reefers best salt users

[swissgaurd]

merry christmas

looks like reefers best salt is available locally now,so i want to try it

ive been using redsea coral pro now for a few years and it works good but im always looking for better.

what can you users tell me about this salt.

thanks
vic

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Never heard of it. The going rate seems to be $80 to $100 for about 50lbs. IO is $36 for that much. Any links as to why it's so "superior" and "premium"?

[swissgaurd]

i know a lot of people dont want to hear it but ive used IO and have found it to be inconsistant from batch to batch, i have lost animals due to this in the past.yes it is cheaper IMO this is why its cheaper.

i know people use rbs salt, just looking for some feedback before i try it

[mbdave]

I have used IO for 20 or so years with no problems the only salt I ever had problems with was coralife and its been a long time ago.

[BigAl07]

I've heard of several reefers who swear by RBS but availability has been a "sticking point" for many. Hopefully some of them will chime in here so you can get more feed-back.

I switched to TM Pro Reef and unless it's just my imagination I can SEE an improvement in my Reef.

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Originally Posted by swissgaurd

i know a lot of people dont want to hear it but ive used IO and have found it to be inconsistant from batch to batch, i have lost animals due to this in the past.yes it is cheaper IMO this is why its cheaper.

Myself and others who have used IO for literally years and had no problems are not really bothered by your dislike of it.. we know it works and that's all that matters. I'm not a trolling spokesperson for IO, I'm just saying that if I'm going to spend 3 times as much for salt, I'm going to have pages upon pages of info as to why it's better.

[ReefLady]

Swissguard, long time no see. :-)

I'm curious too -- not to argue, but just curious about what would make one salt "better" than another. Is it trace elements? We've kept FO, softie/LPS tanks, and a 180g sps reef all with IO without any noticeable issues. Could any of the tanks have been "better? -- sure. Could a specific salt have made them "better"? -- not sure. Has anyone ever done comparitive studies in a controlled environment on the pros/cons of different sea salts?

SG - you mention inconsistencies. Inconsistencies in what? Salinity levels? Or did other parameters vary from batch to batch?

I know people seem to be very "possesive" about what salt brand they use (not sure why). We just always used IO because it was available, reasonably priced, and the tank always did well.

[BigAl07]

I can't speak for SG but I do know that the more "advanced" the tank the higher the "Trace" needs are. I (like so many others) started with I-O and it worked great. I only tested the basics when using it but it was always "with-in normal range" on these tests. Then as I started really getting into "Fragging" I was having to test/dose for calc constantly and upgraded to Reef Crystals. I noticed an immdeiate improvement in Calc preservation. This was mostly due to RC having a higher initial level of Calc and probably due to a lot of other factors I'm clueless about. It was "Better" and my frag tank was the "Proof in the pudding" for me. I got a "bad batch" of RC's and it took literally a couple of months to recover but I just allowed it to do this over regular (more often but same %) water changes. I could have recovered quicker but I'm more about gradual than drastic.

A couple of months ago I started a gradual change to TM Pro Reef and thus far like it. I've noticed some GREAT SPS growth and over-all Reef Tank health looks amazing.

Just my 2 centson salt mixes.

[ReefLady]

Thanks Al -- appreciate the post and the experience. I'm thinking then that preferred salt usage might have something to do with your overall setup. Our 180g was a sps dominated reef. Not sure what would be considered "Advanced", but it was plumbed to a 75g sump, 50g 'fuge, and 40g frag/growout tank.
We couldn't keep up with fragging. We were selling stuff (shipping) almost weekly, and also bringing loads of frags to the LFS for credit. Always IO.
We never really added "trace" elements, but did have a (DIY) calcium reactor and (DIY) kalkwasser reactor that kept the calc levels where we wanted them. Is it just that "better" salt has higher calc levels, so requires less calc supplementation?

I got a "bad batch" of RC's and it took literally a couple of months to recover

What makes a batch "bad"?

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Though calcium, magnesium and trace elements are what most reefers look for, some get really into it and look at levels of zinc and other elements like that.

The Toxicity of Some Freshly Mixed Artificial Sea Water; A Bad Beginning For A Reef Aquarium by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com for more info.

[BigAl07]

Originally Posted by ReefLady

Is it just that "better" salt has higher calc levels, so requires less calc supplementation?

In my eyes yes. It was much more stable in "my" system. Granted I'm sure other brands would provide similar results as RC availability played a big role in why I chose it. Now that I'm using TM Pro Reef my LFS is carrying it in stock so now I'm using an "advanced" salt and it's convenient.

Originally Posted by ReefLady

What makes a batch "bad"?

This was a TOUGH lesson for me. I got slack and didn't test the newly mixed SW for the basics and about 4 weeks into the bucket I started noticing I had a MAJOR drop in Calcium. I couldn't DOSE the tank enough to even get it to rise at all. (It's listed in my 90g Chronicle somewhere). I tested the salt mix and BAM! I started seeing the problem. I contacted the supplier and through lot's of tests and phone conversation they quickly replaced my bucket and over the course of several water changes the tank recovered nicely.

[ReefLady]

chimpmunkofdoom - thanks for the link. It is indeed interesting to see what is in each salt mix. What I do find intriguing, is even with this obvious variance in trace elements, that so many tanks have *flourished* using each of these different salts. (Although I have heard a few bad stories from Coralife users).
So, do these trace elements truly have a very wide variance in acceptable levels, or, would we tend to see "adverse" results more long term? (I'm thinking out loud, sorry). :-)

I got slack and didn't test the newly mixed SW for the basics and about 4 weeks into the bucket I started noticing I had a MAJOR drop in Calcium. I couldn't DOSE the tank enough to even get it to rise at all.

That makes sense. We never tested the newly mixed water for calcium. We did test tank water about every-other week, and adjusted calcium reactor/kalk reactor as needed. IME, lower calcium levels only slowed sps growth, and would not have contributed to loss of life, but then again, our levels were never *very* low, and if low at all, not for more than 1-2 weeks.

Suissguard - you mentioned loss of life attributable to salt. Do you know what about the salt caused this? I definitely would be concerned if a salt mix contained "toxins" or elements so out of whack as to contribute to loss of tank life.

[BigAl07]

Terri I lost nothing at all. I'm a "Nerd" and actually enjoy testing and documenting my test results. The Calc was very low and nothing I could do would cause it to rise. Once I started testing I verified that the Calc and Mag were WAY OFF in the new salt mix. That's why they so readily replaced it. It wasn't a tragedy and I hope I didn't lead anyone to think it was. The parameters were just off.. WAY OFF.

[ReefLady]

Terri I lost nothing at all. I'm a "Nerd" and actually enjoy testing and documenting my test results. The Calc was very low and nothing I could do would cause it to rise. Once I started testing I verified that the Calc and Mag were WAY OFF in the new salt mix. That's why they so readily replaced it. It wasn't a tragedy and I hope I didn't lead anyone to think it was. The parameters were just off.. WAY OFF.

I'm with ya. Sorry, in my "head" I wasn't thinking that you lost anything (but it's not how it came out) -- I'm still curious about what Vic lost (this statement):

ive used IO and have found it to be inconsistant from batch to batch, i have lost animals due to this in the past

I still wish there were some sort of controlled study for captive reefs that had tanks with the same exact setup and inhabitants, and showed the "differences" (parameters, supplements required, growth rates, etc.) based on different salt mixes.

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I've yet to lose anything with IO. Perhaps one day if I get into SPSs, I'll use a different salt, but until then Instant Ocean it is.