Salt Mixes, whats the best for REEFERS

[SLICKTOP]

I have recently seen new salts coming to the market.. what is the best salt for REEFERS?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Many work fine, and there is no clear "best" salt mix. I choose to use Instant Ocean that I manually boost for calcium and magnesium with Dowflake and MAG flake. I use it because I like its other properties (its balance of many other ions that are not usually reported by hobbyists, for example), I can set the calcium and magnesium to exactly what I want, and when used as I use it, it is less expensive than anything else, even cheaper than unsupplemented IO salt mix.


This has more:

A General Guide to Salt Mixes
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

[SLICKTOP]

tell me more about how you booost your calcium and magnesium

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I add a fixed amount of Dowflake and MAG flake to each reservoir of new salt water when I make it. I boost it by about 70 ppm in calcium and 150 ppm in magnesium, but I never measure anything in it, I just add them just like adding salt. :)

[NormanB]

Randy what do usually find IO Ca and Mg values to be? Also, what are your end target numbers for the 2?

Thanks

[HighlandReefer]

When I test IO mixed at a salinity of 1.0264 using a properly calibrated refractometer my results are:

Parameters of IO mix @ 1.0265 - kH: 12; Cal: 350; Mag: 1070

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[HighlandReefer]

The recommend levels would be:

Calcium: 380-450
alk: 7-11 dKH
magnesium: 1250-1350

[SnookSlayer08]

I like DD H2Ocean salt mix, the calcium alk and mg is perfect. No problems as of yet and just got my second bucket. I also have never heard of anybody having issues with it. but as randy said there is no one best salt someone may have amzing results with one salt but another may have horrible results. it has to do with your tank and it's needs. I have to dose twice daily to keep my cal alk and mg at the right levels. I used to use IO but once I got into SPS i switched i had no problems with IO but I needed a higher calcium level. Plus DD is expensive i have a 24gal nano and only do a 4gal change a week so cost isn't that bad.

[MrRyanT]

I don't think the brand of salt you use matters so much as the quality of the water. Anyway, with that being said, I use a half and half mix of Oceanic and IO. I don't have to supplement the new mixture at all. I use saturated kalkwasser for all top off, and add 2 teaspoons of baking soda each day.

[crashrat]

I'm going to start the same mixture of IO and Oceanic after reading another article claiming IO has the best balance of additives and Oceanic will boost the other levels to where I want it. That and I read Oceanic has a higher K (potasium) which helps bring out some of the red's pinks and purples. Not sure if it's true but only one way to find out in the hobby.