What has the best params, value and quality?
Best Reef Salt? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter bedroomgangsta
- Start date
I'm thinking of switching from reefcrystals to tropic marin. Apparently TM has all 70 trace elements in the exact proportions found in nature.
Realllllllly I am going to do some digging.
Value- Instant Ocean/Reef Crystals
Best Parameter/Quality- Tropic Marin ProReef or Bioactif Salt *The Only Salt that I know of that is "Pharmaceutical" grade* Others will say Medical/Grade A or make up some graded names. But none can say "Pharmaceutical" since there is a measured process of quality.
Best Parameter/Quality- Tropic Marin ProReef or Bioactif Salt *The Only Salt that I know of that is "Pharmaceutical" grade* Others will say Medical/Grade A or make up some graded names. But none can say "Pharmaceutical" since there is a measured process of quality.
:beerchug: They harvest/gather their salt different from other companies. I had a talk with TM rep in what the difference was and the process most use is the current-collecting *closer to the surface rocks* and TM does more of an Ancient-collecting *This means they harvest more towards the bottom *fossilized rocks* which has more concentration of trace elements and minerals. They also go through a more intense "Wash" process to remove most of the impurities than most other brands.
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I am a big fan of the Tunze Reef Excel salt.
Using it for quite some time and matches perfectly the levels I want in my tank
No residue after mixing either
Using it for quite some time and matches perfectly the levels I want in my tank
No residue after mixing either
+1 what Ray says.
I think RC will win as it's the budget salt that most people use.
I've used both TMP and TMB in the past and they mix better than anything else. The TM guy at MACNA was giving a simple pitch. Sure his salt costs twice as much but when you break it down by how much you spend per month it sounds trivial. Say you spend $6 a month on salt and if you use TMP it costs $12 a month. Is the piece of mind that the $6 extra dollars worth it to you. Most people spend much more on the coral itself. Not only does TMP help stopping all the impurities entering your system from further refining the elements but it will also help save your pumps as well. Do a few bucket mixes with RC and you'll understand the junk it leaves behind. I've never seen this with TM.
PH 8.8?
That is if you mix it at 1.026 I think.
This is from their forum.
Salinity is expected to be released the 2nd or 3rd week in January.
The buckets of Salinity will make up 225 gallons of water at 35 ppt or 1.025 SG. So at 1.020 SG, these buckets will yield about 270 gallons.
The price of Salinity will be very comparable to our Reef Salt price per gallon.
We have compiled data from all the oceans and seas on the earth and have targeted the midpoint of the range for each element. We guarantee to be within +/- 3% of the midpoint. For example, at a salinity of 35 ppt, for calcium, magnesium, and strontium, we have the following targets and ranges:
Calcium: target 422 mg/L, range 409 to 435 mg/L
Magnesium: target 1336 mg/L, range 1296 to 1376 mg/L
Strontium: target 8.4 mg/L, range 8.1-8.7 mg/L
pH: 8.4-8.6
Alkalinity: 3.2-3.8 meq/L
This is from their forum.
Salinity is expected to be released the 2nd or 3rd week in January.
The buckets of Salinity will make up 225 gallons of water at 35 ppt or 1.025 SG. So at 1.020 SG, these buckets will yield about 270 gallons.
The price of Salinity will be very comparable to our Reef Salt price per gallon.
We have compiled data from all the oceans and seas on the earth and have targeted the midpoint of the range for each element. We guarantee to be within +/- 3% of the midpoint. For example, at a salinity of 35 ppt, for calcium, magnesium, and strontium, we have the following targets and ranges:
Calcium: target 422 mg/L, range 409 to 435 mg/L
Magnesium: target 1336 mg/L, range 1296 to 1376 mg/L
Strontium: target 8.4 mg/L, range 8.1-8.7 mg/L
pH: 8.4-8.6
Alkalinity: 3.2-3.8 meq/L
have you tried anything else other than IO or RC?
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salinity
I have been using the salinity salt made by Seachem do to the fact they told me it is a good quality salt for a reef tank.The way it was explained to me is i could buy the cheaper salts but then i would have to buy a bunch of stuff to add to it(supplaments).So instead of spending all the extra money and time on additives i spend a little more on salt. I am just going by what i have been told so if i am wrong please correct me .Thanks brian
I have been using the salinity salt made by Seachem do to the fact they told me it is a good quality salt for a reef tank.The way it was explained to me is i could buy the cheaper salts but then i would have to buy a bunch of stuff to add to it(supplaments).So instead of spending all the extra money and time on additives i spend a little more on salt. I am just going by what i have been told so if i am wrong please correct me .Thanks brian
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While I agree RC grows corals with the rest is that the pure definition of quality to you? I've used it (and at times still do) and I'm not knocking it either.
Take a few things I'd throw in the hat for determination of quality:
Stability from one mix to another
Less impurities
Better distribution of trace elements
Higher quality materials
No separation and need to mix the dry material
Ease of mixing
etc.
Who is to say that a mix with more impurities (less refining) can't kick off a crash? Have you looked at the nasty crap RC leaves behind?
For me it's purely economics. I go through a box of IO a month @ $40. Additives to get CA and Mg where I want them is just pennies and takes only seconds to do. Even if you account for the lower salinity mix, TM or other higher end would be more than double. $80+ a month on salt just isn't going to happen. I also like that I have my bucket and valve calibrated exactly to a bag of salt plus my additives so it's extremely easy to do. Just a quick doulbe check with a refractometer before use and fine tune less then 1 gal +/- of ro/di and good to go. Lastly, I've been perfectly satisfied and happy with my results so no reason to change. Would or could there be a difference, quite possible but certainly I doubt though that it is worth double.
I just box a box of RC last month in emergency from SWE and the Alk tested out at 14dkh. Just too high for me. I prefer IO and add my own CA/Mg. Also left a brown residue, I rarely have that issue with I/O. I do wipe down with bleach my resevior everytime so if there is any residue it never builds up.
I just box a box of RC last month in emergency from SWE and the Alk tested out at 14dkh. Just too high for me. I prefer IO and add my own CA/Mg. Also left a brown residue, I rarely have that issue with I/O. I do wipe down with bleach my resevior everytime so if there is any residue it never builds up.
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- Mar 14, 2007
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If none of that matters to the corals, you are buying snake oil. As to the ease of mixing, I throw it in a tub with a powerhead. When I come back it's mixed. Not sure how it gets easier than that.
I've used other salts from time to time when they were on sale. I don't get the big deal. Just buy the cheapest stuff. Like David said, the additives to change the levels are pennies compared to the price premium on the "premium" salts.
There isn't a big deal, you decide what you want to use. I've used both IO and RC and now TM and have seen a difference and does matter to MY corals. If you want to buy the cheapest go for it. This thread is titled "Best Reef Salt" if your telling us that IO and RC is the best, well...that's your opinion.
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tommylee22
Senior Member
Be sure you vote on Quality and not value.. RC is more of a value salt mix in my opinion, Some will even say that it's really no dif from the Instant Ocean. Very min increases in CAL and MAG that make it dif. from IO. I'm aTM Bio Actif, user, been using it for a while now and love how clean it is and all my tank perameters seem to always be the same, consistency is key in a good salt mix:biggrin: