Best artifical salt mix oppinions?

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You get 450 Ca with no dosing? I have never heard of IO doing this? I would have never switched :( It is definately cheaper.
 
ellisz said:
You get 450 Ca with no dosing? I have never heard of IO doing this? I would have never switched :( It is definately cheaper.
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No, I've never dosed calcium. That's why I can't understand why everyone has low calcium levels with IO. And, I mix this with RO/DI water so it's not my tap water causing it to be higher. :? Perhaps it's all a local thing. The store I buy from sells their IO very, very cheap. No one in the surrounding area and then some can beat them on that. I had asked them how they can sell it for so much cheaper and was told they don't make anything on it but it brings people in so it works for them to sell it for less. Maybe since they do sell so much, keeping it in constant stock rotation and not sitting around, that may have something to do with it? Heck, I don't know. Just grasping at straws.
 
Fluff said:
sayuncle said:
I use Aqua Craft Marine Environment salt. www.aquacraft.net
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No, I've never dosed calcium. That's why I can't understand why everyone has low calcium levels with IO. And, I mix this with RO/DI water so it's not my tap water causing it to be higher. :? Perhaps it's all a local thing. The store I buy from sells their IO very, very cheap. No one in the surrounding area and then some can beat them on that. I had asked them how they can sell it for so much cheaper and was told they don't make anything on it but it brings people in so it works for them to sell it for less. Maybe since they do sell so much, keeping it in constant stock rotation and not sitting around, that may have something to do with it? Heck, I don't know. Just grasping at straws.
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You are the first person I've heard say IO was not low in CA. It measures 340-350 with most kits. Sounds like a CA kit problem, CA kits are known for not being accuate. hth :)
 
Im thinking that ca isnt going anywere long term in a mix Cindy.
Im glad your getting good results though. Have you thought about getting the ca results verifiyed or a seconed testkit's oppinion?
This is a doseing issue right? Wether or not your going to have to dose ca and alk.. Im thinking that might be an issue with me.. I might have to dose anyway.. lol
 
No, I have no reason to dose calcuim. I have two calcium kits and they both read the same. I have a seatest kit that everyone warned me about, that it was substandard so I bought a salifert test. Now I'm getting that it's inaccurate to. Oh well. The thread was on opinions of what salt is best. In my "opinion", IO works best "for me".
 
Your testkits likely fine if you have two saying the same thing... I was unaware of that.. sorry.. your right it was an oppinon question.. and if I forgot to say thanks.. then.. Thank You.. :D
 
ok ok.. any more oppinons? Id like to hear if anyones useing somthing other then IO and Oceanic.. or if there using Ocanic are you getting consitant results with your mix now?
ooh... and if someone has seen a free shipping deal on saltmix recently Im so intrested. :D
 
I use the AP calcium kit on my IO salt mixed water, and my calcium usually reads a consistent 420 to 450. I've never dosed calcium. IO gets my pH to 8.2 with no buffering. Just my little stat. I also have been using tap water due to the lack of RO/DI in my area, so I don't know if that will affect it any.

Interesting to see the different opinions on salt. I've recently thought about trying Reef Crystals because I found it cheaper at a lfs, but decided to stick with IO.
 
I have been using IO for years. But with the advice of the most knowledgable Coral grower I know. He said that the Tropic Marin was extremely stable in its mix and that additives (other than possibly Kalkwasser) would never be necessary for even the toughest corals.

So I bought a big-ol-bucket :) and I have been using it for about 2 weeks.

I have not tested the CA / PH in it before use, I'll do that for ya in a couple of days when I do my PWC.

I am curious now, I don't see many that mentioned this salt. Does anyone else have an opinion on it. TIA

Devilishturtles, if you are using tap water I would think your CA would be much higher than RO/DI. I tested my tap water and it was high. I bought an RO unit like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Reef-6st-125GPD-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filters_W0QQitemZ4412464989QQcategoryZ20684QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem for only $59.

Best Wishes

Mark
 
Royal Gramma said:
I have been using IO for years. But with the advice of the most knowledgable Coral grower I know. He said that the Tropic Marin was extremely stable in its mix and that additives (other than possibly Kalkwasser) would never be necessary for even the toughest corals.

So I bought a big-ol-bucket :) and I have been using it for about 2 weeks.

I have not tested the CA / PH in it before use, I'll do that for ya in a couple of days when I do my PWC.

I am curious now, I don't see many that mentioned this salt. Does anyone else have an opinion on it. TIA

Devilishturtles, if you are using tap water I would think your CA would be much higher than RO/DI. I tested my tap water and it was high. I bought an RO unit like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Reef-6st-125GPD-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filters_W0QQitemZ4412464989QQcategoryZ20684QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem for only $59.

Best Wishes

Mark
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Tropic Marin is my second in line choice to Aqua Craft.
 
I use Tropic Marin salt after the lfs here recommended it to me. I have not been in this hobby long enough to be able to say if it is good or bad, but it seems to dissolve very well and other than very low ca (300ppm or less) and having to add an alk buffer, I guess it is fine. It is expensive though, 100 bucks for the 200gal pail. If I wanted to switch brands, what is the best method?
 
When I started I was using Reef Crystals (same producer as IO, with slightly difference trace element levels). I had no problems and thought it worked great. I switched about 6-8 months ago to CoraLife as I couldn't get a resonable price/volume on reef crystals locally and there was a great deal on the bucket of CoraLife.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do when this bucket runs out... When I started using it I tested the levels of a fresh mix and was happy with the results (sorry, too long ago to remember exactly what the results were)
 
Royal Gramma my lfs uses Tropic Marin and I buy their premixed water. It's very consistent.

In my earlier post I mentioned my interest in this thread because I was trying to identify a salt that wasn't $85/200 gal bucket, given I've ordered a RO/DI unit and will be mixing my own. The lfs that sells me Tropic Marin water also suggested Reefpure ($40/200 gal bucket). They said it's a new product that tests very consistently.

This thread, like the others, seem to be a discussion of IO vs. Oceanic. Don't get me wrong - it's not a criticism, I love this place :!: . Just that those two brands reap such a large portion of the market, it's hard to get inputs on other brands.

From the input, seems to me that IO and Oceanic are so inconsistent that I may want to just spring the $$ for Tropic Marin. IMO, consistency is most important. Then, at least you know what you have each week and how to address it.
 
I see it this way.. If they (IO and Ocianic) have a large share of the maket.. then they will have a large share of the responces. Im sure some people use other brands.. In fact there have been responces showing that.. Im sure if someone is using the brands your intrested in runway1 they will post about them.. just give them time.. this thread isnt two days old yet.. :wink:
 
Fireworks said:
If I wanted to switch brands, what is the best method?
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Run out of one and start with another :D I would assume the differences in almost every area should be minimal if you mix it 24 hours and let it ariate to raise the O2.

I think what most everyone here is keying on is the level of CA and the Alk level. Both imho can be fixed easily with Kalk and a good quality buffer if needed.
 
reading the report on the link givin earlier..
http://www.aquacraft.net/index.html
the scientific analysis seems on the up and up..
and the results look pretty scarry on the salts being used.. :? 8O :? IO, Tropic Marine, Reef Crystals, Kent
the testing was done before Ocianic came on the market..
is anyone useing one of the recomended salts by this S-15 report?
has anyone seen or tryed.. Coral Marine? BIO-SEA? Marine Enviroment?

ok.. I can see that all of the high scoring salts in that "report" are made and sold by the company getting the testing done.. but it seems like if this kind of analisis can be done for 600 bucks or so per. salt being tested.. why hasnt another manifacture countered by getting this done? hmmm.. it seems like they might be on to something.. :?: :?: :?:
 
ok.. im slow today.. sayuncle.. it seems your using the Marine Enviroment and I missed that.. yea.. those result were pretty nice looking.. :D
ok.. here they are.. LOL

w0018b.gif
 
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