Best Type of Salt

[Arny800]

I currently am using Instant Ocean, and it is ****ing me off because I am always low on calcium and magnesium. Dosing is a pain to get all params where they should be. What kind of salt do you guys recommend that has better calcium and magnesium params?

[joshsamsj]

i use reef crystals and love it, but i am sure you will get many opinions on what is the best

[Chiefsurfer]

reef crystals has I believe the highest calcium and magnesium, but my personal preferance because of true balance of everything, is Tropic Marin.

[jbeckett25]

I use reef crystals aswell and have had good luck with it

[troyman]

was us ing reef crystals seachem has a new salt out it is great and around same price

[diaz2010]

+1 For Reef Crystals!

[jonbry123]

+2 for Reef Crystals. I've used it for years and have for the most part had great parms plus it is reasonably priced. The new Seachem salt is very expensive. Here in my area only one LFS has it and is selling it for $89.99 for salt that is ridiculous. Go with RC it is a good salt to use. It is used by more public aquariums the world over than any other one.

Bryan

[jformani]

Red Sea - Coral Pro

[tjm6116]

My vote is clearly Tropic Marin, used it for years, with the exception that it is a little more pricey, I have had only good success.

[spamreefnew]

i found the seachem salt to provide alot of ca and alk,,but i use i/o because i dont mind dosing

[Salty92]

I have been using SeaChem for about a year now and love it. You can get it for about $64shipped for the 5gl bucket online here are the facts!

Chloride
19336
Sodium
10752
Sulfate
2657
Magnesium
1317
Potassium
421
Calcium
442
Carbonate/Bicarbonate
142
Strontium
9.5
Boron
16
Bromide
64
Iodide
0.060
Lithium
0.3
Silicon
<0.1
Iron
0.0098
Copper
0.0003
Nickel
<0.015
Zinc
0.0107
Manganese
0.0023
Molybdenum
0.0098
Cobalt
0.0004
Vanadium
<0.015
Selenium
<0.019
Rubidium
0.118
Barium
<0.04

[rbnice1]

It really doesnt mater what salt you use. Your still going to have to add something to it to get perfect parameters. I use coralife, but add a little alk and calc to it while I am mixing it so it matches my tank when I do the water change.

It really isnt that hard. Mix up a batch of salt water from a bucket of salt then test it out and see what you need to add. Then for the rest of that bucket you have a pretty good idea of what to add.

My current bucket requires 1 tbs of backed baking soda, 1/8 cup of calcium chloride, and 1/4 cup of magnesium chloride/magnesium sulfide mix.

That gets me to 10dkh, 500calc, 1500mag.

[divewsharks]

there have been a bunch of threads on this topic, there is no real right or wrong answer, all personal preference. There have been comparisons done on the various salts out there (comparing CA/ALK/MG) as well as a poll.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1589965

Salty, none of your LFS's carry Seachem for less than $64? I guess due to competition, around the Bay Area here, you can get Seachem Reef for ~$34/bucket from almost any of the LFS's.