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Reef Salt Comparison

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by AJ, Dec 14, 2011.

  1. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I've been thinking about switching salts recently.  I talked to the Tropic Marin guy at MACNA and he got me thinking a bit.  In my research, I came up with this PDF doc that I hope proves to be useful to someone else too.  It's a few years old, but for those who haven't seen it, it's a good resource.  There's no subjective information...it's all chemical testing and chemical testing of the various salt mixes.  Tests were done for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, Iodine, Copper, Silica, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Strontium, Molybdenum, Alkalinity, Boron and Bromine.  They tested from multiple containers purchased at different locations.
    So speaking of salt mixes...which do you use?
    http://sites.google.com/site/reefsaltanalysis/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf
    --AJ
     
  2. nick

    nick Well-Known ReefKeeper

    754
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    +5 / 0 / -0
    Salinity by seachem
     
  3. MJB Tanks Well-Known ReefKeeper

    309
    Pleasant Hill, IA
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    Interesting data, thanks for sharing.
     
  4. daalbers

    daalbers Well-Known ReefKeeper

    562
    Ratings:
    +24 / 3 / -0
    also Salinity by seachem
     
  5. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    +0 / 0 / -0
    seachem here
     
  6. Waverz

    Waverz Expert Reefkeeper

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    +5 / 0 / -0
    I would like to switch to Salinity but my LFS doesn't carry it. (Hint Hint)

    Right now I am using Reef Crystals once that's gone I have some ESV Bionic I plan on using.

    The ESV is awesome because it requires no mix time and you add as much magnesium as you need as all the components are separate.

     
  7. Bryan-1

    Bryan-1 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    413
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    +2 / 0 / -0
    me to
     
  8. FlyingMoray Experienced Reefkeeper

    Minburn, IA
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    I love ESV but it is so hard to get. I tried the Seachem Salinity and hated it. It almost never mixed clear. Right now I am trying the Tropic Marin Pro Reef and so far I love it! It mixes almost as fast as ESV (which is saying something)
     
  9. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0
    I recently started using Red Sea and then went to Coral Pro a bout 3 weeks ago. I'm not impressed with Coral Pro because of the precipate and there seems to be a very fine and small amount of sand or some kind of sediment. Thanks for the link AJ!!
     
  10. slovan

    slovan Experienced Reefkeeper

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    +0 / 0 / -0
    I used Reef Crystals due to the fact that it's cheap and readily available just about anywhere. Why are there so many Seachem users out there? What do you like about it? I am just wondering because when I do start up a tank, I might want to try something new.

    Not to derail this thread but how much are you paying for your salt?
     
  11. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    +0 / 0 / -0
    the salinity is about 90bucks for a 225 gal bucket. In my experience, it has a closer mag cal and alk reading then reef crystals, and I seem to use less.
     
  12. erayk1 Well-Known ReefKeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    981
    Coralville, IA
    Ratings:
    +35 / 0 / -0
    I also use RC because it is cheap and has worked well for me so far.
     
  13. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    I've used Reef Crystals to date I'm just now running out of salt. I had 5 160 gallon buckets stocked up at one point due to DFS selling it cheap and someone else getting out of the hobby. I talked to the Tropic Marin guy at MACNA and he encouraged me to test my makeup water for nitrates, phosphates, silicates, etc. He said I would probably be surprised to see how much I'm putting in my tank. He also said that it will not leave any residue in your saltwater storage tank. Reef Crystals leaves a thick layer of brown stuff. I don't know that it's necessarily bad, but at the same time, I don't know what it is. He then encouraged me to do the same thing with the Tropic Marin salt. He gave me a 30 gallon box, so I'm going to do "the Tropic Marin challenge". If I see what he's telling me that I will, I'm giving Tropic Marin Reef Pro a shot for a few months. It's about 50% more than Reef Crystals, but if it helps me maintain a more stable tank, it will be worth every penny.

    Here's what DFS is selling the various salt mixes for as I would imagine that cost is also a factor when selecting what salt to use:
    Reef Crystals is $54/200g
    Tropic Marin (regular) is $70/200g
    Tropic Marin Pro Reef is $85/200g
    Tropic Marin Bio-Actif is $99/200g
    Seachem Reef is $42/160g (I think it's on sale)
    Kent Reef $45/200g
    Red Sea Coral Salt Pro $70/175g
    Brighwell Neomarine $56/150
    Corallife Marine Salt - $50/200g
    Microbe Lift Marine $78/200g
     
  14. stew Well-Known ReefKeeper GIRS Member

    520
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +72 / 0 / -0
    I have been using Reef Crystals because it's cheap, available and we were getting it for club buys. I'm also having the brown residue problem AJ mentioned. I orginally used Instant Ocean but didn't like it so I switched to Corallife and really liked it because my algae problems were reduced. I'm planning to switch back to Corallife again once I'm out of RC.
     
  15. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0
    Let us know AJ! I was going to try Tropic Marin but decided I'd statr with Red Sea. It has a small amount of the brown stuff you alude to....
     
  16. einsteins

    einsteins Experienced Reefkeeper

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    +0 / 0 / -0
    I would look at Gettanked salt....
    In all my experience it by far the best and most consistent salt available.
    It come in 25 gallon bags that you mix with water in a 5 gallon bucket to make a slurry.
    You then add the slurry to RODI water to desired salinity and add the separate calcium to you liking.
    It mixes to the exact parameters every time.
    Bucket mixes settle and the different components become separated, so when you scoop out the mix to add to water is might have to much or to little of a component depending on how it settled.
    Gettanked salt also mixes to the quantity advertised at 1.026 salinity unlike the other who advertise xxx gallons in a container at a lower salinity.
    I would give it a try...you wont be sorry!! He hand mixes every bag of salt so it is extremely consistent and it is Free of Cyanide, Silicates, Phosphate, Nitrates and Anti
    Caking Agents.
    Formula 1 mixes to 10DKH
    Formula 2 mixes to 7.5DKH (for ultra low nutrient systems like Zeovit)
    Here is a link to his website:
    Gettanked
    Hope you consider it...its always done me very well.
    Bill Kennedy
     
  17. daalbers

    daalbers Well-Known ReefKeeper

    562
    Ratings:
    +24 / 3 / -0

    im on my first bucket of seachem and so far it seems to mix better and stay more stable then rc did and you seem to use less to get to 1.026 i agree with joe it does seem to mix very cloudy but when you add it to your tank it clears right up dont no why i won the bucket that im useing but it says 90$ on it ive done 4 water changes with it and my corals seem a lot better with this salt it seems to hold more stable so as long as i can afford it i will get more
     
  18. nick

    nick Well-Known ReefKeeper

    754
    Ratings:
    +5 / 0 / -0
    With the seachem it's 225g mixed .026 salinity where most seem to be a 200g at .023/4
     
  19. Bryan-1

    Bryan-1 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    413
    Ratings:
    +2 / 0 / -0
    when I used Salinity to fill my tank the first time, I made about 230 or 240 gallons of water at .022 and still had about 1/4 of the bucket left.
     
  20. Nedim

    Nedim Inactive User

    74
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I use Oceanic, but switching to a different salt when I run out.
     

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