The Puffer Forum

What type of salt do you guys use? I have heard that instant ocean salt is bad/crap its to mass produced and in consistent? Thank you

i was using instant ocean but my awesome LFS told me the benefits of seachem so i use that now. Its only a tiny bit more expensive but better quality imo.

I use Reef Crystals by IO. If I was dealing with very specialized and/or delicate species of corals or fish, I might spend more, but it's been fine for my needs and is a LOT less expensive up here. Plus, it goes on sale more often than the others...

Im finishing up my 5gl instant ocean then switching to seachem. I need the higher calcium/mag levels so I dont end up haveing to dose.

Are you speaking about FO SW, reef or BW? I use the cheapest marine salt I can find for BW. I have been using Reef Crystals for my reef tanks for 6 years. I'd be using instant Ocean for FO.

I use Instant Ocean for my BW tanks.

Red Sea Salt in my BW tank - just in process of raising the SG to go to marine (FOWLR).

Well puffer punk the reason I'm asking the salt question is cuz I'm setting up a reef tank and going to be mixing the water when I find out what I want to use. I was told that if i use just normal Instant ocean and use my purple up its better then the reef crystals. I also have heard the instant ocean period is crap. I have been using Instant Ocean for my pred tank and my BW and have done the last couple water changes with reef crystals on both. I have been using purple up in my pred tank just to help get my coralline alge back on the rocks cuz it looked like it was starting to fade.

Reef Crystals is all I've ever used:


I also dose calcium, alk, magnesium & vitamin C.

Wow!!!! That's beautiful!! I'm jelious. My girlfriend saw the pic and said holy cow that's in a tank? Lol. What size tanked you have? Well I guess the reef crystals will do the job lol

I am not running any salt ATM, but when I do it has always been Instant Ocean for BW and FO, and the IO Reef Crystals for invert tanks since it came on the market.

I use a lot of Seachem products and I do like the company, but their marine salts need a bit longer on the market and a lot more history with hobbyists before I would commit to them, with parallel trials in my own tanks. I am actually a very conservative hobbyist - despite some of my practices which some consider quite radical.

That's a 90g.

Really is beautiful!! Well I'll prob just stay with my instant ocean like I have for my FO tank and my BW. As far as my reef prob use the IO reef crystals. Would it be ok if I would use just the normal IO on my reef and dose it with my purple up and be ok or do you recommend I use the crystals and dose it with purple up or no dose at all?


P.S. Puffer you have any more pics?

RTR what do you think of Kent marine products? I have used some but very little from them as I am very new to the hobby and they seem to be a good product that I know of but I don't know much right now lol?

I have only used a very things from them, i have no strong feeling pro or con about them.