Reef Salt Brand

[Myka]

I'm in the same boat as Marie having used IO since the early 90s. I've tried others, and haven't noticed any improvement in any organisms, so I always go back, plus as Marie said it's still cheaper to buffer the IO than buy premium salt. The only salt that calls my name these days is D-D H2Ocean simply because it is natural seasalt. That is my only draw to it. I am considered trying it out, but I have 1 1/2 buckets of IO to use up right now.

I just moved to this area, and around here D-D is $85 and IO is $65, so the price is closer than BC where D-D $80 and IO is $40-45. Both IO and D-D make similar amounts of mixed product seawater. I know I definitely have a hard time paying $65 for IO!! So I guess that's also a draw to D-D.

[no_bs]

Wow $100 for a pail of IO. Wish we could get it out there for less. $39 all the time.

[TonyR]

When adjusting a non balanced salt you do have to take into account ionic balances though. A balanced salt will have the correct chloride/sodium/sulphate ions. Adjusting a non balanced salt might throw the ionic balance out of wack. Short term not a problem but if using two part additives long term you could shift ionic values out of desirable ranges.
Using a balanced salt will help bring ionic levels back into line via regular water changes.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Tony Vargas

Furthermore, I’m curious as to why is it that some people purchase salt brands that require buffering (be it calcium, magnesium or alkalinity), instead of purchasing a good quality salt that is balanced from the start?

Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to purchase quality salt from the beginning and not concern yourself with products that require alteration of its water chemistry?

because there is no such thing.. salt levels are a personal choice.. find one that is exactly NSW values for a reasonable price and I will buy it. do you know of a salt off hand that is consistantly
380Ca, 1380Mg, 11Dkh alk, for the main levels and then has all the other naturaly orcurring levels in the other traces?

I don't so I buy one that is the closest with the minimal amount of woth.. which is IO . I leave the Ca alone as it is usaly 380. I prefure a higher alk so I bump it up to 12 Dkh and then I make sure the Mg is proper.

all the pro reefs usaly have Ca levels that are to high and have you ever tried picking Ca particles out of salt mix.. its not fun...

also the issue is that all the driferent brands are some ones opinion of what they feel the salt should be alot of them are not even based on real oceans but rather on the latest chemical level trends in the hobby.

Steve

[Aquattro]

The problem with any "perfectly balanced, proper levels salt" is that as soon as you add it to your tank, it changes. If you have a healthy tank with corals that are growing at a constant rate, without supplementation, you'll have noticeably less everything in 24 hours. So, you have to supplement the tank regardless, whether that's with 2 part mixes, kalk reactors, Ca reactors, etc, you must replace what the corals consume. Water changes alone will not suffice in a fully stocked reef.
So if I have to monitor and maintain levels in the tank, I'm not so concerned with the levels of the 10 or 15 % new water I add, it will adjust with my maintenance routine.

[icecool217]

for those that buys IO salt, as stated by leducreef, it's on sale at Petsmart. Here is an additional $5 off $25 coupon.

http://petsmart-mail.com/P/v3/Coupon...=1007&ci=50078

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

The problem with any "perfectly balanced, proper levels salt" is that as soon as you add it to your tank, it changes. If you have a healthy tank with corals that are growing at a constant rate, without supplementation, you'll have noticeably less everything in 24 hours. So, you have to supplement the tank regardless, whether that's with 2 part mixes, kalk reactors, Ca reactors, etc, you must replace what the corals consume. Water changes alone will not suffice in a fully stocked reef.
So if I have to monitor and maintain levels in the tank, I'm not so concerned with the levels of the 10 or 15 % new water I add, it will adjust with my maintenance routine.

Yup, totally agree. The amount of chemically "perfect" salt you add with water changes first gets dilluted with the remaining old water & then gets depleted by the corals, clams & coraline algae that suck it up quickly in a growing reef tank.

Perhaps with a nano tank & weekly water changes, I could justify the added expense of the really "good" salts, but with just under 500 gallons of sw in the display & sump tanks, that is just not feasible.

Besides, my friend Marie (as I think I mentioned before) uses IO & probably has the fastest coral growth rates of anyone I know.