Reefers Best Salt

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by Joshua Jones

Take a look at what you're trying to accomplish and what's important to you.

For fish only, cheap salts like IO, seachem, and whatnot do the trick just fine.

However, if you're getting into more demanding corals and performance matters to you, it may be worth
it to you to be able to rely upon both consistency between batches and properly balanced levels, especially
Ca, KH, Mg, and K; which is not offered in economy salts.

We use seachem reef for our fish, and Reefer's best for our corals.

I disagree with you, I have probably about 100 or so SPS, LPS and Zoa's, all doing just fine with the Zeovit System and using Reef Crystals at $55 a bucket... You can't call Reef Crystals lower end, they have been around longer than any other salt manufacturer... Actually Dennis at Gold's Aquarium did some testing on several salts and found Reefer's Best NO BETTER than the others, this is the reason he no longer carries it, as he says why buy it if it isn't actually better. Just my 2 cents.

[JDigital]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I disagree with you, I have probably about 100 or so SPS, LPS and Zoa's, all doing just fine with the Zeovit System and using Reef Crystals at $55 a bucket...

I'd argue the fact that it's the full Zeo system doing all the work to keep your corals in check. Not the RC salt.

Plus with 100 or so SPS, LPS and Zoa's, you can't possibly be keeping your Alk/Ca/Mg in check with just water changes?

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by JDigital

I'd argue the fact that it's the full Zeo system doing all the work to keep your corals in check. Not the RC salt.

Plus with 100 or so SPS, LPS and Zoa's, you can't possibly be keeping your Alk/Ca/Mg in check with just water changes?

Wow, before making comments like this, you should ask what I do and how I manage my setup... Who said I only do water changes! It sure wasn't me! yes I am running full Zeo, no I don't use Reefers best salt.... You don't have to, to be running full Zeo.

I test and dose for trace, strontium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and so forth... So yes, there is alot involved (in alot of cases, daily maintenance), especially as I don't run any Kalk reactors or dosing pumps, so it is a manual process for me (of which I like it this way) Don't assume, AS YOU ARE WRONG!

I get quit peaved of the ignorance of some. When I comment, it is to give my perspective (Right or Wrong), what has worked for me, what has failed... Always to often, people take what is said and bash... Take my advice and others for what it is, then decide for yourself what you wish to do with it or use in your own aquarium setup... There is never any reason for posts like this one from JDigital

[JDigital]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

Wow, before making comments like this, you should ask what I do and how I manage my setup... Who said I only do water changes! It sure wasn't me! yes I am running full Zeo, no I don't use Reefers best salt.... You don't have to, to be running full Zeo.

I test and dose for trace, strontium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and so forth... So yes, there is alot involved (in alot of cases, daily maintenance), especially as I don't run any Kalk reactors or dosing pumps, so it is a manual process for me (of which I like it this way) Don't assume, AS YOU ARE WRONG!

I get quit peaved of the ignorance of some. When I comment, it is to give my perspective (Right or Wrong), what has worked for me, what has failed... Always to often, people take what is said and bash... Take my advice and others for what it is, then decide for yourself what you wish to do with it or use in your own aquarium setup... There is never any reason for posts like this one from JDigital

I argued the claim of your tanks success was because of your salt choice, when in fact it could be any number of reasons which.... You just clarified what you hadn't mentioned earlier. That you have an extensive dosing regiment. Did I make an assumption? You bet! And I was RIGHT.

Our tank success doesn't just come down to the brand of salt, as you have clearly stated that you have a daily maintenance routine (quite extensive even) to manage your levels. All of these things weigh in to affect the tanks quality. So why back a product so strongly when the success could be from so many differing factors? (Zeo, dosing regiment, feeding, etc)

I have tested the salts I've used against each other as well and found that RC was lacking in CA and Alk from other brands that I have used since. With RC I had to dose my water change water just to get it to match my tank... with other salts, specifically Aquamedic and H2Ocean, my WC water is about as close to my tank levels as I'm gonna get which saves me from having to dose WC water AND my tank. That translates into savings on my dosing products. A bucket of salt @ $90 bucks lasts far longer than my dosing products which cost $15-25/bottle.


PS: Don't get me started on ignorance.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by JDigital

I argued the claim of your tanks success was because of your salt choice, when in fact it could be any number of reasons which.... You just clarified what you hadn't mentioned earlier. That you have an extensive dosing regiment. Did I make an assumption? You bet! And I was RIGHT.

Our tank success doesn't just come down to the brand of salt, as you have clearly stated that you have a daily maintenance routine (quite extensive even) to manage your levels. All of these things weigh in to affect the tanks quality. So why back a product so strongly when the success could be from so many differing factors? (Zeo, dosing regiment, feeding, etc)

I have tested the salts I've used against each other as well and found that RC was lacking in CA and Alk from other brands that I have used since. With RC I had to dose my water change water just to get it to match my tank... with other salts, specifically Aquamedic and H2Ocean, my WC water is about as close to my tank levels as I'm gonna get which saves me from having to dose WC water AND my tank. That translates into savings on my dosing products. A bucket of salt @ $90 bucks lasts far longer than my dosing products which cost $15-25/bottle.


PS: Don't get me started on ignorance.

I never stated that my success was solely on salt, again you assume that I made that claim... You are correct, a successful tank has a variant of things involved.

If you are using liquid form for dosing, that is where you went wrong... that way is always more expensive (I too learned the hard way in the beginning). I now use crystal form (where possible), as I stated in a previously post, costs are very minimal and you get a large volume out of it... Now you have to prepare it, but that is ok with me. you pay much more for liquids for the convenience factor.

Your comments about backing a product... Again I am just stating that I use Reef Crystals and it works well for me, so I don't pay extra for the more expensive salt... you are reading much more into things than needed.

Everyone remember this, what works for one individual, may not work for others... Everyone has different views, and that is all it is, Views... Take what info you wish and roll with it and make your own decisions.

lets move forward!

[Guru]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I disagree with you, I have probably about 100 or so SPS, LPS and Zoa's, all doing just fine with the Zeovit System and using Reef Crystals at $55 a bucket... You can't call Reef Crystals lower end, they have been around longer than any other salt manufacturer... Actually Dennis at Gold's Aquarium did some testing on several salts and found Reefer's Best NO BETTER than the others, this is the reason he no longer carries it, as he says why buy it if it isn't actually better. Just my 2 cents.

Your statement is funny because denis told me vortect pumps were no better than any other pump and that's why golds doesn't carry them.
could it be that if golds doesn't sell products like zeovit, reeflo sequence pumps and reefers bests etc etc. that denise thinks its no good??
It looks like from other threads you don't take his advice on everything (vortech and zeovit)
I use reefers best salt and am amazed with its quality compared to instant ocean. I did buy it from j+l and the shipping killed me.

Does anyone know where i can get it in southern Alberta I have just moved here and would like to have a local source.

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by Guru

Does anyone know where i can get it in southern Alberta I have just moved here and would like to have a local source.

Red coral sells RB salt for $100 or something like that

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I just did the same thing, shipping was $43... Wow, I guess they don't sell much salt then... I buy everything else from them. I think JL needs to rework things for salt and heavier items.

I guess, get your LFS to bring some in... Personally I feel Reefer's Best is overrated. I run a full Zeovit system but use Reef Crystals and have never had an issue. And the salt is about 40% cheaper.

I am going to stir the pot with you about J&L. For one shipping is done by weight mostly unless the item is oversided. Salt is one hell of a product to ship due to the weight and they would be lossing alot of money by offering free shipping on it. Saying free shipping on powerheads, heaters, skimmers, pumps... is easy cause they all don't weight like 60 pounds and shipping them is cheap. Talk to any LFS about why they bring in alot of salt at once instead of just a few buckets.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by lorenz0

Red coral sells RB salt for $100 or something like that



I am going to stir the pot with you about J&L. For one shipping is done by weight mostly unless the item is oversided. Salt is one hell of a product to ship due to the weight and they would be lossing alot of money by offering free shipping on it. Saying free shipping on powerheads, heaters, skimmers, pumps... is easy cause they all don't weight like 60 pounds and shipping them is cheap. Talk to any LFS about why they bring in alot of salt at once instead of just a few buckets.

Hey LorenzO, you are not stirring anything... I buy alot from JL, as they are much cheaper for bulk items, Zeo and so forth... I have always bought my salt from Golds for $55 per bucket, never bought from JL as I knew that $5 was added for heavier items, so thought it not worth it... But I see that it really isn't worth it because of the shipping also. However JL is still cheaper for the normal stuff (as you say, the lighter things) and shipping is free.

I should also say that I buy large quantities of the carbon, calcium, mg, and so on, so this gets quite heavy, and shipping is still free. However, probably never as heavy as 1 bucket of salt. With the size of my aquarium and what I dose overall, it isn't cheap and JL saves me alot of money compared to any LFS in Calgary buying the same stuff.

[fragNplug]

if your doing full zeo, what is your ph at using instant ocean?
I started to use zeo and the reactor and was told that my salt was not good for the zeo system that requires a low ph.
if your running instant ocean you must be doing something to drop your ph before adding to your tank..
my choice of salt is seachem and i stopped using zeo only as i didnt want to change salts.
as you can see reef crystals is low in calcium, so your spending about the same amount of money to add supplemental calcium to your tank as you would for the recomened salt for a full zeo system.



Zeos thread on seachem and ph
http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6849

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by fragNplug

if your doing full zeo, what is your ph at using instant ocean?
I started to use zeo and the reactor and was told that my salt was not good for the zeo system that requires a low ph.
if your running instant ocean you must be doing something to drop your ph before adding to your tank..
my choice of salt is seachem and i stopped using zeo only as i didnt want to change salts.
as you can see reef crystals is low in calcium, so your spending about the same amount of money to add supplemental calcium to your tank as you would for the recomened salt for a full zeo system.



Zeos thread on seachem and ph
http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6849

My PH is a constant 8.3, I can even say that I never have had an issue with PH, where I have ever dosed to bring up or down... Management of PH with buffers has never been done on this system.

Also I should state that my Alk is between 7-8, proper ranges for Zeo. Alk can fluctuate, so I test twice a week and manage this with buffers, again very cheap in bulk supply from JL... Usually I need to raise ALK, if I see it starting falling. I don't have issues with high ALK, like others, it is with low ALK if there are any issues.

Yes, I dose calcium, but no I don't spend more... I buy bulk from JL and it is very cheap.... Still cheaper than buying Reefers Best

I should state that buying supplements in crystal form is the cheapest way to do things, when buying the liquids it can cost much more... Buying crystals is very cheap, I then premix and have ready for future use... I have calculated my mixes and dosing's that work for me, and tend to supplement twice a week... Again this was done over time, and my regime works for me... With regular testing, I can then top off anything that may be needed, outside of the normal twice a week dosing regime already in place.