Standard Sea Salt vs Reef Crystal Salt
 

Curious as to what constitutes/tips the use of Reef Crystal Salt over say standard Sea Salt? Do you need Reef Salt for LPS and SPS or just SPS? If you you use Reef Crystal Salt how much Coral Life is required to consume the excess nutrients that comes in that type of salt? Interested in what people have to say, experience with either/both and reasons for using one over the other. Always like to learn from other reefers.

cheers
ajs

I'd say most people are successful using just plain old salt like Instant Ocean. The Reef formulas of salts usually have higher, calcium, magnesium,alkalinity etc. I've used plain old instant ocean for reef tanks and it worked fine.

You will have to have test kits and test to learn how much corals will consume of calcium, magnesium, alkalinity. Each and every tank and corals will consume different amounts and it may vary from day to day or week to week, till you get it down on how much you may or may not need to dose. Obviously, a tank with a low amount of corals will consume less, and more will consume more. A 200 gallon box of Instant Ocean at Dr Foster's and Smith is 39.99 and a 200 Gallon box of Instant Ocean Reef Crystals is 49.99.

IO unless you have a fair amount of lps and sps building skeletons. 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.

If you only have a small number of lps and sps or a small system and do regular water changes, you can use RC and probably don't even need to dose Ca or alk.

Just to be clear, "standard sea salt" is a mix like Instant Ocean, not just plain salt right? You need a mix that's meant for saltwater aquariums.

I don't have a reef tank but I do know that Instant Ocean is fine if you dose properly. I assume this is the cheapest way to go and it also gives you the most control.

Its right on their site..

Enriched formulation. Optimum effectiveness. Formulated specially for use in reef aquariums, Reef Crystals contains essential ocean reef elements in concentrations greater than those found in natural sea water.

Extra Calcium to help ensure the growth of large and small polyp stony corals as well as coralline algae
Extra Trace Elements to provide an additional measure of vital nutrients
Extra Vitamins to ensure vigorous growth and survival of corals, anemones and other invertebrates in a captive environment
Metal Detoxifier - to neutralize traces of heavy metal often present in domestic water supplies.


and by "standard sea salt" do you mean the stuff you can buy in a grocery store and put in a salt shaker?
That is NOT suitable in any aquarium as it does not have any of the other major/minor trace elements added to it..

+1 for reef crystals. What difference does ten bucks make?

Thanks everyone. Yes I was referring to standard Instant Ocean Salt vs Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I started my tank with the intent of adding LPS and possibly SPS so from the get go I have been using Reef Crystals. Fortunately I have been taking things nice and slow and enjoying the establishing process of building a nice tank and listening to other reefers and learning in the process instead of jumping all in. It has now been 2 years and thinks seem to be going well. I like that Reef Crystals contain a lot of the excess nutrients needed for coral growth which limits the need to dose anything or at least a lot. Having said that I have yet to introduce any corals but am finally at the place where I am ready to. I seem to have a small cyano issue that I am hoping is the result of the excess nutrients in the 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. Just curious as I take the next step towards adding some LPS. Like I mentioned the tank is going on 2 years and is humming along.

It really doesn't change dosing.. It simply "shifts" the parameters of the water "higher" than the IO salt which is thought to be "better" for corals,etc....

You still need "stable parameters" in a tank.. So dosing needs are really no different.. In fact it might increase the need to dose as the corals may grow faster (thus consuming more calcium over a given time period,etc..)

So yeah.. the levels of "goodness" are just higher on the acceptable range of parameters with RC vs IO..


as to the cyano.. Lots of tanks have it all the time (just small areas).. some get them seasonally.. some don't have any visible..
As long as its not causing issues (smothering corals,etc..) and staying controlled.. Don't worry much about it..

Thanks mcgyvr. That makes since and the cyano is manageable so looking to take the next step with adding some LPS. Might even consider reverting to Standard Instant Ocean if the difference in dosing is negligible at a given saturation point.

instant ocean @ 1018 for 40 years aquadrome erie pa

Old School Knowledge that works. I love it.

Been using IO for longer than I'd care to admit - never had a reason to use anything else. If you keep clams or SPS, you're going to need to dose regardless. The logic for RC always seemed like 'if one pill works, two must be better'. Flawed logic IMO.