Buy the cheapest salt if you dose , why not?

[Basile]

Does it really matter what salt if you dose and put all kinds of supplements.

I mean why pay more for a salt with all kinds of this and that, if yourself are going to add to it anyway, this is for those who dose of course. If you don't dose i can understand paying a bit more for salts that has extra in it.

But like me i'm dosing so i buy the cheapest. Any comments, does that make sense to you.

I write big for my iphone friends.

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[reefer gladness]

Shrug, I think I use the most expensive salt on the market AND I dose.

Tropic Marin Bio-Actif salt is controversial in some circles as the company will not disclose what makes up the 'bioactive substances' but here's a blurb from the company about the supposed benefits.

The revolutionary new synthetic sea salt which combines maximum purity in terms of its components with the protective and growth-promoting action of bioactive substances naturally found in the sea. They form effective protection for the mucous membranes of the fish whose improved health is clearly reflected in their increased levels of mating and reproduction. Corals respond by displaying even brighter and more vibrant colors. The extent to which both stony and leather corals enlarge and open their polyps is unprecedented. Indications of the improved conditions seen in the corals are greater growth and stronger tissue. They build up reserves which strengthen them and make them less sensitive to unavoidable fluctuations in their surrounding conditions. At the same time BIO-ACTIF SEA SALT encourages the breakdown of pollutants in the water which is evident in the brilliant clarity of the water after every change.

For my part, I DID notice a near immediate response from my corals that extended further than I had ever seen before. My skimmer went into overtime for the first week or two and then stabilized but it seemed to support the claims of increased skimming. No way of telling about the mucous membranes on the fish but the other responses have been positive enough that I'm inclined to give the manufacturer the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Paul B]

I buy whatever is on sale or if I can get it wholesale. I also use NSW if I am not to lazy to collect it. In almost 60 years of fish keeping I have never heard fish or corals complain about anything. They don't look better or worse no matter what I do. If your tank looks better right after a water change, there is something wrong with your tank as it should look perfect all the time. Kind of like Christie Brinkley does.

 

[DaveK]

I have tried quite a few salts over the years. Some of the companies are long gone. Even so, there are some salts that I think are so bad that I wouldn't use them.

If you mean dosing to mean adding back calcium and other things the corals and live stock remove, that's fine. If your adding a lot of stuff to newly mixed SW to get that brand X salt up to the correct level of calcium and alkalinity and other parameters, you need a better salt. You can make up for parameters you can measure, but you can't do that for what you can't measure, and you can't tell where that brand X salt may have cut corners.

I don't think you need to go out and get the most expensive salt out there, but I'd get a quality salt from a well known supplier.

 

[sirrealism]

I for one used to think that I needed to buy the best salt I could get. Then i saw someones tank that was one of those jaw droppers. So full of fantastic SPS and LPS Just fantastic. Of course like everyone i start asking what are you dosing? whats this and that then I asked what salt are you using and when he told my plan IO I was floored. I am not changing what I use fast but I am going back to good old IO. Right now I am mixing half RSCP and IO until my RSCP is gone

 

[Creekview]

IO has been around 40 years. If it was crap, they wouldn't still be #1 in sales volume worldwide.

 

[reefer gladness]

IO has been around 40 years. If it was crap, they wouldn't still be #1 in sales volume worldwide.

Not saying IO is crap but sales numbers are no indication of what's inside. You do know IO salts have been reformulated several times over the years right? A lot has changed in 40 years...

 

[Creekview]

Yep, been using it for 40 years, and I've changed too.

 

[DaveK]

Not saying IO is crap but sales numbers are no indication of what's inside. You do know IO salts have been reformulated several times over the years right? A lot has changed in 40 years...

A very valid point. Is IO the best selling because it's a good salt or because it's the least expensive? Also, did the reformulations make it better, or cheaper, or were they done for marketing purposes?

Another question, if your using one brand of salt, have you ever tried another one? If not you have no idea if your salt is ok, or really good. Could you tank be a lot better with a different salt?

And that is the crux of the problem. Trying another salt means you place your system at some risk. Most people don't want to do that. I can't blame them.

Over the years a lot of salt fads and come and gone. At one time the bragging was about the number of trace elements in the salt, even though a lot of them were likely caused by the salts used to make it not being quite pure. Another time was about how the salt did not contain nitrates. There has been plenty of other salt hype done over the years.

The few times anyone has tried to compare various salt brands, the study done was very flawed. Most manufactures don't want such testing done by outsiders. There is too much risk of loosing the contest.

 

[Creekview]

IO is my choice, and yes I've tried others. Really could tell no difference. There are too many variables already, and chasing numbers in search of reef nirvana is a fine pursuit for some. I like the consistency of state-of-the-art manufacturing over some boutique brand that may or may not be here one day. Here's some info I ran across:

"Very recently, the company moved its manufacturing facilities to Blacksburg, Virginia, where its parent company, United Pet Group, has its principle chemical manufacturing center. The over 200,000 square foot facility features all new, stainless steel, pharmaceutical-grade equipment. Also, the company has a state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled laboratory dedicated solely to testing salt. This is where quality control is maintained through regular sampling and analysis. In making this manufacturing move, the company’s goal, given its long history, was to maintain and strengthen its trusted brand name in the market. Its mission remains to provide a consistent and reliable product to customers.
Over the years, and leading up to the move, modifications have been made in order to remain at the forefront of manufacturing innovation. Perhaps the most significant investment was in upgrading to computer-controlled processes. Every ingredient is now weighed on a digital scale and added by computer-controlled valves to ensure that each batch of Instant Ocean is exactly the same mix. The updates have also improved overall flexibility in manufacturing to efficiently meet customers’ orders, without compromising on quality."

 

[Poseidon11]

doesnt matter to me since my tank is kind of small

 

[Clint24]

I started using Seachem Salinity. Has anyone else used this salt ?


CD

 

[Frankie]

Was a Tropic Marin user for years with good results. Meaning it was spot on every time I tested it. Very consistent if mixed properly.
I cannot get it here so I am using IO. No problems. Same consistency in test results though it is my first bucket.
I used Reefers Best Salt on my last system. I was doing zeovit back then and the K+ (potassium) was an issue, RBS seemed to fix that problem.
Once I am fully back on zeovit I will go back to RBS.

 

[steveh]

Interesting thread. At Red Sea, our research into the needs of corals within aquaria led us to reformulate both Red Sea & Coral Pro Salts a few years ago. The levels of Foundation Elements we elected to use are based on the results of 5 years of scientific research which eventually led to the development of our Reef Care program. The levels of foundation elements were shown to achieve optimal results (for example, in the case of Coral Pro, the aim was to achieve maximum, stable coral growth with the development of aragonite skeletal mass, rather than calcite). To answer the question directly, I personally would stick with a salt brand which guarantees homogeneity (consistency between batches), and which is reputable so you can at least assume the quality of the raw ingredients is consistently high. Salt is about more than the headline level of some key elements. Buying cheaper raw ingredients saves money but leads to lower quality. The other consideration is that our hobby has moved on a lot in the last 10-15-20 years. Not only has the level of research and knowledge increased, but the types of corals being kept is completely different. Going back in time to when many salts were formulated, no consideration was given to the needs of sps corals for example, because only softies were regularly kept. Of course there will always be those who swap salts, buy the cheapest they can and have nice aquariums. However, I would personally want to give my reef the best chance possible.
The difference in price between high quality and lower quality also needs to be considered as we should put it into perspective. Let's say you pay an additional $5 on a 175gall bucket. If you have a 100gall reef and are changing 10% per week then the additional cost to you of buying the higher quality salt is going to be less than $15 per year. The other thing which may not be so obvious is that some salt mixes produce more seawater at any given salinity than other brands. While many manufacturers produce a "175gall" or equivalent size, the question is "175gall at what salinity?". For example, Coral Pro and Red Sea Salts both produce 5-10% more seawater at any given salinity than many other brands, so if the price is 5% more expensive then the real cost per gallon is actually the same. My advice would be to spend a few minutes to look at what you are really buying, and then consider the benefits vs the cost. Find a salt mix which gives you the aquarium you want and stick with it, (whether or not it happens to be Red Sea or Coral Pro, as there are other good salts out there).

 

[PSU4ME]

I started using Seachem Salinity. Has anyone else used this salt ?


CD

I use salinity and it is great for stable parameters but is on the expensive side

I remember a thread somewhere of a guy making his own salt mix, anyone ever try it?

 

[Creekview]

I've seen variations on this recipe on a couple of boards. My question echoes one of the posts.......Why? Your labor in accumulating the ingredients, plus the cost of a digital scale of sufficient capacity to accurately measure, plus the costs of testing your mix........I could go on.

http://www.brevardareareefsociety.com/forums/showthread.php?11253-DIY-salt-mix

 

[Clint24]

I use salinity and it is great for stable parameters but is on the expensive side

I remember a thread somewhere of a guy making his own salt mix, anyone ever try it?

When u do water changes, is your fresh SW cloudy. Last weekend when I did a WC it was cloudy & clouded my tank for about 2 hrs. I mixed it & let it run for 24 hrs, checked parameters & all was good so I went ahead & used it. It was the bottom of my bucket... Just wondering of u had the same issues?


CD

 

[Snid]

IO has been around 40 years. If it was crap, they wouldn't still be #1 in sales volume worldwide.

I don't know if that logic is sound... The same can be said for Walmart...