The Puffer Forum

I've always used "Instant Ocean", but I see lots of other premium brands out there like Reef Crystals, Red Sea, Coralife, Tropic Marin and Kent. They are either slightly more $ than Instant Ocean on a per gal basis or about the same cost. On a weekly basis, the cost difference for my two 30 gal tanks is minor and I want to give my GSP and F8 the best - if there's a real difference. Opinions?

I prefer to buy in the economy size buckets.

Other than one overpriced Mom and Pop LFS that carries small boxes of Tropic Marin, the local stores around me only carry Instant Ocean and Coralife so my choice is limited. Both seem fine to me and like you, I only buy the big buckets.

I use IO for all my tanks, except my reef for which I use reef crystal, which has been great. It's an IO product too though.

I use Tropic Marin but I can't exactly say its my favourite as that is the only one I have ever used.

lisalisa wrote:I use IO for all my tanks, except my reef for which I use reef crystal, which has been great. It's an IO product too though.

I'm slowly moving toward reef and gathering whatever knowledge I can along the way, so please excuse me if this question sounds lame. What makes reef crystal better than IO for reef tanks (other than the name)?

For my BW & FO SW tanks, I used whatever was cheapest. I have been reading a lot on the reef forums & I'd have to say that IO is the least recommended salt for reef tanks--Tropic Marin the highest recommended (but most $$$). I have Reef Crystals now--it was a great price ($35/bucket, no shipping--bought 2), from drsfoster&smith.com. I used Oceanic before that. Some folks complain that RC don't dissolve all the way. Never had that problem--I run a strong pump in a 5g bucket for 24 hours.

eh its a bit of a toss up in my opinion. ive used just about all the salts on the general market and these are my findings as such

Take these with a grain of salt (ROFL)
ok the pun is out of the way

Oceanic salt is fine good stuff, but not always the best supplemental mixes of elements. ppl who use this related as i have that supplements must be used or water chagnes done more often to achieve the best levels.
many aquariums use oceanic

RC is an IO offshoot i believe and it is very good. a cheaper version of IO but still good.

Coralife makes good salt, but the tshirts they come with are better.

IO makes the best salt for my applications. a very good blance of needed essential elements and dissolves fast. also usually very competitativly priced.
I like it due to its mixing great with most all supplement companies products without clouding.
coralife had that issue at times with ph buffers.

but its really up to whats there for you and how your stuff does.

I prefer a salt high in trace elements since im a guy who prefers less maintenance, not something most ppl will try or even think of trying.

IMHO buy oceanic corallife or IO is fine
just DO NOT switch out from one salt brand to another without mixing the two first for a few water changes. the different buffering amounts and trace elements can actually shock your fish in some instances. also you may get what i call a buffering thermocline

or when one salt mixture and the orginial salt mixture dont actually mix together right. (like oil and water)

very bad stuff for fish.

I knew I could count on this group for thoughtful comments.

Jager - I never thought of the "buffering thermocline" - a good reason to buy more salt before running out, when switching brands. BTW, We see similar things in the tidal estuary with "salt wedges.

PP - free shipping from drsfostersmith.com ? I get their catalogs and must have missed this deal. They usually charge a premium on top of their usual shipping for salt & other heavy items. I see its a $13.60 extra + basic charge based on value of order. Are you sure you're not getting the published author discount? BigAl's has free shipping through 12/5 but excludes heavy items like salt - still a good time to stock up on other things like vitamins & test kits (3.99 for Aq. Phamaceuticals Nitrite FW+SW vs 8.99 for same kit at PetCo).

Jager wrote: RC is an IO offshoot i believe and it is very good. a cheaper version of IO but still good.

IO's reef crystals is actually more expensive. It's essentially IO will more trace elements. (hope that answers your question too, ybenormal) I prefer it for my reef tank as it allows me to do less supplementation of things separately. Just MO

I understand the possibility of shocking the fish when changing salt mixes but 'm a little confused by the "oil and water" reference. If SW created with two different salt mixes won't blend fully within a tank (a tank that should have high current/flow and good turnover), how would mixing the dry salt mix together during water changes remedy the situation?

I'll be keeping my eyes open for free shipping deals that include heavy items like salt mixes and will purchase several buckets when I find such a deal. IME, shipping charges usually eat up any savings over brick and mortar prices on these products.

YB, that makes sense. If I'n only doing a 10% water change, I don't believe it would shock my tank, to use a different brand of salt for that.

I am confused as to whether I was told that it was IO or Oceanic that was not benefitial for the reef tanks. I'll have to go back to the reef forums & check.

That sale on salt was only for a short time & I think it was "no extra weight charges" for the salt (offered ar the low price of $35), not totally free shipping.

I also use whatever is cheapest for my BW tanks.

BA's is having a sale - I got the 50 gallon bag of IO for $12.99 (usually like $20+), and got a free aqua reminder do hickey.

different buffers and salts are syntetically derived to form what we call marine salt.

different ways to get the same product creates in heretnt imbalances chemically between the atual salt itself and some will not mix well or will not mix at all.

it all depends on the bonds that the salt uses and how easily it can bond to another molecule

I could bust out a chemistry book and entrall you all, but it prolly create mass snoring instead .

ROFL

Jager is correct that it is not a 'good versus bad' in the different brands as much as it is that diffent combinations of minerals were chosen for the major buffers in a given mix (buffers are the most problematic components). This is in part a branding thing, but more it is in the way the mix was designed originally. Certain decisions were made to formulate a particular way, in part based on not copying anyone else's mix and in part because someone thought a particualr blend would dissolve better or not cause as much cloudiness (which is fine-particle precipitation) when supplements were added. So when you add significant volumes of Brand A to brand B, you can get a reaction - which is not desirable at all.

I agree tha RC is much richer in bio-utilized traces. That is its reason for being, to provide better stability in high invert biomass (reef) tanks.

I once had a salt brand (red sea ) precipitate out when mixed with IO in only a small ratio. Thank goodness only in my mixing bucket.