Reef Salt Brand

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I've been using both Ocean Pure Pro & Instant Ocean without any problems that I can pinpoint as being caused by the salt.

One of my good friends has been using IO for years with excellent results & phenomenal SPS growth. (ie. Good enough for Marie, good enough for my reef tank).

So many reefers I've heard who keep switching to the newest, more expensive brands have had lots of problems with their tanks.

Personally, I think a lot of the problems reefers encounter are due to our "need" to change things just for the sake of change. When things are doing fine in our tank, we still feel the need to switch salts, upgrade equipment, etc. rather than let our corals tell us when a change is needed.

While I do not do frequent water changes, when I do one, its usually 100 to 120 gallons & I cannot justify the price of premium salt, like H2O, when my corals are "happy" with the regular salt.

For instance, I just did a 120g water change (representing a 50+% water change by volume) last weekend with IO salt and my corals are all fully expanded and the sps have lots of polyps extended. Several SPS that browned out due to transportation & Interceptor stress a few weeks ago have now recovered their colour and are showing great polyp extension. I dose Magnesium, Calcium, and Iodine regularly. Usually use Liquid Reactor as well.

Even if I use a premium salt, to keep up all the trace mineral levels, I would have to do frequent water changes or continue dosing.

Here's the math behind my reasoning. Many reefers do a monthly 10% water change. That removes 10% of the accumulated buildup of nutrients and adds 10% new water. Unless that 10% new water is supersaturated with all the minerals to replenish the depleted levels in the old 90%, you're going to have to dose anyways (via Ca reactor, pump, or other means). Therefore, I kind of think that paying a huge price premium for salt with optimum Ca & other trace minerals is NOT cost effective if you're going to have to continue dosing anyways within a few days of doing a water change to maintain mineral levels. I would rather pay less for a decent salt like IO and save my money for livestock & other reef-related expenses.

That is why I have NEVERr been tempted by these super expensive premium salts.

Sorry for the essay.

Anthony

[steve fedyk]

I started with tropic marin but the store I go to dosen't carry it any more. Then I switched to reefer best because I,m giviing zeovit a good try and figure I would follow they're instruction and use all they're product.

[RSM]

I have been using reef crystals. I like how there is no need to dose anything especially with my busy schedule. It keeps things at natural levels. I dont keep many SPS, so there is no need for higher levels of Ca or Mg.

[Myka]

I'm in the same boat as you Anthony. Here's my thinking:

I use IO, and when I do water changes I dose my fresh saltwater before adding it to the tank to 440 cal, 11 dKH alk (IO is 11 dKH on its own), and 1360 mag, and if I do weekly 15-20% water changes I don't have to dose the tank directly at all. Before I do my weekly water change my cal will be 400 ish, dKH will be 8 ish, and mag will be 1348 ish, and after the water change cal will be about 415, 9 dKH alk, and 1350 ppm mag. So there isn't a very large swing in the levels, and I don't have to dose the tank directly.

[RuGlu6]

Switched from KZ Reefers Best to a D-D H2O due to a luck of Magnesium in KZ Reefers Best.
My water change is only 5 gal and don't want testing and dosing, so this justifies premium salt.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Switched from KZ Reefers Best to a D-D H2O due to a luck of Magnesium in KZ Reefers Best.
My water change is only 5 gal and don't want testing and dosing, so this justifies premium salt.

And I just had my water tested for Mg and it was mid 1300's using RB salt. Go figure.

[Tony Vargas]

Thank you all for all this very valuable information.

[Tony Vargas]

I would like to thank all the people who have voted. I’m providing everyone here a link to a similar Poll taken in the UK for analysis. http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/s...d.php?t=303447 As you can see from the results they are very different, over 75% of the Pollies use pro salts, are they wrong?

Furthermore, I’m curious as to why is it that some people purchase salt brands that require buffering (be it calcium, magnesium or alkalinity), instead of purchasing a good quality salt that is balanced from the start?

Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to purchase quality salt from the beginning and not concern yourself with products that require alteration of its water chemistry?

[reefmutt]

Tony, Thanks for getting this poll started.
I am happily surprised to see how well D-D H2Ocean pro salt is doing considering it has only been on the market for around 2 years.
Obviously, I voted for it as I distribute it in Canada AND use it exclusively in my 300 gallon sps tank at home.
I've used many salts in the past with mixed results. Instant ocean being on of the most commonly used by me, with perfectly fine results. I've also used Biosea, Kent and reef crystals.
Being a salesman as well as a hobbyist puts me in a funny position..
Here's what I like about H2Ocean pro:
Great magnesium levels, which lead to more stable calcium levels. And better stability over all.
It's not buffered too high or over fortified with calcium, so precipitation issues are reduced.
It has very good consistency from batch to batch.
Most of all, though, because it is produced from dried sea water, I find that the corals really thrive in it. They do better than just survive and grow. This salt provides all of the minor trace elements and minerals found in the ocean.
Where I see the biggest potential benefit is in my corals resistance to unexpected adverse conditions, should they arise.
Super healthy corals will handle a heat wave, for example better than corals that are just doing ok. They will handle stress due to lights being left on by a faulty timer, or from a pesky fish that suddenly takes a liking to a certain coral, or a skimmer that stops working while you are away for the weekend.
In the long run, a more expensive, fortified salt may even save you a few bucks since you probably wont have as many unexplained coral deaths.
Within 3 months of setting up my tank, I had many healthy and thriving sps in my tank and I think that the success I had early on was because of the quality of the H2Ocean salt.
Sorry for the essay and the sales pitch- take it with a grain of salt!
But, its all true!

Matt
Xenia North America

[marie]

Originally Posted by Tony Vargas

I would like to thank all the people who have voted. I’m providing everyone here a link to a similar Poll taken in the UK for analysis. http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/s...d.php?t=303447 As you can see from the results they are very different, over 75% of the Pollies use pro salts, are they wrong?

Furthermore, I’m curious as to why is it that some people purchase salt brands that require buffering (be it calcium, magnesium or alkalinity), instead of purchasing a good quality salt that is balanced from the start?

Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to purchase quality salt from the beginning and not concern yourself with products that require alteration of its water chemistry?

For me I started using IO because it was the only thing available to me at the time and I keep on using it because of the price, it is still cheaper then other salts after adding the cost of the extra Mg and cal