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ElwoodUT 
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 Topic: Salt
Posted: September 22 2016 at 1:04pm |
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Any recommendations on a good and affordable salt? I'd like to find one brand and stick with it if I can.
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I have not failed....I have just found 1000 ways that don't work.
210 Gallon Dual Overflow
Life Reef LF1-200S Sump
40 Gal Refugium
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1stupidpunk
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Posted: September 22 2016 at 2:13pm |
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Many of us use instant ocean brand reef salt. Manly because it often is on sale at petco/petsmart. Unless your doing some serious SPS heavy and relying on water changes alone to dose you dont really need to spend tons of money on salt.
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Fatman
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Posted: September 22 2016 at 3:24pm |
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I have been using Oceanic because of it's high CA content, but it is becoming difficult to find lately. I heard a rumor that they were merged with another company and the Oceanic brand may go away.
For the money, I think Instant Ocean is hard to beat (especially when it's on sale). My feeling is that if you're dosing anyway to bring up alk and CA, why not use the less expensive salt and have to start dosing a few days earlier?
More comments from the more experienced on the forum will be welcome. Everyone has their favorite and I'm interested in hearing about them.
I would avoid store branded salts since I am unsure who really makes them and would imagine that the supplier changes as the bids get redone.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 1:15am |
Here's my 2 cents, late at night when I should be sleeping. 
I agree completely with buying salt mix at an economical price, because homemade Alk, Ca and Mg supplements are easy to make, totally effective, inexpensive, and easy to use. Remember though, that there is no substitute for testing and dosing. It not only let's us know and adjust the most important parameters for keeping our tanks healthy, our coral growing and our fish spawning, when compared to frequent/large water changes it also saves time, effort and money.
I recommend 10% monthly water changes and I usually buy regular Instant Ocean on sale($45+free shipping) in a box of bags that makes 200 gal.
I recently got a bucket of Instant Ocean Reef Crystals(160 gal) for just $26 from Petco. I used it immediately on a client tank and then saw the coral and anemones complain for a week or so. I had forgotten to use my own advice, which is: When changing to another salt, make the change gradually by combining the two salts for 1-3 water changes. I make that suggestion not because one salt mix is better than another, but because there are subtle differences that coral notice but to which, thankfully, they can become acclimated.
Kevin, did you see, just posted, this Oceanic salt for sale?
Aloha, Mark  |
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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ElwoodUT
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 12:58pm |
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Thanks everyone one! Looks like I'll be looking for a couple buckets of Instant Ocean!
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I have not failed....I have just found 1000 ways that don't work.
210 Gallon Dual Overflow
Life Reef LF1-200S Sump
40 Gal Refugium
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bur01014
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 2:03pm |
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Aquaforest hands down.
Low alk (at NSW levels), perfect CA, and High Mag.
Do yourself a favor a get a salt that doesn't hold extreme values to take the shock out of water changes.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 5:02pm |
Aquaforest? Is this the probiotic mix? You are the first person I've come across that is using that salt. What % water changes are you dealing with? Just curious, what do you use for dosing Alk, Ca, and Mg? Other supplements?
Aloha, Mark |
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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bur01014
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 5:05pm |
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not the probiotic version, popular in Europe at the moment.
Always have used IO in the past, but I don't like to keep my Alk at 9, so went away from it.
I do weekly or sometimes more if I am feeling motivated.
BRS for all other supplements.
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Fatman
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Posted: September 23 2016 at 6:09pm |
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Great information, thanks!
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 24 2016 at 11:37am |
Just FYI for any new hobbyists reading this, keeping Alk at 9-10 dKH, Ca at 400-500 ppm and Mg around 1300 ppm provides the conditions for maximum coral growth. Regarding water changes, Burt said, "I do weekly or sometimes more..." and he also said, " to take the shock out of water changes." Though he didn't tell us what percent of water is changed, his statement is understandable when we consider the frequency of new saltwater going into his system. New saltwater, even of the same salt mix, is noticed by the aquarium inhabitants. This is why a water change frequency of 10% per month is typically viewed as being most beneficial and causes the least stress on the animals. Instant Ocean, the company, actually published a study years ago which concluded that 10% monthly was generally best. More or less than this was not as beneficial for reasons we have previously discussed here on the forum.
If invertebrate growth is sufficient that 10% monthly water changes are not keeping up with their consumption of Alk, Ca, and Mg, that is the time that a hobbyist should consider dosing. Remember too that many animals eat Alk, Ca, and Mg. Snails, crabs, worms, bugs and coralline algae all have need for the big 3. Mark
Edited by Mark Peterson - September 24 2016 at 11:39am
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bur01014
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Posted: September 24 2016 at 5:31pm |
 Mark Peterson wrote:
Just FYI for any new hobbyists reading this, keeping Alk at 9-10 dKH, Ca at 400-500 ppm and Mg around 1300 ppm provides the conditions for maximum coral growth.
Regarding water changes, Burt said, "I do weekly or sometimes more..."  and he also said, "<span style=": rgb251, 251, 253;">to take the shock out of water changes." Though he didn't tell us what percent of water is changed, his statement is understandable when we consider the frequency of new saltwater going into his system. New saltwater, even of the same salt mix, is noticed by the aquarium inhabitants. This is why a water change frequency of 10% per month is typically viewed as being most beneficial and causes the least stress on the animals. Instant Ocean, the company, actually published a study years ago which concluded that 10% monthly was generally best. More or less than this was not as beneficial for reasons we have previously discussed here on the forum.</span>
If invertebrate growth is sufficient that 10% monthly water changes are not keeping up with their consumption of Alk, Ca, and Mg, that is the time that a hobbyist should consider dosing. Remember too that many animals eat Alk, Ca, and Mg. Snails, crabs, worms, bugs and coralline algae all have need for the big 3. Mark ÂÂ
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Interesting - new reefers, read stuff like this with caution.
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Reefer4Ever
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Posted: September 24 2016 at 7:44pm |
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Agreed with Bur01014
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90 gal reef w/refugium
24 gal softie tank
11 gal nano anemone tank
5 gal fresh water
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phys
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Posted: September 27 2016 at 12:12am |
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I say go with the salt that matches your target parameters best so you don't have to adjust your levels later. I use reef crystals with no issuesuccess and like it's Balance and level consistency.
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Ryan Thompson
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Posted: September 27 2016 at 3:42pm |
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For me, this is simple. Which tank do I most want to replicate? Find out what they do and copy it.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 29 2016 at 10:50am |
Some hobbyists make their own salt mix.  You can borrow my issue of Reef Hobbyist that describes it. The featured tanks in that article were gorgeous.
Truth be known, there are beautiful reef tanks using a myriad of good reefkeeping techniques. It's a matter of tweaking things to make it work for your system. Further to what Ryan said, there have been new local hobbyists, a few that come to mind from the 21 years of the WMAS existence, that have asked for personal advice from three or four chosen local experienced hobbyists and then combined the advice to make their own beautiful reef.
Aloha, Mark |
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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MadReefer
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Posted: September 29 2016 at 12:51pm |
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There are so many ways to have success. They only thing I hate to read is people who say this is the one and only, the best way to have success.
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Fatman
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Posted: September 29 2016 at 5:37pm |
MadReefer wrote:
There are so many ways to have success. They only thing I hate to read is people who say this is the one and only, the best way to have success. |
Couldn't agree more. There are lots of ways to run a reef tank, almost as many as there are to skin a cat. Now, if I could just figure out how to keep a clam alive.... Fatman
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