Red Sea Salt Mix for reef tank..

[32Bit_Fish]

Hello,

I'm thinking about switch from Instant Ocean to Red Sea Salt Mix cuz my LFS has that for sale and it is cheaper than Instant Ocean.

It comes with a 5g plastic bucket enough for 150g water. On the bucket, it also says extra Calcium 450. My tank has low calcium problem and wonder if I should try ther Red Sea Salt Mix.

I would like to see some feedbacks before buying that bucket of Red Sea.

Thanks.

 

[lcstorc]

I have heard that it can be inconsistant from batch to batch. I have never used it so can't say from experience just what I have heard.
Just test your water change water before adding to the tank. That will tell you better than anything if it is good or not.

 

[Dentoid]

Hey 32_bit check out this link~

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/polls/1208-brand-salt-do-you-use.html?highlight=salt+mix

15 pages of talk about different kinds of salt mixes. Maybe it will help.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

Thanks for the link. I see IO is the most popular one..

 

[lcstorc]

I think part of the reason for that is that everybody sells it. I get far better test results from Tropic Marin Pro Reef. It all depends on what you are looking for. I want the most complete salt possible so I rarely have to add anything to the tank. My levels stay pretty constant but I do a water change every 2 weeks.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

I think part of the reason for that is that everybody sells it. I get far better test results from Tropic Marin Pro Reef. It all depends on what you are looking for. I want the most complete salt possible so I rarely have to add anything to the tank. My levels stay pretty constant but I do a water change every 2 weeks.

Tropic Marine Pro Reef Salt Mix? Is it cheaper and better than IO?
I will look for that brand in my LFS.

Thanks

 

[lcstorc]

It is not cheaper. IMO it is better. I rarely have to use any additives other than calcium. In some areas it is hard to find. In fact I order it on-line from Drs Foster and Smith. I order 2 buckets at a time to save on the shipping.

 

[JFK_Jr]

Is it cheaper and better?

Those are two words that rarely go well together.

One thing I've learned in my years of reef-keeping is that this hobby is inherently expensive... sometimes it's more cost effective in the long run to pay for the good stuff at the start.

 

[swissgaurd]

im a redsea user.
i use the red sea pro saltmix
what turned me on to the red sea pro saltmix was not just the price.
when i tested a fresh batch of salt my alkalinity was at 8 and the calcium was at 420. at 1.025.

i had a tank full of hair algae that started when i used IO mix,as soon as i started using red sea pro the hair algae started to disapear, i did not use any
animals including manual removal to remove the hair algae as this tank contains clownfish and frogspawn.
the salt dissolves clear with no sedemant at the bottom of the bucket.

also the bucket says that its specially formulated for use with RO water,i guess it replenishes some chemicals that RO units remove the only thing i can think of is raising PH

i also like the part that when dissolved PH is t 8.2 i was using a salt prior to this on my mixed reef that gave me low PH values now my PH swings are minimal from daylight to darkness.

i will continue using this salt till i see different alk. and PH values.
i highly recomend the red sea PRO saltmix

vic

 

[PhilOlsen]

Remember to switch slowly, not all at once. When switching salts you should start at like 90% old and 10% new gradually increasing the amount of new salt by 10% in each water change. Just like changing anything , lights, food, etc. your system and livestock are acclimated to what is currently being used and needs to be re-acclimated to anything new.

 

[Dentoid]

im a redsea user.
i use the red sea pro saltmix
what turned me on to the red sea pro saltmix was not just the price.
when i tested a fresh batch of salt my alkalinity was at 8 and the calcium was at 420. at 1.025.

i had a tank full of hair algae that started when i used IO mix,as soon as i started using red sea pro the hair algae started to disapear, i did not use any
animals including manual removal to remove the hair algae as this tank contains clownfish and frogspawn.
the salt dissolves clear with no sedemant at the bottom of the bucket.

also the bucket says that its specially formulated for use with RO water,i guess it replenishes some chemicals that RO units remove the only thing i can think of is raising PH

i also like the part that when dissolved PH is t 8.2 i was using a salt prior to this on my mixed reef that gave me low PH values now my PH swings are minimal from daylight to darkness.

i will continue using this salt till i see different alk. and PH values.
i highly recomend the red sea PRO saltmix

vic

Nice review Swissy.

32_Bit, IMO, the best thing is to try and find a salt that accommodates your needs. I applaude your willingness to research different salt mixes however, cost should be last on the research list. I have been researching this for a couple a weeks and I have concluded that salt mixes that have the word "PRO" associated with them, generally will be low in certain areas like ALK and/or Ca and Mg. This is because the Pro formulations are for those who want to control these parameters in their tanks through supplementation. For example, Tropic Marin Pro has an ALK of 7.0, Ca of 300 and Mg of ~1500 at Salinity 1.025 and 79 degrees. When using this salt, if you want to keep coral, you will have to supplement the ALK and Ca with additives. It's great to be able to control our tanks water chemistry, but adds another level of difficulty and expense. It's best to find a salt that is well balanced from the start that requires minimal supplementaion until you become familiar with altering water chemistry. Perhaps this will start a discussion on salts that are balanced, for your continued success. Best of luck!

 

[billyr98]

Nice review Swissy.

32_Bit, IMO, the best thing is to try and find a salt that accommodates your needs. I applaude your willingness to research different salt mixes however, cost should be last on the research list. I have been researching this for a couple a weeks and I have concluded that salt mixes that have the word "PRO" associated with them, generally will be low in certain areas like ALK and/or Ca and Mg. This is because the Pro formulations are for those who want to control these parameters in their tanks through supplementation. For example, Tropic Marin Pro has an ALK of 7.0, Ca of 300 and Mg of ~1500 at Salinity 1.025 and 79 degrees. When using this salt, if you want to keep coral, you will have to supplement the ALK and Ca with additives. It's great to be able to control our tanks water chemistry, but adds another level of difficulty and expense. It's best to find a salt that is well balanced from the start that requires minimal supplementaion until you become familiar with altering water chemistry. Perhaps this will start a discussion on salts that are balanced, for your continued success. Best of luck!

i got great results from Tropic Marin Pro Reef.... here is my thread

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/13318-tropic-marin-pro-reef-reults.html?highlight=tropic+marin

 

[Dentoid]

Obviously, salt mix choice is a personal preference and everyone has their reasons for the salt they use. I switched to TM Pro because of Billy's thread and after researching TM. I did it with the understanding that I would be supplementing Ca. Billy our test results are different and I'm not going to question your results compared to mine because testing is subjective. Here is a chart from the TM web site to help decide which of their salts is best for your tanks situation.

http://www.tropic-marin.com/web/english/homepage.html

Click on Products-Saltwater-Tropic Marin Pro, at the bottom of the page, click on gray box for chart.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

Thanks guys for your input. I guess I have to do some research before switching to the new brand of salt mix. I never knew I need to go slowly even with using a new type of salt. Great advice, thank you all.