Another salt brand thread... with a twist

[zambavi]

So I'm not looking for the typical "what's the best reef salt" to use here. I have personally used Tropic Marin Pro for years but because of both availability and price I've moved to Seachem Reef for the last few buckets. I've also heard of people mixing their salt brands... for instance 50% Seachem Reef Salt and 50% Tropic Marin Pro Salt for there salt mixes. I find this pretty interesting. I wanted to ask who out there mixes there salt brands... why they have chosen to do so... and what brands they are mixing? I believe Jeremy does this so I'd like to get his take on this as well.

 

[Roc]

I have been mixing Seachem Marine and Seachem Reef for a little while. I like the Cal and Akl levels I get doing that, and it tends to taste better that way..............last part was a joke

 

[zambavi]

[quote author=Roc link=topic=5928.msg74790#msg74790 date=1232049703]
I have been mixing Seachem Marine and Seachem Reef for a little while. I like the Cal and Akl levels I get doing that, and it tends to taste better that way..............last part was a joke
[/quote]

What's the difference from mixing the two and only using the Reef version for Cal and Akl?

 

[tuberider]

Much of it goes back to the Oceanic/IO blend that yields good numbers. The blend I was using for a while was Tropic Marin (plain) and SeaChem Reef, I was getting good numbers there lately I've been using Red Sea Coral Pro. I'm a little nervous about the QC at "the big mixer" after getting a screwy batch of SeaChem Reef, and the same with RC. I'll go back to SeaChem in a few and see if it was an isolated incident.

 

[zambavi]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5928.msg74795#msg74795 date=1232050500]
I'm a little nervous about the QC at "the big mixer" after getting a screwy batch of SeaChem Reef, and the same with RC.
[/quote]

Ok... I'm a little slow today but going to need a minor translation on this sentence... Pretend your talking to someone who hasn't spent a lot of time on "the best salt" threads.... ;D

 

[tuberider]

Oh boy.... ummm.... you know there is potential for me to get folks "salty" at me if I go into detail right?

 

[zambavi]

I don’t mean to pore "salt" into a wound…. Just interested as to the why's....

 

[tuberider]

One company mixes most of the salt brands that you buy on the market, that's what I mean by "big mixer".

 

[seminolecpa]

Have you looked at the price of a bucket of TM Pro lately. I just paid $80 per bucket (which is a bargain compared to what other places are charging). I really like the stuff and could never ever be talked into switching back to RC but man that is getting a little out of control. It may be time for me to look at other options as well.

 

[zambavi]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5928.msg74802#msg74802 date=1232051348]
One company mixes most of the salt brands that you buy on the market, that's what I mean by "big mixer".
[/quote]
Gotcha...

 

[tuberider]

[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5928.msg74804#msg74804 date=1232051368]
Have you looked at the price of a bucket of TM Pro lately. I just paid $80 per bucket (which is a bargain compared to what other places are charging). I really like the stuff and could never ever be talked into switching back to RC but man that is getting a little out of control. It may be time for me to look at other options as well.
[/quote]

I was priced out on TM a while ago, IMO that is the best on the market. Shoot I was using the regular stuff in the '80s over IO and had great success with stony corals back then.

 

[zambavi]

[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5928.msg74804#msg74804 date=1232051368]
Have you looked at the price of a bucket of TM Pro lately. I just paid $80 per bucket (which is a bargain compared to what other places are charging). I really like the stuff and could never ever be talked into switching back to RC but man that is getting a little out of control. It may be time for me to look at other options as well.
[/quote]

Exactly... I unfortunatly have spent $100 each on the last few buckets I picked up. Especially with the bigger system It's adding up pretty rapidly... looking for other options here... I'm very interested in the why's on mixing some of these brands.

 

[seminolecpa]

I was priced out on TM a while ago, IMO that is the best on the market. Shoot I was using the regular stuff in the '80s over IO and had great success with stony corals back then.
[/quote]

My feeling too. I am getting very close to being there as well especially since my water changes will be much larger in the future.

 

[zambavi]

Ya... my weekly water changes at only 10% has moved from 15g a week to over 30g a week in just the past month. Beyond that though... the sharing of "best practices" is of driving value to forums like this and to hear of peoples success's by mixing salt brands instead of going with a single brand is something I find interesting and is something that I'm considering. Has anyone done a test/study of different levels in mixed brand scenarios… ie TM Pro/IO, SeaChem Reef/TM Pro, etc.? or anyone else that has tried a few scenarios and have found one that they really like?

 

[sfsuphysics]

[quote author=zambavi link=topic=5928.msg74792#msg74792 date=1232049805]
[quote author=Roc link=topic=5928.msg74790#msg74790 date=1232049703]
I have been mixing Seachem Marine and Seachem Reef for a little while. I like the Cal and Akl levels I get doing that, and it tends to taste better that way..............last part was a joke
[/quote]

What's the difference from mixing the two and only using the Reef version for Cal and Akl?
[/quote]

Well mixing (assuming 50/50) gives only half of what you need of the "good stuff".. vs the "bad stuff".

Just throwing some numbers out, lets see Salt A gives you when you mix to sG 1.025 400ppm of Calcium and 8dKh of alkalinity, Salt B (non reef) gives 300/4. If you mix the two salts 50/50 you'll get 350ppm of calcium and 6dKh of alk, which is better than salt B, but if you wanted the numbers of Salt A there's no way to get them by substitution of "cheap stuff"

Now ideally you use one salt (or a mix if there is an over abundance of something), test that mixed water for whatever parameters you do, then add additional supplements after the fact (CaCl or Baking Soda etc), to bring it up to the levels that you want. I wish I could say I'm a good little reefer and do this, but half the time I almost forget to test sG. I will say water changes get quite a bit more complicated as you make larger ones (as Bryan will find out )

 

[zambavi]

[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5928.msg74804#msg74804 date=1232051368]
Have you looked at the price of a bucket of TM Pro lately. I just paid $80 per bucket (which is a bargain compared to what other places are charging). I really like the stuff and could never ever be talked into switching back to RC but man that is getting a little out of control. It may be time for me to look at other options as well.
[/quote]

Where do you get TM Pro at around here. I've yet to find it in the LFS down here. Always end up getting it online but with shipping it is always around $100. Where do you get for $80?... Does anyone else no where to get a better price locally?

 

[seminolecpa]

Oceans Treasures ordered it for me the last time. Prior to that I had gotten it from Dr Fosters and Smith.

 

[Gomer]

I got my TMP from marine depot. Priced matched them against an online vender.

 

[seminolecpa]

Didn't shipping kill you?

 

[zambavi]

MD is what I've done since moving here to CA.... In NC most stores carried it instock. MD is $76.99 + $20 special handling.... what were you able to work out (gomer)?