Which marine salt do you prefer??

[Heineken]

Is there any difference between the types of salts? IO seems like a popular choice but is it just because it has been around for a while?
What type of salt do you use and why? Thanks guys and gals!

 

[lando]

I use Coralife. Simply becasue it is what I started with.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

i like coral life, but most here i believe like IO

 

[quarryshark]

Oceanic, switched from IO about 8 months ago.

 

[dralarms]

I like IO, the biggest reason is I can get a 160lb bucket @ petsmart for 31.99 as long as I bring a page from their website. Saves about 16.00 a bucket.

 

[captivereefs]

Oceanic. THe best in my opinion. Mixes clear very quickly and has great Calcium and alk measurments.

 

[IfoundNemo]

I started out with IO in the begining then switched over to Oceanic salt. O seems to disolve alot quicker than IO, and the salinity level seems to remain constant. JMHO

 

[PiscesLou]

Oceanic,

salinity level seems to remain constant

I do a 10% water change every week and 1/2 or so and my salinity it always consistent

 

[Heineken]

Thanks for the replies! Do lfs have Oceanic readilly in stock? It seems like every lfs that I've been to has IO, but say they can "order" other brands if need be. Anyway I like that you get consistent salinity with the Oceanic. I'll probably go with that one. How much do you guys normally spend? Thanks again.

 

[malkore]

It depends on the LFS. My preferred LFS sells mainly Oceanic...but my backup sells mostly IO and Reef Crystals.

IO salt is ok, but if you want to go reef, I'd avoid it. It basically has low Calcium, but is dead on for alkalinity. Oceanic is much better balanced, and a lot of people say it mixes faster.
I got a 5gallon bucket for about $50 - that makes a little over 200gallons. It was on sale, but only 10% off.