Why anything but Instant Ocean?

[BAUCE]

I am not worried about it. The most nasty stuff that I put into my tank comes from the fish food (who knows what is in that stuff, but I do know that it contains a lot of metals). 20mls to 300 gallons is no big deal... and I also skim, have aragonite and change water so exporting metals and other nasty stuff should happen as well as it can. How does anybody know that the seachem acid buffer is pure? We all know that kalkwasser is not, calcium chloride, baking soda all have levels of impurities. I just assume that this is a risk that we all are taking, whether we know it or not...

I bought some HDX acid and noticed it’s pretty watered down so I was slightly concerned about it. Ive heard the more concentrated stuff from a pool supply store is better. I have no idea what’s in the sea chem stuff but I am assuming it’s going to be fine for an aquarium because well you know. I was having problems with the tank before trying the muriatic acid so I decided I didn’t want to add another possible variable to think about while trying to get my tank back in order.

What acid do you use? I’d try it again if I knew others were having success with a certain brand. I was just hesitant because I couldn’t find anyone else that used the hdx brand.

 

[Lowlandreef]

I'm from the Netherlands and over here IO salt is almost the same price as red sea coral pro salt. I have no issues at all with brown film, and red sea coral pro dissolves in under 15 minutes. The red sea coral pro also has higher elements, so I have no reason at all to switch salt brand...

 

[hart24601]

I have used IO but now use TMP just because in an emergency I can mix it up and it matches what I run my tank at. Sure I have have changed IO parameters with acids but I don’t want to fuss doing that anymore.

 

[ReeferBean]

I use Brightwell because I like how quickly it mixes. 30 minutes and it's in the tank.

There is nothing wrong with IO though.

I also use Neo Marine and its recommended you mix it for 24 hours prior to use. It mixes clear and doesn't leave any brown residue for me.

I also had success previously in my last tank using IO.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I am not worried about it. The most nasty stuff that I put into my tank comes from the fish food (who knows what is in that stuff, but I do know that it contains a lot of metals). 20mls to 300 gallons is no big deal... and I also skim, have aragonite and change water so exporting metals and other nasty stuff should happen as well as it can. How does anybody know that the seachem acid buffer is pure? We all know that kalkwasser is not, calcium chloride, baking soda all have levels of impurities. I just assume that this is a risk that we all are taking, whether we know it or not...

You can also use sodium bisulfate to reduce the alkalinity and provide sulfate ions which are beneficial to reef ecosystems.

 

[BZOFIQ]

... However, I'm switching over to Tropic Marin. Why? Easy answer is Lou and company are so amazing at sharing information on their products, hobby as a whole, and DIY recipes to lower cost of their products it only made sense. Looking at my overall yearly budget for salt it isn't going to change much so why not.

Lou is indeed a great guy with great products offered by a co. he represents here in the US. I use some of his other offerings, which I have been very happy with.

That said; I will continue using IO/RC because of the cost.

 

[Deezill]

IO since day one.

 

[User1]

Lou is indeed a great guy with great products offered by a co. he represents here in the US. I use some of his other offerings, which I have been very happy with.

That said; I will continue using IO/RC because of the cost.

Fully understand, and agree Upon first glance this is an expensive hobby so it is always wise to see where we can save a dollar here and there.

 

[reefiniteasy]

@jduong916 can I ask what lights, pumps and other equipment you use? Everything in this hobby boils down to personal preference and what a person thinks is best for their tank. I started with Fritz and have now switched to AquaForest and couldn’t be happier. I don’t know that I’d have the same experience with Instant Ocean and I’m not willing to try.

This is like asking why does anyone use anything other than Jabao wave pumps? They all do the same thing... It boils down to personal preference.

 

[User1]

@jduong916

This is like asking why does anyone use anything other than Jabao wave pumps? They all do the same thing.

Not in this case. There is a distinct quality difference between products be it Neptune Cor 15/20, Abyzz, Vectra and anything from Jebao. If you owned any of said products or those not mentioned be it iwaki or mag and compare it to Jebao you would see the difference.

In this example there is more than moving water.

 

[reefiniteasy]

Not in this case. There is a distinct quality difference between products be it Neptune Cor 15/20, Abyzz, Vectra and anything from Jebao. If you owned any of said products or those not mentioned be it iwaki or mag and compare it to Jebao you would see the difference.

In this example there is more than moving water.

I’m just point out that it’s preference. I can spend $120 for my Aqamai KPS pump that does the same as a more expensive pump, let’s say an mp10 and in my experience never have to service or replace a part like I see countless times that people post about their Vortech pumps. I can spend $90 on a bucket of salt that contains probiotics and all trace elements and see the benefits of that while someone is fine using IO that has none of that and doses more stuff. It’s all preference.

 

[PR_nano]

I was using IO and change due to the high ALK. It was mixing around 10.5 - 11 the system is new only 7 months with lower nutrients P04 .03 and P03 5-10 only 2 fish. I'm not opposed to go back to it once the tank mature and have more coral/fish, I have 2 bags left.

 

[Deezill]

Actually IO does have major, minor, and trace elements. It's up to the person to use what he or she wants. As long as you are getting to the desired salinity than that what counts. There is no way I would pay for AF when IO is cheap and gets the job done. That's my preference.

 

[ca1ore]

I can think of no good reason.

 

[tnc112105]

I love my ESV salt and would never ever switch. I don't have the space in my small house for a mixing station, therefore I mix up salt in small batches frequently, and one of my biggest peeves is testing and correcting the parameters all the time.

ESV is a 4 part and I have direct control over each one. If the parameters don't match what's on the box, it's because I screwed up, not because the salts settled during shipping or some other situation I have no control over.

Yes it's expensive, but I started the hobby well informed and knowing that it wasn't a cheap endeavor. To each her (or his) own.

 

[BighohoReef]

I don't think it is any different than which car, motor bike, or any other similar thing we do differently. Some prefer a Mustang GT350 while others prefer the GT350 R, and others yet prefer the Ferrari. All three get you to the store to buy a gallon of milk but you very well could get there on foot, bus, subway, or a Pinto.

We all like different things and provided we follow the mixing instructions the salt will be good to use in our tanks and support our ecosystem. Now, are all salts equal - no. And that is why people use different salts. Look at the BRS video on salts, mixing, and storage.

Note - also it is as simple as some people like to support some companies. I'm a user of I/O Reef Crystals. I have for over 10 years now. However, I'm switching over to Tropic Marin. Why? Easy answer is Lou and company are so amazing at sharing information on their products, hobby as a whole, and DIY recipes to lower cost of their products it only made sense. Looking at my overall yearly budget for salt it isn't going to change much so why not.

Let me preface this we’ve used I/O in our nano for years never had any issues (we even used water out of the tap when we started). We’ve seen moderate growth, and coloring. I really don’t have anything negative to say about I/O they are a standard and do the trick, plus I have a stack of their buckets I’ve reused for mixing. BONUS!

Just to echo the last post we did make the switch to Tropic Marin with the setup of our new tank. I just like the way Lou and his company are doing business. The involvement with this community (and others) and the information share is amazing! It just makes me want to keep supporting them. I might pay more but supporting a growing. A good business that I can talk to real folks is where I wanna put my money especially in this hobby.

 

[Potatohead]

I have no problems with IO, but it's just easier to use a salt mix that more closely matches my tank (alk) parameters, that way I don't have to doctor anything. If they came out with an NSW levels type salt, I would probably use it.

 

[Mike N]

I'm from the Netherlands and over here IO salt is almost the same price as red sea coral pro salt.

One for the win column for sure. Wish I could get RSCP for IO prices!

 

[Waters]

I don't mean to offend, but I'm curious as to why anyone would use salt other than Instant Ocean. I don't know if this is only my experience, but every single other brand I've used (including reef crystals) has left my mixing station full of a brown film. I've tried many different salts and I don't see any difference in tank health when compared to IO. They all seem to perform the same, but IO is soooo cheap and mixes clear (very important to me). I get that some salts come with this additive or that additive, but does that have any impact on tank health? I've never noticed a difference in results. Sure you can find a salt that matches your tank parameters, but consistent dosing or a CaRx will get you right back to where you want to be. I just feel like there are so many other things to worry about that salt mix is pretty much a non-issue. Cheap and clear is my only requirement and IO fits the bill.

I switched from IO to Red Sea Blue for the same reason you say you switched to it....IO left a ton of brown residue in my mixing cans. In addition, Red Sea Blue is a closer match to my tank parameters. I agree though....salt is salt. Just depends on what numbers you want.

 

[jduong916]

I doctor up any salt to my liking - acid to lower the alk and dowflake to adjust the calcium. I just want consistency and good price and IO has these in spades.

My IO recipie, for anybody who wants to give it a go:
50g bag of IO into a 44g brute full of COLD RO water. Add 2 tbsp of dowflake (calcium chloride). Mix. Add 20mls of Muriatic Acid and heat. Let mix for a day or two until the pH is back up. Perfect acropora water with dKh about 7.0 and calcium at 425.

I didn't know you could lower dKh with acid. I might have to try this out when my numbers start to get out of whack.