Which oh which salt to use

[bvanfish]

I am going to start mixing my own salt. I was getting it from LFS and it was usually around 8 then I got a batch at 13 and didn’t know till after the water change….

I am getting an rodi and my own salt moving forward.

my question is I am trying to use this as weekly water change and not have to dose much. I am looking for dkh of 8-10 ca 450 mg 1400 ish. I know instant ocean is close but I am torn between a few. I’d love IO reef crystal but the dkh seems really high.

anyone have a salt that is very consistent and in the range desired dkh of 8-10 ca 450 mg 1400 ish with trace elements etc

thank you!

 

[bvanfish]

@vetteguy53081 would you do IO or reef crystal? Or maybe another?

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 would you do IO or reef crystal? Or maybe another?

If reef =- reef crystal but Instant ocean used by major public aquariums for reefs also

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Reef Crystals for sure.

 

[bvanfish]

Isn’t the dkh just really high for reef crystal like 12 or something?

 

[TheBear78]

You have to consider nutrient export too.

 

[bvanfish]

You have to consider nutrient export too.

@TheBear78 what do you mean by this? I’m going to do 20% wc a week. I just figured if it’s at 12 that seems to be the top limit for reef tanks

 

[X-37B]

I now run seachem aquavitro salinity. Look it up as its close to your numbers plus the bucket is cool.

 

[TheBear78]

Is your dKh consistent in your tank or does it get "used" by your coral?
I use Red Sea salt which comes out at 8 dkh but I have to dose to maintain this in the tank.
Edit. Adding water at 12 dkh could acually maintain the levels that you want.

 

[bvanfish]

It is getting used but as I’m adding more and they are growing I’m sure it will increase

 

[rtparty]

Here is a chart of a lot of the salts. You will have to dose with any of them. Don’t base it off of that alone. Find other priorities and pick the one that matches.

The Ultimate Salt Test

I wanted to get this thread up and going before the holidays soak up all my time. I did a live YouTube with Deven from ReefDudes going over things but it is about 1.5 hours long. I will write up a more detailed explanation here in this first post soon. I am a hobbyist first and foremost. I have...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[PatW]

You can use muriatic acid to decrease the DKH of instant ocean. I have done this. I am not sure how risky it is.

Now Red Sea Salt has a relatively low ALK, I think about 8.0. And you can use that, but it will be more expensive than Instant Ocean.

 

[bvanfish]

@rtparty that is an amazing document thank you.

I think its either Red Sea coral pro or Reef Crystal now. The only thing is red sea is more than double the price.. I guess my only concern is the DKH being high and it getting out of control. But in @rtparty yours says the reef crystal is at 9.4 which would be perfect.

 

[Natural_Reefer]

@TheBear78 what do you mean by this? I’m going to do 20% wc a week. I just figured if it’s at 12 that seems to be the top limit for reef tanks

I been using IO Reef Crystal for almost 10 years without any issue!
Yes, It has high ALK but it will balance out since water changes would only be 10%-20% per week. My Alkalinity is consistently around 8.5 and will be up to around 9.0 after water change.
Bonuses with Reef Crystal are cheap and readily available.

 

[dstockwell]

I now run seachem aquavitro salinity. Look it up as its close to your numbers plus the bucket is cool.

WOW that's some expensive stuff.

 

[rtparty]

@rtparty that is an amazing document thank you.

I think it’s either Red Sea coral pro or Reef Crystal now. The only thing is red sea is more than double the price.. I guess my only concern is the DKH being high and it getting out of control. But in @rtparty yours says the reef crystal is at 9.4 which would be perfect.

The current belief is my Reef Crystals bag I got was not typical. Which is totally believable.

If using Instant Ocean, just use the Purple. Skip Reef Crystals IMO. Dirty salt and inconsistent in my experience.

I have been using HW Reefer since my testing and enjoy it. When it’s on sale, it’s a great price for the quality IMO

 

[X-37B]

WOW that's some expensive stuff.

Really! I get mine for $80 and it does make 225 g's.
I only do 10% a month which equals 18'gs so it lasts quite a while.
I used ESV for several years. During covid it was hard to get so I swithced. Good salt too.

 

[dstockwell]

Well I just googled a few minutes ago and 225G is $118, thought that was pretty pricey.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Instant Ocean. It's cheap, it comes in convenient 50 gallon bags (mix up almost perfectly in a 44 gallon Brute trash can), and it's available at basically every brick and mortar pet store in case I need a lot for an emergency.

 

[X-37B]

Well I just googled a few minutes ago and 225G is $118, thought that was pretty pricey.

I get mine at the lfs. One sells it for $95 the other $75 which is close to cost. $95 is still a good deal.

Honestly all salts work if you know what you are doing.
I have to lower alk on the salinity but mag and cal are good.