So, I have a couple more water changes worth of salt left and will need some before next month. I was wondering if anyone had any good links or information on what salt types are the best for Reef aquariums? Anyone have an experience with one type that was either good or bad? I have been using Oceanic and don’t have any real problems with it, other than once I opened it, even with the real nice lid they put on the bucket, it still got pretty hard, which made it hard to work with. I also notice that I am always low in Magnesium, but my Calcium is a little on the high side.
This is going to be a personal choice and everyone is going to have a different opinion. I switched to Tropic Marin Reef Pro a couple of years ago and would never go to another brand. I love the stuff and actually just
did my first waterchange with their new Bio Actif Salt. Although that is my personal preference, i think Oceanic, Seachem, Tunze, Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals, and Red Sea are all good salts that would work just fine. I would just stay away from the “cheap” salt, but thats only my opinion.
Yea, I figured it wouldn’t be real cut and dry. I know that the Oceanic salt mix I have been using is a very fine, almost powdery type of salt mix. At first when I was using it, it mixed into the fresh water very easy and with a brisk mix I normally didn’t see any type of salt settle in the mix buckets. But I would imagine if some brands use a mix that has bigger crystals, it wouldn’t mix quite as easily.
Then, is there any brands out there that have additives that promote coral growth, or corraline growth etc… ?
Then, is there any brands out there that have additives that promote coral growth, or corraline growth etc... ?
yes, all of them >LOL< in all seriousness, i dont believe there is anything in one “good” saltmix and not in another that would grow corals better. its simply a matter of “starting values” as it relates to Ca, Mg, and Alk and how close the salt reflects NSW values. if you have a FOWLR or softy reef you would probably be well served with Instant Ocean. if you have a predominately hard coral reef it might be worth investing in a premium salt with higher “starting values”
after that, i think it comes down to the little things like how well does it mix? how consistent is the salt from one batch to another? the price of the salt? can you get it locally? do you like the container it comes in?does one salt have a parameter at a certain value that better suits your system?(IE, alk can vary quite a bit from one salt to the next and so can a reefers need. one system might be better served by a salt mix with a lower alk and one by a higher alk). i think you get my point.
again, this is just my opinion and experience. i stick with TM Pro because it mixes quickly, cleanly, and the levels rarely flucuate by much from one batch to the next. this might seem like something that all mixes would have in common, but in my experience, it hasnt always been the case.
I have used Instant Ocean with success. My salt used to get hard too and I learned that you should never keep the cup you take salt out with inside the container. it gets a lot of moisture and the whole batch gets hard. Also keep the lid tight and don’t let any moisture in. Since I started doing that, my salt never got hardened.
If you are careful not to splash water onto the cup it is no issue at all keeping the cup in the container. Keeping the bucket, bag, or what ever it is in sealed is the most important part. Of course if you only do water changes every couple of months it might be more difficult, but then again it is also going to be more difficult to keep a beautiful tank.
Oh and I use Tropic Marin Pro and Brightwell. I am still a little hesitant to switch over 100% to Brightwell(it’s new and I still have some questions), and I am happy with Tropic Marin. Price is my biggest motivator for wanted to switch, but I also have met Chris Brightwell several times and think he is a very knowledgeable and seemingly honest and good person.
Ive always used the cheap stuff. MEI Crystal Sea Marinemix in the box. i suppliment with CForce and Magflake. THey put a desiccant packet in the bag of salt. When i open the box and bag i pour it into a 5 gallon bucket with lid and toss the desiccant pack in with it. it keeps it powder dry and free flowing. see if you can find some desiccant packets somewhere.
I have always used IO since the beginning of my reef tank. As the amount of acropora corals increased in the tank and the need for more calcium demand went higher, when I do a water change I simply add some turbo-calcium to the water to raise the calc to the desired level. It is a known fact that IO has a lower level of calc in it’s mix. All of the other ingredient levels seem to keep my water just fine.
I have been thinking about switching to Oceanic because their calc level is higher, but I have a brand new bucket of IO I just bought real cheap from a past trip to NY.
thats actually a brand new salt that TM just released. I was very lucky to have one of our sponsors give me a 200gal bucket to try and i just did my first waterchange with it yesterday. i told our sponsor that i would document my experience and results. as soon as ive got something substantial written up to share i will do so.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:11, topic:2756”]
thats actually a brand new salt that TM just released. I was very lucky to have one of our sponsors give me a 200gal bucket to try and i just did my first waterchange with it yesterday. i told our sponsor that i would document my experience and results. as soon as ive got something substantial written up to share i will do so.[/quote]
your gonna have to update the club with the info, i for one am interested in your results. the additional bio-active substance is some sort of organic?
i can give you my laymens interpertation of what ive read. the way i understand it is that the bio component is able to bind organic/inorganic waste which allows it to become a food source for both bacteria and microfauna. consequently this process enhances the effects of skimming.
hmmm i’m wondering if this is some sort of gimmick, i’m assuming it’s some type of organic compound, since you describe the binding ability of the organic and inorganic compounds. i also don’t see the need for the ability to bind to inorganic compounds since there should very little inorganic compounds present in out aquariums. i guess there could be some additional oxides or sulfides contained within the salt mixes, but i doubt they are in a significant concentration to be detrimental to marine life.
Tropic Marin« REEF ACTIF performs a unique dual function as an adsorber and bacterial nutrient in saltwater aquariums. In doing this it assumes a central function as the link between inorganic nutrients and the biological population in the saltwater aquarium. REEF ACTIF is suspended in the aquarium water where it bonds with both nutrients and water contaminants making them available as nutrients to bacteria and other animals that feed on dissolved organic material in the saltwater.
These bonded nutrients make REEF ACTIF even more valuable as a source of beneficial bacterial nutrition thus strongly promoting the reduction of water contaminants. REEF ACTIF consists of long-chain molecules which can only be digested by specific organisms. This reduction is always gradual and insures that there is never any dangerous oxygen loss in the aquarium as can occur with many other types of bacterial nutrients.
Among the organisms that can utilize REEF ACTIF are the symbiotic bacteria which live in corals, sponges, tubeworms and many other filter feeding animals.
The reduction in nutrients by REEF ACTIF operates so efficiently that corals and reef clams exhibit significantly improved vitality and display their brightest colours.
Uhhh? The Mods on Reef Central posted this list of basic test results for a bunch of brands of salt mixes.
I can vouch for the MEI crystal sea marinemix numbers. their low numbers are very similar to my test results, and several other members who have used it. so the chart is likely pretty accurate. a good comparison of basic calcium, alk, and Mag levels of various salts. you can buy one with high numbers and be happy, or buy one with lower numbers, probably costs less, and add the snow melts to bump it up. I buy the cheap stuff and bump it up, and save Mucho Quatloo’s!
My question is a simple one: if a company like MEI leaves out so much of the “basic three” to reduce their costs what else are they leaving out? If for one am convinced that all the “little things” in a salt mix are what makes the difference between a good tank and a great tank.
I think the basic bio filter is more important. salt mixes are mostly plain old table salt, sodium chloride. some potasium chloride, which costs more and a the Magnesium chloride and sulfates cost more too. as too calcium chloride. and some carbonates for buffer. the trace elements they all tout are mostly impurities from the refining process they cant get out. and are only needed, if at all, in trace amounts. like the high bromide levels in the new dow calcium chloride pellets. change of process. or like how kent touts trace molybdenum in their strontium supplement , not that they put it in. its an impurity their process cant get out of the strontium chloride. so they make lemonade out of lemons.
those basic things are easy for me to add. on the other hand, using a low number salt without testing or supplementing will probably give poorer results due to lower buffer/PH which slows down corals ability to take calcium and carbonates from the water. and lower levels of those would make it worse. so bump em up.
and decent lights too. But a mature, balanced bio filter keeps everything happy. Clear, healthy water, with some life to it. anytime we have algae problems, slime, cyano, fading corals, thats a good sign the bio filter is not in balance. no matter what salt we use. Which is why the old rule of having a matured, stable tank before adding SPS type corals, since they are most demanding of good water conditions. It takes time.
this is where we will agree to disagree ;D I think if a hobbyist is content with growing kenya trees and mushrooms then absolutely, these things matter very little. however, i dont think advanced hobbyist with very advanced tanks spend money or higher end products just because they dont like money. Well, maybe some do, but i would imagine do not. I agree that some things are more important than others and that keeping things as simple as possible is always a good idea.
salt mixes are mostly plain old table salt
maybe your salt mix is!
they all tout are mostly impurities from the refining process they cant get out
I disagree completely. They are, for the most part, purposely added to the mix at precise ratios(high end mixes anyways). Tropic Marin goes so far as to produce there salt mix without salt! A very popular product in Europe with the balling method due to the ionic imbalances caused by the sodium chloride in salt.
How could a company make a product like this if all the trace stuff was simply a byproduct of manufacturing? Doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me! I dont think all the trace minerals in the ocean are there because of a refinement process either! The one thing i will concede is that there is a lot of discussion about whether or not a lot of these minerals are vital or even necessary. Strontium being the one that comes to mind. There is 0 doubt that hard corals take in strontium during the calcification process but there is doubt to whether or not its intentional or necessary.
Im not a chemist or an expert level hobbyist. All i can say, is that for me, this hobby became a LOT easier the moment i switched to a higher quality saltmix and stopped fussing with levels by dosing things that i put on my driveway. For me its a no brainer. I will pay an extra $40 every single time to get TM salt over cheaper stuff if it allows me not to buy, store, measure, and dose 50 pound sacks of chemicals from home depot. If i had a 1000g reef i might think a lot differently but, unfortunatley for me, i dont! lol
Ken is happy growing what he is growing at the rate he is growing it. He isn’t interested in making his corals healthier or buying any new corals and trying something new. He is set in his ways and there is no point in trying to push him.
Besides it took what 5 years to convince him to switch to a broad band internet connection?(that’s 5 years of pushing it was probably available to him for 10-12 years.)
I love the stuff