LF: Cheap Instant Ocean Salt

[GoFish]

Looking for the large pails 160g

J+L has them for 39 which isn't bad but I think I got them cheaper last year at a store on Kingsway in Burnaby.

Any sales around?

[patman]

King Ed's will have them for $29.99 but not sure if there is currently a sale.

[GoFish]

Is 29.99 their regular price?

[patman]

That's a sale price I believe. I was there back in October and got that price. They wouldn't tell me over the phone what the price was, but said I should go there.

[duncangweller]

I have been paying $29.99 for a 160 gallon pail from King Eds for over a year I would say

[duncangweller]

I get a bucket once every two months I would say

[GoFish]

Ok good to know, thanks!
I just try and avoid going there unless there's a good reason. I received poor advice from them when starting out on several occasions...

Saving 25% is a good reason

[TimT]

Originally Posted by Vancity

Saving 25% is a good reason

Possibly, but you might wonder why you thought it was worth it if your tank gets nuked because of a bad batch. I threw IO to the curb due to quality issues a while ago(ie 14.4dKH and 1000mg/l Mg at 1.026sg, and I mixed the whole bucket at once). I've used it since the late 70's but no more.

What I find particularly silly is the vast concern with USP grade Alk and Ca when the salts used for these cheap salt mixes are going to be tech grade if that. Now stepping down from the saltbox.

[GoFish]

Choosing salt brands is a confusing subject for me. I'm switching from H2Ocean back to IO now. Thanks to H2ocean my mixing bin is caked with clay or whatever they add to it, I can't get the crap off. And it had low mag anyway so what's the point in spending a lot if I have to add stuff...
I've had high alk with IO but only in the 10.5 range. I test new buckets and randomly throughout so if something's off I just dose it. Buying anything from king Ed worries me but the buckets are sealed from the factory that makes a tonne of salt without many reports of failures (from what I've read)

I've seen advice from some very high post counts on here that use IO, up until it causes me a problem I'll prob just stick with it. I appreciate the advice though!

What do you use Tim? Honestly if there's something better and consistent I'll consider it. I'm not as cheap as the title of this states, I just figure if I'm gonna have to add stuff then I'll just get cheap reliable salt and go from there

[TimT]

First off, please don't think I was insinuating your cheap as I was not.

I agree it is confusing with all the options, anecdotal internet info and marketing hype.

I use the H2Ocean because I like the fact it is an evaporated seawater based salt, but this means it will have some organics in it.

What do you mean by caked with clay? What colour is it? Does vinegar or bleach remove it? I usually clean my mixing tub every 6 months as it builds up a brownish residue. It is a Rubbermaid 300 gallon fiberglass tub. I also mix the salt in a 40 gallon glass aquarium and I do notice an organic build up but it wipes off with a wet cloth.

I think that since you are testing the main parameters you will avoid a lot of potential issues. I would also test for ammonia and if the batch is cloudy after 24 hrs I would not use it. It should also not cause the tank to go cloudy.

It's good logic that if you have to add stuff you might as well go with the cheap reliable salt, but there could be other deficiencies. In my search to replace IO I tried a new Reef Grade Salt from Thailand that was being introduced to the North American market. A friend recommended it so I tried it. I had a 10" tort rtn the next morning and all the acros looked horrible. This was after a 20% water change. Turns out they forgot to put potassium in the batch. I did over 600 gallons of water change in 24hrs before the system stabilized enough to put the acros back in. I learned my lesson from that experience and now stick with a high quality salt and test it before use.