Reefers best salt

[ZOOCRAZY]

Well after today it's on to the new salt I picked up. Refers best let's hope it turns out to be as good as I have heard it is. Has anyone else had any experience with this salt. I will be reviewing what I find with this salt on this thread.

[Aquattro]

I've been using it 2 years in my tank. Good initial values, mixes clean. I like it.

[Proteus]

I was given a sample. Currently been using salinity. But thought it was mixing a bit cloudy. Tried the refugees best and was amazed how clean it mixed. Just waiting for a shipment now

[ZOOCRAZY]

Aquattro what is the growth like in your tank? Did you notice any difference
Once you started using reefers best? What do you have currently
Stocked for corals In your tank?

[Aquattro]

Aquattro what is the growth like in your tank? Did you notice any difference
Once you started using reefers best? What do you have currently
Stocked for corals In your tank?

I didn't notice any difference as I used it from day one. I've got a few SPS in my tank doing pretty good. I find the salt mixes consistent, and when I test, the numbers are always the same. I don't have to roll it even :)
It's a decent salt, mixes fast and clean and I do 50g water changes at a time and everything loves it.
Honestly, you won't see a lot of difference in growth rate, even if you use IO or some other salt, because you have to assume that dosing or a Ca reactor will be needed to raise and maintain levels. If you did see a difference in growth, it probably wouldn't be much. Lighting and flow and food, etc, all play such an important role and are so different in each tank, that growth rates are only guesstimates in each tank. The salt costs a lot more, so for me to spend that I would have to think I'm getting something for it, which I do with this salt.

[gregzz4]

I've got a few SPS in my tank doing pretty good
Well there's an understatement :razz:

[Aquattro]

Well there's an understatement :razz:

lol, ok, a lot of SPS...:lol:

[Skimmerking]

lol, ok, a lot of SPS...:lol:

Hmmmmmm really post a fts then Brad I think it's more then a lot

[ZOOCRAZY]

Let's see a picture of the tank.

[Aquattro]

Let's see a picture of the tank.

Sure, this is what your tank will be like with Reefers Best salt. Not the latest pic, stuff has grown a bit since this shot..

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd101/reef_raf/full_LED.jpg

[Aquattro]

Although, here's a shot of my old tank using IO salt. Or maybe it was Kent salt....

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd101/reef_raf/fulljune.jpg

[ZOOCRAZY]

Nice tanks.

[Reef Supplies]

Sure, this is what your tank will be like with Reefers Best salt. Not the latest pic, stuff has grown a bit since this shot..

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd101/reef_raf/full_LED.jpg

Very nice!

[don.ald]

I find the salt mixes consistent, and when I test, the numbers are always the same. I don't have to roll it even :)
What are those numbers anyway?
And, you think it would be easy to roll a square box!
R.

[Aquattro]

What are those numbers anyway?
And, you think it would be easy to roll a square box!
R.

I get 400ppm Ca, 7.0 dKh, and Mg at 1250ppm @ 1.026

It's my opinion that the whole rolling buckets story is just silly :) It's also my opinion that people lose way too much sleep over these numbers...

Compare the pics above. 1 tank with Reefers best, the other with bargain salt (IO or Kent, don't recall, but both about the same). The old tank had greater growth rates than my new tank (until recently). I've decided this is temp related. Old tank ran about 82F or higher. Amazing growth, not so amazing color. New tank ran at 75F, amazing color, not so much growth. Just raised new tank to 79F, and I've got a lot more growth with no loss of color.
Between the two tanks, everything was pretty much the same. Same lights, same flow, some power head placement, same Ca reactor, same skimmer model. Same feeding schedule, comparable fish load. Old tank had more rock and sand, which didn't help color (nutrient build up was too high). One tank used IO, the other Reefers Best.
The only real single advantage, for me, is that I don't have to boost my new water to match my tank, forcing my reactor to catch up. The new water is close enough out of the bag. You're not going to get better growth, or more color, or anything else using one salt over the other. Most of the top (read popular) salts these days are fine. It's a matter of convenience. I don't have to muck around with mine as much as I would if I used IO.
I tried a different salt once, it mixed cloudy and annoyed the crap out of my corals, but maybe just too much of a change. Or not. Who knows. I think pick a salt you like and are comfortable paying for, stick with it, learn how to manage it's levels for your tank, and be done with it. Or like Dez, use a different salt every time something is on sale, and still get amazing results :)

[The Guy]

I get 400ppm Ca, 7.0 dKh, and Mg at 1250ppm @ 1.026

It's my opinion that the whole rolling buckets story is just silly :) It's also my opinion that people lose way too much sleep over these numbers...

Compare the pics above. 1 tank with Reefers best, the other with bargain salt (IO or Kent, don't recall, but both about the same). The old tank had greater growth rates than my new tank (until recently). I've decided this is temp related. Old tank ran about 82F or higher. Amazing growth, not so amazing color. New tank ran at 75F, amazing color, not so much growth. Just raised new tank to 79F, and I've got a lot more growth with no loss of color.
Between the two tanks, everything was pretty much the same. Same lights, same flow, some power head placement, same Ca reactor, same skimmer model. Same feeding schedule, comparable fish load. Old tank had more rock and sand, which didn't help color (nutrient build up was too high). One tank used IO, the other Reefers Best.
The only real single advantage, for me, is that I don't have to boost my new water to match my tank, forcing my reactor to catch up. The new water is close enough out of the bag. You're not going to get better growth, or more color, or anything else using one salt over the other. Most of the top (read popular) salts these days are fine. It's a matter of convenience. I don't have to muck around with mine as much as I would if I used IO.
I tried a different salt once, it mixed cloudy and annoyed the crap out of my corals, but maybe just too much of a change. Or not. Who knows. I think pick a salt you like and are comfortable paying for, stick with it, learn how to manage it's levels for your tank, and be done with it. Or like Dez, use a different salt every time something is on sale, and still get amazing results :)
I totally agree, I started with IO and have good success. I think too much messing can give you more grief in your reef so I just do my water changes monitor my levels and keep them on track and it seems to work for me. I plan on doing it the same way in my new 90.