When all your gear is dialed in, your dosers are working overtime, and your acro garden is ready to thrive thats when its time to switch to the higher alkalinity formulas. Personally on a tank that size, I think it's better to just buy water from your LFS. Like I mentioned the tank is going on 2 years and is humming along. The Best Corals for the Bottom of a Reef Tank. This post may have affiliate links, which means we may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Brightwell is the best value for mixed and SPS reefs. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. So I was all ready to switch until I read your article. More Choices Available. His site was created to share his knowledge and unique teaching style on a larger scale. Most reefers should choose a standard alkalinity mix and aim for stability to avoid alkalinity highs or lows. View full details $159.99 | / 26 in stock Add to cart Quick shop % Aquaforest . That reading should be consistent for the rest of the salt batch. This mix is perfect as you can dose to 7.5 8.0 and not worry about a water change completely throwing off your key parameters. SW is the seawater concentration of Nozaki, 1994. It does not have the evaluatedlevels and trace elements that Reef Crystals have. Formulated by researchers and marine scientists, RPM contains all of the necessary major and minor elements of natural sea water that are utilized by living marine and reef animals. There are a few main differences between the two. Some people swear by one brand of salt mix while others will go out of their way to talk about why this salt mix brand is way better than others. IO unless you have a fair amount of lps and sps building skeletons. The of the most available and affordable salt mix. The N?oMarine Salt creates a marine environment so chemically-similar to natural seawater it would be hard to tell any difference between water prepared with N?oMarine and filtered natural seawater from tropical reef waters. A soft coral dominated tank will not have as many needs as a Heavy SPS tank. If you like levels that are higher, Reef Crystals is probably an easier option for you. It will build up in your containers over time and those containers can be expensive to replace. /TM/ 2023 Spectrum Brands, Inc. or one of its affiliates. Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the. Change 20% of aquarium water every two weeks to maintain optimum water quality. The mix also has anti-caking agents which will turn your buckets and holding vats brown over time with crud making non-ideal to use for those who like to store saltwater. 5. (I recommend using a refractometer). Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt For 200 Gallons, Enriched Formulation For Aquariums, 25600 Fl Oz (Pack of 1) 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,537. . Instant Ocean Reef Crystals is an Enriched formulation made especially for use in reef aquariums. Tropic Marin PRO-REEF Sea Salt has been designed to meet the special requirements of reef aquariums with optimized Enriched formulation. The pro reef salt has the most ideal big three parameters for SPS tanks. Mined reef salt mixes come from the mined evaporated seawater ocean deposits. Mixing Instant Ocean salt is straightforward and easy to do. Optimum effectiveness. Reef Crystals Reef Salt Box (Makes 200 Gallons) - Instant Ocean. For SPS, especially high end SPS like Acros you will need salt that is not only high quality, but also has proper QC. You may or may not be surprised by how different they actually are. Ever wonder what the difference is between Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals? SeaChem Marine Salt 500 10 1400. 11. Manufacturer's Mixing Instructions: Remember: Raising the salinity to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) will help solve both. Coral Pros Alkalinity of 12 dKH makes it ideal for mixed reefs and SPS frag tanks. However, if you are serious about Acropora corals, I would steer away from this mix. Instant Ocean salt is one of those items. Fortunately I have been taking things nice and slow and enjoying the establishing process of building a nice tank and listening to other reefers . Since I use water changing stations, I stay away from anything that cakes. The salt of choice for World Wide Corals. It's the only reef salt I will ever use . If you are just getting started out, you cannot go wrong with the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt as this will work for most reef tanks including mixed reefs. All rights reserved. I use reef crystals. Not sure if that is a plausible assumption but would make since seeing as I feed lightly, skim heavily and WC 20% a week with a dual reactor running. I have a 40 gallon tank with a few fish, a growing clam (3 inches currently), and lps corals. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Typically, a bucket of Instant Ocean Reef Crystals capable of creating 200 gallons of saltwater will run you around $60 , while the same amount of Instant Ocean Sea Salt will be a bit cheaper at around $50 Both products go on sale frequently, which is great for those of us looking to snag a good deal. Recommended specific gravity range: 1.020 to 1.023 at 75F. Please advise. Seachems Purigen vs MatrixCarbon: Which Is Better? You can learn more about their process in the video below: Red seacoral pro salt is one of the more trusted mixes used by frag sellers and SPS stick heads. Reef Crystals scored 26 out of 100 in the S-15 Report. 4. Tropic Marin 375 10 1230. No more back and forth adding salt, mixing, waiting, testing and adjusting until you get it right. Calculating the cost of these salts can be done easily. Instant Ocean has been around since the 1960s, when William Kelley, the former director of the Cleveland aquarium founded the business. Test your new water batch before adding to the tank to prevent any unwanted parameter swings. *This post contains affiliate links. Its actually easier than you think. A have a third lfs , which in addition to Reef Crystals sells Kent. You will also need a heater and powerhead to mix the salt. Testing the salinity of your Instant Ocean salt can be done using a refractometer. Thank you for visiting! However, the main benefit of Reef Crystals over Instant Ocean are elevated calcium and magnesium concentrations. Yes, fortunately many LFS around us supply Fritz because they have built a massive marketing machine promoting their products. It is formulated with pharmaceutical level ingredients and one of the fully synthetic salt mixes on this list (Brightwell being the other). Its not cheap and you will need dosing as your SPS grows unless you want to be a slave to water changes. The Auto Delivery schedule can be changed in the cart. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. He has kept freshwater tanks, ponds, and reef tanks for over 25 years. Instant Ocean Sea Salt is the most carefully formulated and universally preferred sea salt in the world. In a hurry? However, if you are hoping to establish a more complex reef based ecosystem with live rock and corals, they recommend using the Reef Crystals.The main reason for this is that the additional living organisms that come with a full on reef based ecosystem require more nutrients from their salt to grow than fish do. USAGE NOTE: NEVER mix salt in an aquarium containing animals. But here is a direct quote from. I usually let it mix overnight and test the salinity again because I do my water changes. Q: What is the difference between Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals? Anti-caking agents tend to turn your saltwater holding buckets and vats brown over time. Salinity: 35 ppt (1.0264 sg)| Ca: 430 ppm| Mg: 1290 ppm|Alkalinity: 8.0 dKH. I currently have a 375 gallon aquarium, mostly soft corals to this point but Im trying to keep more sps and corals. Aquarium Pumps & Filters Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix, 50-Gallon, New, 3.1 out of 5 stars 2. 2.4 Pros & Cons. Natural seawater has a specific gravity of 1.025 (salinity of 35ppt) and most salts are calibrated to this number. instant ocean @ 1018 for 40 years aquadrome erie pa. Been using IO for longer than I'd care to admit - never had a reason to use anything else. 3.1 Red Sea Coral Pro Salt; 3.2 Instant Ocean Reef . NOTE: 1.4 lbs of Reef Crystals is formulated to create 5 gallons of saltwater at a specific gravity of 1.021. Mark is the founder of Aquarium Store Depot. I don't think there is a good reason to run levels outside of that range but we all have our preferences. Even so, water changes likely will not be enough in a full blown SPS tank. . While it doesnt have the additional magnesium and calcium, its much more affordable, and you wont have to worry about a compromise in quality. When it comes to filling a saltwater aquarium, most fish tank owners would agree that the choice of which salt to put in generally comes down to two big name products; Instant Oceans High Quality Sea Salt, or Instant Oceans Reef Crystals. Mix as directed above. Continue with Recommended Cookies. In case of contact, completely flush skin or eye(s) The advantages of this packing are many: You can mix up a batch without ever having to check the salinity. We're sorry, oversized items on this page cannot be shipped by air. A general rule is to use cup of salt per gallon of water. To prepare small quanities of Reef Crystals salt, use 1/2 cup of Reef Crystals salt for each U.S. gallon of water. Top 5 Refugium Lights for Growing Chaetomorpha. After you have the salt at the correct salinity, let it mix in the container. Tightly reseal bag to keep out moisture. There have been questions regarding using a salt calculator to figure out how much salt you need to add. I've used plain old instant ocean for reef tanks and it worked fine. Hobbyists may prefer Reef Crystals if they're keeping stony corals, such as Brain Corals or Chalices since they will benefit from the additional calcium. Now lets talk about the reef salt mixes themselves. Reef tank equipment and automation is key to maintaining a stable saltwater tank, and a refugium can help keep nutrients in check. A 25% change of aquarium water, done on a monthly basis, is recommended to maintain water quality. I won't comment about the trace element part, short of there are usually more than enough in all salt mixes. Some of them recommend tropical marine (which is pretty expensive salt) but no need the dosing. H2Ocean Dosing Formula is designed for reef aquariums that dont need a salt with elevated levels because they already maintain KH and Calcium via dosing or a Calcium reactor. You should always add salt into the water and not the other way around. It really depends on what corals you are planning to keep. Every batch is ICP tested. Fritz has a big marketing machine that sponsors a lot of YouTubers and they tend to be everywhere at the local fish stores. Instant Ocean Top Choice For Fish Only Tanks, 7. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more, The Best Salt Mix Is The One Closest To Your Ideal Parameters, Aquarium Mix Parameters And Major Elements, 2. Both Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals are designed for marine aquariums and are free of nitrates and phosphates. So think of it this way. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments. This salt doesnt contain any additional calcium and magnesium, and the last thing youll want to do is experience a sudden change in water chemistry. It is very expensive and hard to find locally, but if you have designer SPS corals, this is the reef salt to buy. Should I use Fritz, Reef Crystals or do I try to find Tropic Marin which nobody around me sells. I like oceanic it dissolves so far and its a great salt, i was using instant ocean and kept getting ph swings.. 75 . KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. If specific gravity is too low, add more Reef Crystals. Enriched formulation. A Business Card sized reference card for the most common aquarium parameters.  Reef Crystals Reef Salt Box (Makes 200 Gallons) - Instant Ocean, $$$ Money Saver Aquarium Dry Live Rock (by the lb), HI755-26 HI772-26 Alkalinity Checker Reagent (25 Tests) - Hanna Instruments, Marco Rocks Reef Saver Premium Rock (by the lb) - Marco Rock, 1/4" Mur-lok Polyethylene BLUE RO Tubing (by the Foot), FritzPRO R.P.M. Salinity 35 ppt | Ca 400-450 ppm|Mg 1300-1400 ppm|Alkalinity10 11.5dkh. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Nicole Helgason is a professional scuba diver and can often be found photographing corals and sharing her passion about coral reefs around the world. Reef Crystals contains essential ocean reef elements in concentrations greater than those found in natural sea water. Any discounts on Instant Ocean: Reef Crystals? Formulated specially for use in reef aquariums, Reef Crystals contains essential ocean reef elements in concentrations greater than those found in natural sea water. Always like to learn from other reefers. If youre looking to create saltwater at home, youll need a few things, a mixing bucket, RO/DI water, a heater, and the most important part - reef salt. Check todays price of Instant Ocean reef crystals on Amazon here. Eco-Complete vs Flourite: Which Is Better? As you can see, the main difference between these two products is that Reef Crystals contain additional calcium and magnesium and Instant Ocean Sea Salt does not. Red Sea Salt contains moderately elevated and balanced levels of thefoundation elements(Calcium, Magnesium, Bicarbonates) necessary for sustainable coral growth. You are using an out of date browser. Manage Settings I would say the mix time is around that of Brightwells product. What do you recommend? Stir vigorously to mix salt and water. I dont have a hardcore acro tank, but if I did I would be running Tropic Marin or AquaForest. Instant Ocean Reef Salt for Aquariums, 160-gal. Reef Crystals also contains special additives to help detoxify excess heavy metals, such as copper, and is fully compatible with all marine aquariums. The parameters out of the boxes are perfect and makes it very safe to make water changes so you dont have to worry about swings when you make a water change. The pharmaceutical grade sea salt especially for modern reef aquaria. $42.99 $ 42. nanoreef tanks), Great quality control and proven field results, High alkalinity makes this not safe for Acro heavy tanks, Two choices with regular and pro depending on what alkalinity you desire, Lacks evaluated levels and elements for hard coral heavy reef tanks, 13359 North Highway 183 Suite 406 There are many incredible looking reef tanks that use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals and you will save some money using it over the other brands. Tropic Marin is a brand you may not see regularly at the local fish store or chain stores, but they have been a major name brand all across the world, particularly in Europe. Each year, he continues to help his readers and clients with knowledge, professional builds, and troubleshooting. You must log in or register to reply here. They started in Europe in the late 1990s and recently entered into the US Market. Those 2 salts are the only one that Triton is recommending. There are certain elements in both the Instant Ocean sea salt and Reef crystals that are important for all saltwater tanks. Wow, I learned so much about salt from reading your article. Its a known fact in our hobby that most retailers lose money selling salt, especially online retailers as the shipping cost is very high in comparison to other dry goods. Myself included. If you have seen his Instagram channel, you can see how incredible his tanks look. The Reef Crystals contain additional vitamins and calcium that are crucial for the life within these complex environments to grow.While the additional calcium and vitamins included in the Reef Crystals are in no way beneficial to the growth and development of your fish, they are also by no means harmful in any sense. Optimum effectiveness. However, for a Acropora heavy tank, many reefers like to keep their alkalinity lower in order to keep it more stable and closer to natural sea water. In fact, you can look up the test results online with every salt bucket you purchase. It is also available in different quantities from 10 gallons to 200 gallons which is great for all sizes of tanks. For example, lets say you buy a 200-gallon box of reef crystals for $70. Given those reasons, I would not recommend this mix for Acroporas. Thats what I will show you in this article. At this point, you may need to humanely euthanize your fish. They have created the benchmark for the industry and quality control standards. When used correctly, Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals will set the pH of a tank between 8.0 to 8.3, and kH levels between 7-10 dKH. Air in reefer 900 seam should I be worried. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals can be as high as 13, which can be disastrous to an SPS tank after a water change. Salt mixes that are mostly or 100%synthetic represent some of the highest quality and most expensive reef salt mixes in the market. Hobbyists may prefer Reef Crystals if theyre keeping stony corals, such as Brain Corals or Chalices since they will benefit from the additional calcium. Fish only saltwater aquariums are not going to need an expensive or advanced salt mix so a budget mix will do the job. The purpose of this post today is to just lay out the facts and finding what salt mix will work for you and your budget. FREE SHIPPING on qualifying aquarium supplies orders $49 and up. Increased alkalinity has been shown to increase the growth of SPS. The logic for RC always seemed like 'if one pill works, two must be better'. Instant Ocean Sea Salt is the best selling aquarium salt in the world. It is a trusted brand and thousands of hobbyists use their salt in saltwater tanks. Both products have received positive feedback from hobbyists and ultimately, the choice between them comes down to personal preference. If you have a bucket, mix it thoroughly prior to use, mix, then test. That makes since and the cyano is manageable so looking to take the next step with adding some LPS. If you have a Ca reactor or a good dosing pump system you could still use IO but Reef Crystals probably makes it a little easier to maintain Ca, alk and Mg levels. This salt will work great for softy and LPS tanks that can take the swings better, but you run the risk of problems after water changes with this mix with sensitive SPS corals like Acros. Instant Ocean recommends 1.020-1.026 at 77 degrees F. I mix my saltwater to achieve 1.025 SG at a temp of 79F. If you have any thoughts or opinions about these products, feel free to share them in the comments section, and don't forget to check out our marketplace and community forum. Want to grow your business and reach a wider audience? 5% Rewards - Buy and earn $2.97 in Reward points. There are many things in the saltwater aquarium hobby that are considered to be a staple item and have been around for quite a long time. If you follow reef YouTubers around, you likely have heard of Fritz Reef Pro Mix. Maintaining consistency in dKH, magnesium, and calcium levels is very important, and you should factor in the additional magnesium and calcium found in reef crystals. 4. Although the Reef Crystals solution may be used immediately, we suggest aerating the water until it achieves oxygen/carbon dioxide equilibrium. Can You Have Too Much Flow In A Reef Tank. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Mix Reef Crystals salt with ordinary dechlorinated water. Hi Cherry. There are a few main differences between the two. AccuraSea1 is formulated to simulate natural seawater, and its packaged as a plurality of precisely weighed packs. D-D The Aquarium Solution has added a second formulation to its popular H2Ocean salt brand. Below is a list of the best reef salt mixes available today. Copyright 2023 Salt Tank Report. Instant Ocean sea salt is perfect for fish only and FOWLR tanks just the way it is out of the box. I won't comment about the trace element part, short of there are usually more than enough in all salt mixes. Learn how to properly mix saltwater with various brands of aquarium salt from the experts at That Fish Place - That Pet Place & thatpetplace.com. Salinity: 35 ppt (1.0264 sg)| Ca: 420 mg/l| Mg: 1300 mg/l|Alkalinity 8 dKH. Should I change from my current Instant Ocean Reef Crystals to a better salt mix for my nano reef tank? Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Salt Mix - 200G Box $86.95 | / 15 in stock Enriched formulation. Every time I walk into the fish store to buy my critters more salt, I've always wondered what the difference between IO Sea Salt and IO Reef Crystals. Chain stores do not carry it and you will mostly see higher end local fish stores that specialize in marine livestock carry them. Instant Ocean Aquarium Sea Salt, 200-gal. Reef Crystals (and other reef orientated salt mixes) have higher levels or essential and trace elements that would probably benefit stony corals more. This high alkalinity mixture tests between 9.5-13 DKh depending on the water temperature. 2389 Air Park Road, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501. The Brightwell NeoMarine Salt is so well regarded, that it is the reef salt of choice for World Wide Corals, one of the major coral sellers in the United States. Keep reading. Contact in dry form may cause skin or eye irritation. We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases. I recommend Tropic Marine Pro Reef Salt! Both are suitable for all saltwater tanks. Thanks for your kind words. Many successful reefs use this salt. Rated 4.5439 out of 5 stars . New to Saltwater & Reef Aquariums? Thanks for reading. The Reef Central Forums are now located at https://forums.reefcentral.comThe old forum is closed to new activity. Saltwater aquarium hobbyists who plan on keeping corals, especially stony corals, will benefit from the added Magnesium and Calcium seen in Reef Crystals . *FREE SHIPPING on qualifying aquatic life orders $229 and up. Softie and LPS tanks can tolerate more swings so going with a mix with a high alkalinity isnt going to hurt you. 100+ viewed in past week. If your goal is to maximize coral growth, then Coral Pro combined with ourreef care recipeswill enhance growth up to four times their natural rate. Reef Crystals 490 13 1440. Formulated specially for use in reef aquariums, Reef Crystals contains essential ocean reef elements in concentrations greater than those found in natural sea water. His place is a coral farm and theres no doubting his success with corals. The Reef Crystals would be a better choice, it has higher levels of magnesium, calcium, strontium, etc. That salt will cost you $1.50 for each gallon you make. Eheim 2215 vs 2217: Which Canister Filter Is Better for You? Keep in mind that the temperature of your water matters when measuring your salinity so try to make sure your temperature is close to the ideal temperature using an Aquarium Heater to bring the water inside your home if you need to cool it down. Login or register now to maximize your savings and access profile information, order history, tracking, shopping lists, and more. It's why our Sea Salt is used exclusively by many of the leading large-scale aquariums and research facilities across the country. Below is a video from Raising Reef with better visual introductions and with directions for those of you who like to use water changing stations or store water. Its the same quality and field tested Instant Ocean salt we are familiar with the industry, but with a better formula designed for mixed reef tanks. This is the very first statement Im going to lay out for you. Instant Ocean Sea Salt is the most carefully formulated and universally preferred sea salt in the world. Fast dissolving. Curious as to what constitutes/tips the use of Reef Crystal Salt over say standard Sea Salt? For starters the Sea Salt is slightly cheaper than the Reef Crystals. I use IO instead of Reef Crystals. This means that those who already dose 2-part, use kalkwasser, a calcium reactor or other similar dosing regimes can conduct a water change with D-Ds new salt without experiencing a spike in their KH or Calcium levels. with cool water and seek medical attention. But sea water is not just "salty"; it contains a precise mix of trace elements, all of which should be present in an artificial replacement. If you are hoping to keep a simple saltwater fish tank that will serve only as a sanctuary for fish, than Instant Ocean themselves recommends using their classic Sea Salt. There's something about watching koi swimming slowly in a pond that just relaxes us and drowns out all the unnecessary noise in our lives. 1.2 Instant Ocean Salt Review; 1.3 Bright Well Salt Review; 1.4 Aquaforest Reef Salt Review; 2 Marine Salt Buying guide. Stir vigorously to ensure a good mix. The difference is that the Reef crystals contain a higher concentration. Just take the price of the salt and divide it by the amount of salt that it makes in gallons. We dont spam. Differences between Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals, Similarities between Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. It doesnt make the #1 pick because of its price, not because of its quality. Further, why wouldnt you just buy the Reef Crystals to save the time and hassle of deciding which one to purchase? Recommended Specific Gravity Range: 1.020-1.026 at 77F. Feb 19, 2010. It is also the most readily available reef salt on the market so if you are in a rush or bind its very easy to get locally even from a chain pet store. From there each salt comes with precise mixing instructions to achieve the desired specific gravity. NeoMarine has a lower Alkalinity, which is great for SPS tanks. Might even consider reverting to Standard Instant Ocean if the difference in dosing is negligible at a given saturation point. We have been using reef crystals, but have noticed lots of hair algae recently. Nicole is also a manager for Reef Builders social media accounts and a weekly contributor to the Reef Builders site. lf too high, add more dechlorinated water. However, it is a great aquarium salt mix for those with fish only, fish only with live rock, and soft coral dominated tanks. Enriched formulation. The #1 choice of hobbyists, public aquariums, and scientific research facilities, Instant Fritz ProAquatics Reef Pro Mix (RPM) is manufactured using only the highest quality raw materials. Those can easily be compensated for with very, very cheap chemical additions or you can spend a bit extra and get a salt that already has those levels elevated. The first thing is the anti-caking agents in the salt mix. Tunze Reef Salt 420 9.5 1350. Just to be clear, "standard sea salt" is a mix like Instant Ocean, not just plain salt right? He has worked on making aquarium and pond keeping approachable. You will want to wait at least 20-30 minutes every time you have to add salt in when testing your salinity. built-in metal detoxifier goes a step farther to neutralize traces of heavy metals often .

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