Which salt should i switch to?

[Jake_the_reefer]

I am currently using reef crystals as my main salt at the moment but recently I have decided I should switch my salt because I am not liking the perameters it is causing (500 calcium and 11 alkalinity) I would prefer to be in the 450 calcium and 8.4 alkalinity area. I would rather dose to keep the perameters stable than do the math in water changes to keep the perameters in a nice area. I notice reef Crystal's sometimes cause rather big swings in both alk and calcium after the water changes.
I am considering tropic Marin, red sea or fritz. What salt should I try? Price isnt horribly important as long as 150-200 gallons is under 100$

 

[piranhaman00]

​

Salt Product​	Calcium​	Alkalinity​	Magnesium​
Aquatic Gardens​	430​	8​	1240​
Brightwell Neomarine​	370​	11​	1140​
CoraLife​	560​	9​	1380​
Crystal Sea Marinemix​	340​	9​	1050​
Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay​	340​	9​	1050​
D-D H2Ocean​	450​	10​	1380​
Instant Ocean​	400​	11​	1350​
Kent​	540​	11​	1200​
Marine Environment​	480​	7.5​	1450​
Oceanic​	580​	8.5​	1650​
OceanPure​	510​	10​	1320​
Red Sea​	400​	8​	1300​
Red Sea Coral Pro​	470​	12.5​	1400​
Reef Crystals​	490​	13​	1440​
Reefer's Best​	420​	11​	1200​
SeaChem aquavitro salinity​	422​	9.8​	1336​
SeaChem Marine Salt​	500​	10​	1400​
SeaChem Reef Salt​	540​	10​	1450​
Tropic Marin​	375​	10​	1230​
Tropic Marin Pro Reef​	450​	8.5​	1380​
Tunze Reef Salt​	420​	9.5​	1350​

Source: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505

 

[ReefCAKE]

I love HW Marine Reefer mix. It always mixes at 9.0dkh and 450cal

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I love HW Marine Reefer mix. It always mixes at 9.0dkh and 450cal

69$ for 160g isnt bad I may try it.

 

[AdamB]

Take a look at Live Aquaria’ professional salt mix. Very consistent and stays around readings you mentioned . I have used it for a couple years and it has worked great for the price point . Especially when they email you discount codes . I stock up!

 

[ajhudson15]

you wanting yours where I keep mine. I loved red sea blue bucket

 

[jp_75]

red sea blue bucket for me

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

you wanting yours where I keep mine. I loved red sea blue bucket

Yeah I'm looking for lower swings in perameters with moderate consumption speed of coral and having to do water changes from post dino nitrates the alk jumped from 7.5-10 and 450 calcium to 508 in one water change in accident... it wasnt even a massive water change only like 25%

 

[themcnertney]

I just went from Kent to Brightwell, Kent was becoming harder for me to find. Was a rough transition, but now I got it figured out and I love Brightwell.

 

[Waters]

Another Red Sea Blue user.....it actually mixes up pretty much exactly at the the numbers you are trying to keep.

 

[ajhudson15]

Yeah I'm looking for lower swings in perameters with moderate consumption speed of coral and having to do water changes from post dino nitrates the alk jumped from 7.5-10 and 450 calcium to 508 in one water change in accident... it wasnt even a massive water change only like 25%

I never had issues when I used red sea blue. I did just start using the reef crystals because I ran out one day and my petco carries reef crystals and it was cheap. I do plan on going back to red sea because I liked it much better.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I never had issues when I used red sea blue. I did just start using the reef crystals because I ran out one day and my petco carries reef crystals and it was cheap. I do plan on going back to red sea because I liked it much better.

I notice red sea blue has calcium of 410. Isnt that low? Does it require dosing?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

A buddy of mine has tried the Quantum LPS salt for his mixed reef. He's gotten crazy growth (some of the frags he got from me look better than the mother colonies ).

 

[ajhudson15]

I notice red sea blue has calcium of 410. Isnt that low? Does it require dosing?

no matter what salt you use you may have to dose if you don't do water changes enough. if you have lots of coral consuming calcium you would have to do a decent size water change weekly in order to keep up with the usage. I have lots of coral but I do dose alk and cal daily so I don't have to do water changes every day. if I didn't dose my alk would plumet day 1

 

[ReefRy]

Tropic Marin mixes quick and stores well. Also no precipitate afterwards. Im very happy with it so far, albeit in limited sample size.

 

[jasonrusso]

Take a look at Live Aquaria’ professional salt mix. Very consistent and stays around readings you mentioned . I have used it for a couple years and it has worked great for the price point . Especially when they email you discount codes . I stock up!

I use the same, I have for years. The price was so good I started using it on my fowler as well so I didn't have to keep switching buckets.

I need some right now, but I can't find any sales or codes!!

 

[Jeeperz]

I've used/use salinity and reef crystals. I've never had the alk measure what was posted. Reef crystals gives me around 9 ALK 500 calcium, 1600 mag. Salinity is around 8 alk 400 calcium 1300 mag at 1.026 with a freshly calibrated refractometer. I mix 1/2 cup at a time slowly in cold rodi. I use a Hana meter for alk and red sea for the others.

 

[Jordan Prather]

I switched from reef Crystal's to aquaforest and was happy for a while then I switched to quantum and was thrilled best growth and color I have seen in my tank I do not plan on switching again as long as I can get it. Look up "the q" on facebook dimitrios and will are always willing to help out to

 

[tstar]

I love HW Marine Reefer mix. It always mixes at 9.0dkh and 450cal

I can verify HW Marinemix Reefer's consistency. At least so far, I've only had two boxes though.

Tim

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

I think i'm the only odd ball that uses Instant Ocean Purple can. I have been using it for a while, I do have to dose with it. I checked the parameters in the new mix water and then logged the changes that needed to be made to it BEFORE doing the water change,. now I just pre-dose the new mix before every water change so there are no swings. I double check the pre-dose log every 4 water changes to make sure I don't need to make adjustments. when I started dosing the water change water, I noticed that my coral look great after each water change.
Before I started pre-dosing I would see my Acan shrivel up and torches/ frog spawn wouldn't be looking good. I am assuming this came from the following: I would do the water change and the parameters would drop in the tank, the dosing pump would work to bring everything back up to where the coral are comfortable, then I would do a water change and bring everything back down (5 gallon water change in a 29 gallon tank)

That being said, I will be changing to Pro Reef Salt, I think those parameters are closer to what I am currently running on the tank, and I think it would be less pre-dosing for water changes, and maybe even less daily dosing. time will tell.
I cant make the change until I burn through the rest of the salt I have left which is about 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket.