Salt Mix Poll

[spsick]

Got tired of looking at the last poll, what do you guys use?

[Goldpony75]

Wheres the poll?

[mtfatwork]

Seachem Reef Salt :)

[coralreefer]

I've been using reef crystals since I got into the hobby. However, I've been meaning to switch to tropicmarin pro for a while now. I have a bucket that I haven't had the nerve to start using yet.

[Adam G]

Reef Crystals is my bramd of choice. I order it 4 buckets at a time through DFS. Last time I ordered I got them for under $30 a piece with shipping. They were having a sale.

[mtfatwork]

I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)

[spectrum]

I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)

same here.

[PLNelson]

IO with two part. I'd prefer to use Seachem, but can't afford right now.

[morty]

I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)

Me too -- in '93, it's what an employee at WOF told me to buy because he said it was the best. But I think it was because it was the most expensive at the time. ;)

I used Marine Environment for a while with decent results -- it's the one that comes with a small bottle of additional trace elements.

[Taklu]

IO with two part & other supplements. didnt know better when I started in SW & used up half a bucket of tropic Marin to rinse my sand :mad:

[PLNelson]

What was so bad about tropic marin again?

[spsick]

I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)
That's all Peggy uses, seems to work for her...

[spectrum]

Peggy is who I buy my ReefCrystyals from.

[mattb]

All salt will work... When you figure NaCl is what something like 80% of the mix or more, the differences are minor. The big thing is understanding the chief characteristics and how you run your tank. High alk - IO/RC. Near NSW alk, TM, Seachem (with added borate which corals don't use), Red Sea. If you run probiotic, near NSW K levels, Seachem, TMP, HW Marinemix.... All in all, this is not going to be something that makes a difference in the health of your livestock...

[gogregerson]

All salt will work... When you figure NaCl is what something like 80% of the mix or more, the differences are minor. The big thing is understanding the chief characteristics and how you run your tank. High alk - IO/RC. Near NSW alk, TM, Seachem (with added borate which corals don't use), Red Sea. If you run probiotic, near NSW K levels, Seachem, TMP, HW Marinemix.... All in all, this is not going to be something that makes a difference in the health of your livestock...

Amen! You need to be testing and dosing to control parameters in the tank, not relying on the perfect salt mix to meet all your needs.

[spsick]

I should switch to crystals, I know my mag is low, and I don't think IO provides enough of that, correct?

[mattb]

RC isn't that much better.... Mg levels are elevated in Red Sea Pro Coral, TM, and Oceanic. Close to NSW with Seachem....

[Taklu]

What was so bad about tropic marin again?

Its supposed to be better & I spent an expensive salt rinsing sand only to throw the water away..that was when I started in SW.

[benihana]

I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)

I am appearantly the only person who uses it...I guess I have used it since I started in Feb, and haven't felt the need to switch.

Is it bad to switch salt? Do I need to mix the salt when making new water (i.e 2 cups old, 2 cups new)??

[twincitiesreefer]

i use instant ocean,thinking about switching to reef crystals

[Lando]

I started with Coralife at the advice of my LFS. I found it lacking in CA and switched to Reef Crystals a while ago. I must have gotten a bad batch because I had a sudden cycno outbreak. I found that PO4 in my mixed water was over .7. It was still 0 in my RO/DI source water. Since I have swithched to Oceanic and have had good results. It seems my CA is depleted a bit faster but with bi-weekly 20% water changes it gets replenished.

[wolmutt]

IO, why pay extra for RC?

[ironhedd]

I wait for RC to go on sale, and then buy when it costs about the same as IO.

[David Grigor]

I've used both IO and Reef Crystals interchangably but I just buy IO now.

ReefCrystals really isn't much better than IO for CA and Magnesium. If I have to manually elevate those levels before using anyway, might as well just use IO especially since CA and Magnesium bulk additives are really cheap.

[smeese]

I used to use this on all of my maintenance accounts. I had a lot of dang tshirts
I wonder if anyone actually uses coralife? (that is what I used when I started my first FO saltwater tank)

[Sizzlersonthebrain]

IO but a lot of folks in the kc area or Salt city members mix IO with oceanic 50/50.

[Swanwillow]

benihana, I'm using it too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

not much difference when it comes to things that are normally tested for.

[Swanwillow]

oh, BTW, I'm probably changing after this batch is gone, it mixed up awful cloudy, and theres white residue everywhere.

[nics1152]

For fish only systems I am using Instant Ocean

My old reef set up I preffered Reef Crystals