Anyone using/used Aquacraft salt?

[christyf5]

good/bad/not worth the price/etc?

http://www.aquacraft.net/meersaltz.jpg

[mseepman]

I am a dedicated user of Aquacraft salts. I live in the Okanagan and since there are only 2 stores in Canada that sell it, I have to ship it from Edmonton (Aquarium Illusions).

I currently use the Biosea version (1 step below Marine Environment Salt) because I don't have the facilities to mix the two part Marine Environment properly given how much salt I go through.

I used to use IO, but it was total crap. I had nothing but problems with it and I always hated the fact that there was dirt (like sand) at the bottom of my mixing barrel whenever I used it.

I then tried Reef Crystals but I was wanting to switch over to more SPS corals and I found that I needed to dose more additional things when I used this.

Using the Biosea, I get great CA right out of the gate (around 430) and my Alk and Mag are both good as well. I still have a lot of softies, but my tank is the healthiest it's ever been and even with the addition of a dozen SPS frags and a few larger pieces...I don't dose CA yet.

When I look at the various salt studies out there, Aquacraft salt always does very well, even on the studies that I question their testing methods on. The S-15 report goes so far as to suggest that Aquacraft completely dominates the rest.

I belong to a forum in the US called Reefaquariumguide.com and by far most of their members are dedicated Aquacraft users. Some breathtaking tanks on their site.

There you have my 2 cents.

[christyf5]

Thanks for the info! :biggrin:

Actually I was under the impression that Aquacraft paid for the S-15 report but no matter.

I haven't been able to find any chemical info on this salt and I guess there is a guy on RC right now who is doing some informal testing of his own and wasn't able to get any salt from Aquacraft (although it did sound like he did get a bit of a headache from them). I've heard that a lot of public aquariums use their salt as well.

Anyway, I have the opportunity to try a box and thought I'd see what others think. I guess if there are only 2 places in Canada to get it then there won't be many responses :wink:

I'll check out RAG, thanks again!

EDIT: when did RAG go pay-per-view. nuts.:neutral:

[mseepman]

What??? pay-per-view...I didn't know that. I am a subscriber so maybe I didn't see the change. I will look further into it and get back to you.

[christyf5]

Its ok, I figured it out. I can see everything when I'm not signed in. If I sign in it tells me I need a membership to access any of the threads. I just signed out and its fine now. The last time I visited that site was 2006 and I guess they've changed stuff since then.

[mseepman]

EDIT: when did RAG go pay-per-view. nuts.:neutral:

I just checked from a computer where I wasn't auto-logged in and it let me see the forums. When I searched, it wanted me to register, but registration was free and didn't want dough.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: Oh, you were a previous member. I had heard that they limited people who registered previously but didn't really come back.

[xtreme]

Where is the second store that carries it?

[mseepman]

Some store in Montreal...not sure which one.

[nikon187]

bio sea is great salt. Switched from IO and my tank has never looked better

[sharuq1]

I tried out the bio sea and wasn't impressed considering the price. I don't remember the specs but the alk and Ca were both not what I get from my usual salt, there was a lot of precipitate and it looked "dirty" when mixed. Granted it could have been a bad batch, but after that I just did not feel like trying another bag of the stuff. I've seen the "report" (it was shown to me by a disreputable vendor not associated with canreef vendors so that may invalidate my opinion :lol: ) and I would have to say that IMO it did look like it had been paid for considering where they rated some of the better salts (theirs right on top, of course).

[midgetwaiter]

I'm not sure what I think of the S-15 report, everybody dismisses it out of hand because Aquacraft funded it. I admit that's a little smelly but it was Ron Shimek that did the work and he's got a pretty solid reputation otherwise.

I've been using the Aquacraft stuff for a year at home and at work and I'm pretty impressed. I can't really say if it's done anything wonderful for me but thousands upon thousands of gallons have been consistent and that counts for a lot in my books. I've been having really good growth lately in both my reef systems and while I hesitate to say it's because of the salt I think it may be contributing at least.


I tried out the bio sea and wasn't impressed considering the price. I don't remember the specs but the alk and Ca were both not what I get from my usual salt, there was a lot of precipitate and it looked "dirty" when mixed.

That is the very first time I've heard that, most people say the opposite. Specifically that the brown gunge you get sometimes from the IO/RC or Seachem mixes is absent. Did you supplement CA or ALK while it was mixing? That will cause white precipitation some times if you aren't careful. As far that the ALK / CA levels go, it is generally lower that many of the other mixes, closer to NSW. If you want to try and run high ALK you need to add to it.