as my local person had a bucket... He no longer stocks it so i have to hunt it down on Tokopedia and Shopee (like local Amazon) and it is still hard to find at the right price cause I have to get 22kg shipped in. That being said it mixes really easily and to the parameters I keep the tank at. I currently have 110kg stock piled, so i a wait it out for awhile till the next seller has it on sale.

200 gallon bags are $58 at BRS right now.

 

[Devaji]

OP:
another option is to get on the no WC wagon with the reef moon shine method.
people seem to love it.
i dont think its cheaper tho. the up front cost is a bit then the monthly ICP test. so it very well could be more. just a though.

I am a IO/RC user and like other i stock up at sale times. that said i am curious about AF salt. doubt I'll switch tho. but curious...

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I'm probably beating the dead proverbial horse here, but I'm officially low on salt and I was wanting to switch back to Reef Crystals for the elevated levels because I do Bi Weekly to Monthly water changes, but WOW I do not want to pay $70 a bucket now for Reef Crystals. I know no one is making me buy it, but that was one of the biggest things that drew me to IO/RC was the value for a great salt. I currently use Fritz RPM, which I have no issues with per say, but I haven't bought salt in a long while only to get shell shocked at the price increase!

So, what is the opinion here on IO/RC now that the price has basically doubled? Still worth shelling out extra $$ for it now or should I be looking at something else now? I also know about the discounts you can get with autoship and first time customer stuff, but I don't want to have to do that every time I am in need of salt now.

I have also noticed its not just IO/RC, it seems pretty much every salt has gone up. I used to buy buckets of Tropic Marin Pro Reef for $92 a bucket, which is why I switched over to RPM because it just got too expensive.

Reef Crystals Mix Bag (Makes 50 Gallons) - Instant Ocean

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[zoomonster]

Reef Crystals Mix Bag (Makes 50 Gallons) - Instant Ocean

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Seriously $38 on sale, from 44.99, for one bag of reef crystals???? Thats the equivalent to paying $158 for the 200g boxes I used to buy from Amazon for $55-65. RC/IO has really skyrocketed in price and the quality has gone to hell. Last batch had alkalinity of 14 when it's been shown 8-10 range is more proper. Even IO usually has alk over 10. I don't feel so bad switching to Tropic Marin Pro 200g buckets at $120 delivered. Not only that but it actually makes 200g at 35PPT vs IO/RC that makes 200g of ~31PPT. Best part it mixes to 8-9 alk which is ideal and I have a CaRx to maintain it.

 

[zoomonster]

IO from Chewy.com costs $58 for a 200 gallon box. Been using IO for over a decade with never a problem. Personally I think folks reporting high alk etc. are either mixing improperly or testing too soon after mixing and not allowing 24 hours for a proper mix.

Lots of places have done testing and here is one set of results. IO and RC do have excessively high alk and it varies with lack of quality control. I assure you my last batch of RC was properly mixed and the alk was 14 using both Hanna and RedSea tests.

 

[rtparty]

Lots of places have done testing and here is one set of results. IO and RC do have excessively high alk and it varies with lack of quality control. I assure you my last batch of RC was properly mixed and the alk was 14 using both Hanna and RedSea tests.

That is a very old and outdated chart. But yes, both IO salts have higher alkalinity by design. 10+ for IO and 13+ for Reef Crystals.

Problem is their lack of quality control leaves alkalinity all over the place batch to batch

 

[hexcolor reef]

Try Red Sea Salt

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I figured out the 160 Gallon Bucket Reef Crystal, makes about 140 gallons at 34.2 ppt. Works out to about 50 cents a gallon, not counting making **RO/DI Water. No other liquid, that I can think of cost so little. ** I never figured out the cost of the RO/DI.

 

[yanetterer]

I figured out the 160 Gallon Bucket Reef Crystal, makes about 140 gallons at 34.2 ppt. Works out to about 50 cents a gallon, not counting making **RO/DI Water. No other liquid, that I can think of cost so little. ** I never figured out the cost of the RO/DI.

You just reminded me of a screenshot I saved from an old BRS salt video that did the same analysis as you. Adding it here in case anyone wants it as a reference. The prices are a few years old, but could still be useful since it includes per gallon costs at what we typically mix to rather than whatever lower salinity many manufacturers use.

Keep in mind, BRS uses their prices for Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals, which are typically much higher than nearly everywhere else and skews the per gallon pricing closer to the higher end brands. For example, BRS currently has 3x50 gallon bags of RC for $76.99, while Petsmart has a 160 gallon bucket for $66.70, plus a 35% off autoship discount, which brings it down to $43.45. Regular IO is down to $38.99.

The salts in the screenshot are:
1. Instant Ocean
2. Reef Crystals
3. HW Wiegandt Marinemix Reefer
4. Red Sea Blue Bucket
5. Red Sea Black Bucket
6. Brightwell NeoMarine
7. Tropic Marin Classic
8. Tropic Marin Pro Reef

 

[cjtabares]

If anyone is looking, HW salt is on sale today on BRS. $68 for 160 gallons. I have never used it, but figured I would mention it.