What is your preference when it comes to salt mix?

[reeferericb]

I’m using Reef Crystals now (I forget which one) and supplementing alkalinity and calcium using Trident controlled dosing. Presently I have to dose 350ml/day to maintain 9.0dkh and 450 calcium.
If I switch to Red Sea Coral Pro that has a higher dkh and calcium will that reduce my dosing requirements?

 

[ReeferBud]

I’ve been using reef crystals for almost 30 years and have had success.

I have a large system and change 40 gals/week, so salt cost is an important cost driver in my system. I typically wait for for the good sales on Amazon or petco and stock up on 200gal boxes for $36

if I had a smaller tank, then maybe I’d try some other salts but just not worth it in my case.

there’s many examples of successful reefers with “cheap” IO salt. Heck, even Jason fox uses regular IO, so if anyone is not getting results with “cheap” salt, it’s not because of the salt...

 

[ItalCanadaReefer]

Currently using Fritz red but will be switching over to Fauna Marin

 

[JMetaxas]

I do 50 gallon water changes at a time in my system. I use Reef Crystals and am very happy. I can't see the justification to pay more.

I was getting a 50 gal bag for under $12 on Amazon, or Chewy, but now it jumped to over $15. Still a bargain.

 

[Pntbll687]

I've been using regular instant ocean with good results. I used reef crystals for a while, but the mixing bin would get super dirty, even when using a filter sock to clean it.

I bought 12 boxes of instant ocean in Nov 2019, still have a couple left. They were all the same lot number and the first three boxes tested the same parameters when I mixed each bag, so I just use those numbers as my baseline.

I don't understand why it seems everyone switched to tropic marin pro?? It may mix slightly cleaner, but the alk is lower than what almost everyone keeps their tank at. Is everyone adding two part to the freshly mixed water to bring the alk up?

And with instant ocean I never have to worry about it being out of stock.

 

[ReeferBud]

I've been using regular instant ocean with good results. I used reef crystals for a while, but the mixing bin would get super dirty, even when using a filter sock to clean it.

I bought 12 boxes of instant ocean in Nov 2019, still have a couple left. They were all the same lot number and the first three boxes tested the same parameters when I mixed each bag, so I just use those numbers as my baseline.

I don't understand why it seems everyone switched to tropic marin pro?? It may mix slightly cleaner, but the alk is lower than what almost everyone keeps their tank at. Is everyone adding two part to the freshly mixed water to bring the alk up?

And with instant ocean I never have to worry about it being out of stock.

it’s a fair point, reef crystals has organics and does leave a brown residue in the mixing container.

It’s never seemed to have any ill effect on corals but is a nuisance I’ve learned to live with. I clean the mixing container with a power washer about twice a year.

regular IO doesn’t leave a residue, I believe, since it doesn’t have organics

 

[CK00020]

I have about a month left of tm pro reef, then because of their stocking issues I will most likely have to switch. My question is what is the cleanest mixing salt with parameters close to tm pro?
Red Sea blue bucket?
IO purple and knock back the alk with sodium bisulfate? I am running like 7.2-7.5 dkh

 

[ReeferBud]

I have about a month left of tm pro reef, then because of their stocking issues I will most likely have to switch. My question is what is the cleanest mixing salt with parameters close to tm pro?
Red Sea blue bucket?
IO purple and knock back the alk with sodium bisulfate? I am running like 7.2-7.5 dkh

that could be an option.

another way to not worry about Alk difference is to run auto water changes, which only changes a small amount of water at a time and won’t cause parameter difference issues. Just view it as bonus carbonate you’re getting with the salt

 

[melanotaenia]

I have about a month left of tm pro reef, then because of their stocking issues I will most likely have to switch. My question is what is the cleanest mixing salt with parameters close to tm pro?
Red Sea blue bucket?
IO purple and knock back the alk with sodium bisulfate? I am running like 7.2-7.5 dkh

I would suggest trying to source TM Pro; I also use TM Pro and will not switch to these other brands; I have never had the positive results with other salts that I find for TM Pro.

 

[CK00020]

Where are you getting your salt from? I have a very limited lfs where I live and petco, between the 2 they may have a couple buckets of reef crystals

 

[CK00020]

I guess it’s going to have to be Red Sea blue, and am working on the awc shortly

 

[Kfactor]

i swithed to tm pro from blue bucket but my tank does not like it i dont really know why and here in canada not many ppl sell tm so with shipping its pretty costly lol

 

[mike550]

I guess it’s going to have to be Red Sea blue, and am working on the awc shortly

@CK00020 I'm going to be in the same situation soon. Please post as to how your change goes. Thx!