Need advice on salt and substrate

[ReganY]

Good to know. I will mix a day or two before. Time to find a big container.

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[WarDog]

Every salt mix makes salt water with all the extra goodies your corals love. IO has everything you need to be successful, but you will get different readings from different buckets. I hear the Red Sea stuff is pretty consistent, but my LFS doesn't carry it. Reefers Best could have gold flake in it for all I care, and mix perfectly, but I'm not paying over $100 for a pail of salt. If you're just starting out then I'd just go with IO for now.

[ReganY]

Good to know. I am starting off with cheaper stuff but I plan to get some better quality stuff after cycle.

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[The Guy]

I keep hearing that Red Sea is good, Amazon.ca has it, but the prices are all over the place. I always used IO without issues.

[reef-keeper]

I use reef crystals by IO. Suppose to have higher trace elements that reefs need. But that is what I was told. Never had a problem with it. And I find the reading very consistent.

[RDNanoGuy]

I used IO for years with zero problems. Just make sure to roll your buckets before use tho mix it up real good.

I switched to Coralife salt last year because its cheaper and alot of LFS use it keep costs down.had no problems so far.

[coolhandgoose]

Originally Posted by spit.fire

I just buy whatever is expensive

That's hilarious!

I use H2Ocean.

[Myka]

I'd suggest using Instant Ocean until you find a reason not to. It's cheap and easy to find. I don't like Reef Crystals because the calcium is super high, and I don't think the difference between it and IO is worth the price difference. Both Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals have high alkalinity so that will help you out while you're not dosing. I also like H2Ocean, and have used it for years on my reef tank, but the cost keeps going up on it, and it's now a $100 bucket of salt. It's a natural seasalt though, it's not synthetic. So yeah, just stick with IO for now.

For substrate though, I would not suggest a gravel. I would go with a coarse sand like Caribsea Seaflor Special Grade or Caribsea Aragamax Select. Gravel gets too much gunk stuck in it, and fine sand blows around the tank and makes a mess.

[Simons]

I have used salinity and IO and from the two I feel IO is better from a mixing point of view. It took salinity for ever to mix in comparison at least from my experience.

I have 1 mm fine sand in my tank, I had to strategically place some rock islands to keep it from blowing around when my power heads cycle up, something to keep in mind. I knew that could be an issue, but I wanted the 'white' sand bed look in my tank so I just did some intervention before it became an issue.

I have about 1 inch of sand, so definitely not a DSB, I have heard and read many posts and articles some for DSB and some against. I think if you keep a goby or other sand sifters in your tank like I do, you should not have any issues with whatever you decide to go with.

[ReganY]

Well IO for the win. I will pick some up. I know Pisces has IO, at least I think that's what I saw the other day.

I honestly would prefer fine sand as simons mentioned. It does look nice, but yes the fact that it blows around the tank definitely dissuaded me. I have decided to get mixed crushed coral not too fine and not to coarse.

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