switching salt soon

[Myka]

Imo a salt is a salt is a salt is a salt. I've tried pretty much everything, although I haven't tried Reefer's Best...$100 for salt?? Seriously?? That's why! All kidding aside, of all the salts I have tried I have noticed a difference in my tank or my corals. I started off my reefing life with Instant Ocean...it was the only one I even knew of. Over the years I have tried a new salt here and there, usually for a year at a time, but I have always tended to go back to Instant Ocean because I see no difference in my tank, so what justifies the extra cost? Every other salt I have ever tried I still need to add chemicals to bump up calcium, or magnesium, or potassium...never alkalinity though, the manufacturers seem to have that one covered!

About 8 months ago I felt the urge to try a new salt again. I was lured by Deltec's natural H2Ocean seasalt. I figured well, if anything would perform different it would be natural versus synthetic, no? I was also lured by the reportedly acceptable parameters including the lower alkalinity of 9 dKH compared to 11dKH out of the Instant Ocean bucket. Not to mention the rumor of not having to add chemicals to the fresh batch of saltwater! *gasp*

So here I am 8 months later still using H2Ocean, still noticing no difference in my reef. Dangit, I fell for the advertising AGAIN! I do appreciate the 9 dKH alkalinity of H2Ocean as I can perform larger water changes without throwing the balance out of whack, but I still have to add chemicals to the water change water! I add magnesium and potassium. So what am I paying for? Less alkalinity? Oh, a sucker I am!

So, anyway...my point is I don't think it matters which salt you use. It is reported by many Zeovit users that H2Ocean is a perfectly acceptable salt to use with the Zeovit methods, but of course Reefer's Best is always recommended.

You suggest you are using an "algae-based system", but you mention a Zeovit-based bacteria system. Are you just wondering if the RB salt is specially formulated for the Zeo method and therefore wouldn't be acceptable salt for the algae-based system?

RB salt is in fact specially formulated for the Zeovit system. Zeolites (and any other brand of those "rocks") absorb many nutrients and elements including potassium. RB salt is made (among other things) with elevated potassium level to make up for that. As well, RB salt has a lower alkalinity of about 7 dKH to match that suggested of the Zeovit system.

Does this make RB salt incompatible with a typical reef system? No, it is just another salt. It will work perfectly fine, and if all rumors are true (I haven't tested myself), a person using RB salt wouldn't have to add any chemicals to the water change water. Wait a sec, I heard the same thing about H2Ocean!

Anyway, use whichever salt you want! What brand were you using before?