Manny2123
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Im really interested in what salt everyone is using. What salt is considered the best? Tropic Marin? H2 ocean? Pls everyone's thoughts
ccCapt said:I use regular Instant Ocean.
Here's a quote from Randy Holmes-Farley, PhD.
"I do not think there is a "best" salt mix. Nearly all of them will work fine as long as you know their pros and cons.
I don't want excessive borate, which leaves out Seachem.
I don't want vitamins or anything else organic in my mix (because I doubt their utility, they degrade with time to who knows what, bacteria may thrive on them as I store new salt water for a substantial period, they are totally undescribed with respect to amounts or identity, they are not naturally present in natural seawater at appreciable levels, and because I've occasionally had them mess with my skimmer), so that tosses out some like Reef Crystals, hW Marinemix Plus BioElements, Kent, Coralife, and Nutri-SeaWater.
I don't want excessive calcium (long term use of limewater as I use drives up calcium, so I do not want it starting high), so that tosses out a bunch, such as Kent, Seachem, Coralife and Oceanic.
There are certain companies that I will not support due to their misleading claims and/or product lines. That tosses out a few which I won't detail here since it is my personal thought as opposed to a specific issue with their salt mix.
I won't use certain lines of natural seawater due to excessive metals in it.
That only leaves a few to choose from, such as Instant Ocean and Tropic Marin Pro. The remaining ones might all be fine for me, but IO is lower in cost, especially if you get it when it goes on sale (which it frequently does). It also has a very long track record of success in many aquaria with relatively few concerning issues of bad batches."
Here's what I get with using Instant Ocean.
Just curious, but why do you think anyone would need elevated calcium? There is no advantage in keeping calcium anything over that of natural seawater...which is 420ppm.If you need elevated calcium...
What brand of salt do you think is low in those elements and how do you know this?If you had a fish only system i recommend a brand low in reef building elements.
Again, what salt do you think meets this recommendation and how do you know what it actually contains?If your using tap id recommend a mix lower in trace elements and with a heavy metal detoxifier
I will just quote Dr. Holmes-Farley on this recommendation....I suggest trying reef crystals
ccCapt said:Very interesting reply.
Just curious, but why do you think anyone would need elevated calcium? There is no advantage in keeping calcium anything over that of natural seawater...which is 420ppm.
What brand of salt do you think is low in those elements and how do you know this?
Again, what salt do you think meets this recommendation and how do you know what it actually contains?
I will just quote Dr. Holmes-Farley on this recommendation....
"I don't want vitamins or anything else organic in my mix (because I doubt their utility, they degrade with time to who knows what, bacteria may thrive on them as I store new salt water for a substantial period, they are totally undescribed with respect to amounts or identity, they are not naturally present in natural seawater at appreciable levels, and because I've occasionally had them mess with my skimmer), so that tosses out some like Reef Crystals,..."