best salt?

[40galreefman]

i've been looking to figure out which salt to use in my tank i'll be setting up, just trying to get the last few things together b4 jumping in with both feet, i've read up on IO reef crystals, and red sea coral pro, mostly because they come in the biggest amounts, are these ok, or is there something better, i'll be ordering them offline, so i will find the best price, just wanted to know what others are using with success. thanks all

[40galreefman]

ive also looked at Kent marine, and coralife "scientific grade", so if anyone has experience with an of these please let me know, and what makes this "scientific" grade so much better than any other grade?, is there even such a thing as scientific grade?. i mean if it's developed byscientists, isn't it all "scientific" grade? or is this just a clever sales pitch?

[Grins]

Out of the ones you listed I'd use IO or Reef Crystals. If you're not going to have corals the IO will be fine.

[Almondsaz]

I have always used Tropic Marin Pro and have really liked it. It is a bit pricey and it doesn't seem to be the most popular brand of salt, but my LFS suggested I use it and it is the only salt I have used. Consistent, mixes well, no debris and my readings are good. HTH

[40galreefman]

thanks both of you.

grins, i do plan on having corals, not to start but down the road once the cycle is done and money permits, so i'm leaning toward the reef crystals.

almonds, thanks for the input that is what my LFS sells, but their prices are rediculous compared to the online prices i've seen for the stuff, i'm just looking into the brands that have large containers of salt so i can have more on hand at once than having to run out and buy it when needed, my LFS is great for fish and inverts, but their supplies run a lil pricey for me

[Sploke]

I use IO without any real issue, with corals - mostly softies...zoas, mushrooms, etc.

[Catpicklesdog]

I use Reef Crystals and have never had to dose anything in my tank.

[Amphiprion]

There really isn't a "best" salt. The more popular ones seem to be the ones that work for most people. These include Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals (which is Instant Ocean with a slight calcium boost), Red Sea (also a good salt), Tropic Marin, etc. Any of the main stream ones work, it is just which one works best for you. For example, Reef Crystals works best for me because a) I am too lazy to add extra calcium, even though I have ~50 lbs of it and b) it is already fairly balanced, with most parameters being close. That allows me to simply boost them with additives already being supplied to the tank. Hope that helps a bit.

[salty420]

i use reef crystals but am disappointed with the calcium level from the salt mix.

[Amphiprion]

Well, like I said, it is at least close, according to an Elos kit (~390-400 ppm). That is enough within range that after it is used for a water change, it will be boosted to approx. 420 ppm, at least for my tank.

[mandy21]

Right now I'm liking Oceanic. Just had a massive bucket delivered that the UPS guy thought I couldn't carry and offered to take it wherever in my place it needed to go. 60 pound bucket that is not a problem for me to carry. I'm a beast lol

[Ace25]

Great, now I know who to call when I fill up 10 5G water jugs and have to make them fit into my Honda Civic that doesn't have a usable trunk.. ;)

[salty420]

i use reef crystals and when i just set up my 75g the calcium tested 340ppm... in my established reef with reef crystals my calcium level is 470ppm.

[Amphiprion]

I have never tested a batch that low, with either Salifert or Elos. I am sure they have their worse batches, though, but you get that with any (and every) salt, IME.

[40galreefman]

mandy, now i know who to call for help when mine gets here, i can use a hand with the water buckets too!!!!!:grinyes: j/k

ace, i hear ya i have a nissan 240 without usable trunk space, try fittin 10 - 5 gal. buckets in there, pretty fun specially when the back seat is only the cusion, no room for anything on the floor or else i'd be sittin on the dash :eek:

any way thenks everyone for the input i think i'm gonna go with the reef crystals, i've been searchin through the forums here and haven't really heard anything bad about them, except for amphi, but i'll be adding cal anyway down the road so i can deal with a low cal salt for now, thanx again everyone

[blinxxpunk182]

IO all the way for me :)

[mandy21]

mandy, now i know who to call for help when mine gets here, i can use a hand with the water buckets too!!!!!:grinyes: j/k


haha I didn't say I could just toss it around, but I'm not the weak little girl people take me as. I lift weights with the big boys :silly:

I may go with Reef Crystals when I'm done with my Oceanic bucket just to see how I like it.

[40galreefman]

i talked to the guy at my LFS and he said he could get me the reef crystals, and he gave me a better price than online, what a guy:headbang2:!!!! so i'll probaly go with those, and he said hell give me a deal on test kits, not bad seeing that i go in there more to look and talk than to buy anything!!!!!:lipssealedsmilie: and he just got 2 stone fish the other day, those are sweet, too bad they're poisonous, i sooooo want a predator tank, but that's down the road. any how got a lil bit off subject, later every one

mandy, well, it was worth a try:grinyes: