Red Sea Coral Pro 490 7 1300. Mix Reef Crystals salt with ordinary dechlorinated water. Instant Ocean salt is available in bags, boxes, and buckets. Ever wonder what the difference is between Instant Ocean Sea Salt and Reef Crystals? 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. A: Instant Ocean is engineered to closely match natural seawater, and Reef Crystals is enriched to facilitate the growth of corals and other invertebrates in a reef aquarium. Rated 4.6757 out of 5 stars . Nano reef tanks are good candidates for a salt mix with higher parameters since they sometimes are not dosed as they rely on water changes to get parameters back up. The specific gravity of 1.025 is a good target for reef tanks, while fish-only systems can be maintained at a slightly lower specific gravity as low as 1.020. But here is a direct quote from Instant Ocean themselves. Buy and sell with other aquarium hobbyists. Stir vigorously to mix salt and water. The pro mix has higher alkalinity while the regular Red Sea mix has lower alkalinity. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt is the budget friendly reef salt for many of us with reef tanks. Its important to use a dedicated mixing vat for saltwater, and a calibrated refractometer to ensure you are getting the most accurate specific gravity measurements. Continue with Recommended Cookies. There are certain elements in both the Instant Ocean sea salt and Reef crystals that are important for all saltwater tanks. For example, lets say you buy a 200-gallon box of reef crystals for $70. 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. Store remaining Reef Crystals salt in a cool, dry place. 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. Losing a pet is never easy, but losing a fish can really be hard! Hundreds of articles to help you with your aquarium. If you are storing saltwater for future use, I wouldnt recommend Reef Crystals because the caking. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals; Instant Ocean is a legacy aquarium product found at most local fish stores. This is the main reason I stopped selling salt mixes online. This salt contains high levels of potassium and trace amounts of calcium in addition to the important micronutrients that help keep the pH balance in check, all without any additives or other substances. Instant Ocean Crystals Budget Friendly, 4. I would say the mix time is around that of Brightwells product. User Tag List View First Unread Previous Thread | Next Thread Thread Tools Hopefully these answer your questions. (And Should You Use Them), What Are Blood Worms? Excludes Frozen Foods. From there each salt comes with precise mixing instructions to achieve the desired specific gravity. Reefer's Best 420 11 1200. 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. 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. NeoMarine has a lower Alkalinity, which is great for SPS tanks. A soft coral dominated tank will not have as many needs as a Heavy SPS tank. 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. Natural seawater has a specific gravity of 1.025 (salinity of 35ppt) and most salts are calibrated to this number. But its not set in stone for every type of salt. SPS tanks need to have extremely stable levels in the aquarium and having a mix with evaluated ALK can be catastrophic as the Alkalinity levels can spike after a water change. 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. Optimum effectiveness. Today it is easier than ever to install a pond right in your own back yard, but building a koi pond is neither fast nor cheap, so you want to make sure you're starting out in the right way. By the way any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon and other stores/partners are affiliate links. Copyright 2023, LiveAquaria. Both are suitable for all saltwater tanks. Tropic Marin PRO-REEF Sea Salt has been designed to meet the special requirements of reef aquariums with optimized Enriched formulation. 2.5 3) ATM Aquarium Products Hot Salt Reef Mix Bucket. Which way should I go? You must log in or register to reply here. 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. Features 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 . Just take the price of the salt and divide it by the amount of salt that it makes in gallons. Feb 19, 2010. 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. 2.1 1) Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt. . If those are parameters you're comfortable running, Instant Ocean is a good choice at 35ppt (I use muriatic acid to lower the alkalinity). Brightwell Aquatics Neomarine The Choice For Worldwide Corals, 3. Mixing Instant Ocean salt is straightforward and easy to do. Instant Ocean sea salt will be cheaper to purchase versus reef crystals. For SPS, especially high end SPS like Acros you will need salt that is not only high quality, but also has proper QC. The difference is that the Reef crystals contain a higher concentration. 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. Check The Facts About Instant Ocean. I have also seen a few mixes that have failed ICP tests with several parameters being too low. Then there is fish only and fish only with live rock (FOWLR) setups. I won't comment about the trace element part, short of there are usually more than enough in all salt mixes. The pharmaceutical grade sea salt especially for modern reef aquaria. No other salt on the market has the history and field results of proven usage then the Instant Ocean brand. Is it an RO system not an RODI system? 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. 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). Now lets go into detail and see why each mix was picked, With pharmaceutical level ingredients and a guarantee of all 70 trace elements, Tropic Marin is ideal for tanks full of designer corals. Andrew. If specific gravity is too low, add more 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. Air in reefer 900 seam should I be worried. Water Changes: Personally on a tank that size, I think it's better to just buy water from your LFS. Always like to learn from other reefers. The Auto Delivery schedule can be changed in the cart. Optimum effectiveness. 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. Another reason to choose the Sea Salt in your fish only tank is that it dissolves much quicker and easier than the Reef Crystals do. Anti-caking agents tend to turn your saltwater holding buckets and vats brown over time. I currently have a 375 gallon aquarium, mostly soft corals to this point but Im trying to keep more sps and corals. They have created the benchmark for the industry and quality control standards. SeaChem Reef Salt 540 10 1450. The founder of Brightwell is the former owner of Kent Marine and their products are extensively researched and tested over a multi-year period. 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. 99. These are controlled systems where visitors can extend their hands into the water with the hopes that a stingray will swim by to be touched. Although the Reef Crystals solution may be used immediately, we suggest aerating the water until it achieves oxygen/carbon dioxide equilibrium. If you perform 2 water changes each month at 20 gallons each, you will need to make 40 gallons of saltwater each month. Brightwell is the best value for mixed and SPS reefs. It is affordable, easy to use, and accurate. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Amazon.com: Reef Crystals 17 results for "reef crystals" Results Aquarium Pumps & Filters Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix, 50-Gallon, New, 3.1 (2) $4299 FREE delivery Wed, Apr 12 Only 3 left in stock - order soon. Well, despite all thats been mentioned, there are still a few good reasons to choose the Sea Salt if you have a fish only aquarium. In case of contact, completely flush skin or eye(s) Thanks mcgyvr. This relates most to reef tank owners. built-in metal detoxifier goes a step farther to neutralize traces of heavy metals often . They make Instant Ocean sea salt and Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. Its first product was Instant Ocean, and its been used in large-scale hatcheries and aquariums ever since. Prices may vary slightly depending on the retailer, but both salts are usually available in 10-gallon, 50-gallon, 160-gallon, and 200-gallon options. Nicole is Reef Builders Event Manager and is responsible for running ReefStock shows in Denver and Sydney. 5. Further, why wouldnt you just buy the Reef Crystals to save the time and hassle of deciding which one to purchase? Your cost per gallon each month would be 0.50 cents. Contact in dry form may cause skin or eye irritation. 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. So when it comes to choosing the salt for your aquarium, keep it simple: Instant Ocean Sea Salt for fish only environments, and Instant Ocean Reef Crystal for more complex reef based environments. He has kept freshwater tanks, ponds, and reef tanks for over 25 years. Others will be pulled from the ocean like Red Sea Salt. 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. We have been using reef crystals, but have noticed lots of hair algae recently. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "addb0abe3263ece774dda48475cc2787" );document.getElementById("c8f286cabb").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Get the latest on sales, new posts, and new videos! Every Order on SaltwaterAquarium.com is eligible to receive a Free Gift, just add it to your cart before checkout! There is a quick list for you depending on your needs below: I hope this article helps with figuring out what salt mix works best for you. However, it is a great aquarium salt mix for those with fish only, fish only with live rock, and soft coral dominated tanks. AquaForest has been quietly making a name for itself in the reef industry. #3. You might have 10 gallons extra leftover from the bag which you can keep for next month. Both products have received positive feedback from hobbyists and ultimately, the choice between them comes down to personal preference. The Reef Crystals would be a better choice, it has higher levels of magnesium, calcium, strontium, etc. 2.1 Choosing salt mixes; 2.2 Use a safe water supply; 2.3 Maintaining your tank; 2.4 How much marine salt is necessary? 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. Test your new water batch before adding to the tank to prevent any unwanted parameter swings. What difference does ten bucks make? SeaChem Marine Salt 500 10 1400. Aquarium Store Depot earns a commission if you make a purchase. Tropic Marin Pro Reef 450 8.5 1380. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. Given those reasons, I would not recommend this mix for Acroporas. I won't comment about the trace element part, short of there are usually more than enough in all salt mixes. You should always add salt into the water and not the other way around. 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. We do frequent water changes and have a RO system. So follow the parameters listed on the mixes and dose to those levels. Tropic Marin 375 10 1230. Many reef salt mixes you will see on this list will have evaluated Alkalinity. Instant Ocean Sea Salt is the most used sea salt in the world. You can also use it for reef tanks provided you add the additional amount of elements needed to meet a reef tanks requirements. 1 = Instant Ocean, 2 = Tropic Marin, 3 = Marine Mix, 4 = Reef Crystals, 5 = Rea Sea Salt, 6 = Kent, 7 = Coralife, 8 = SeaChem Reef Salt, CA = carbonate alkalinity (mequiv kg-1), BA = borate alkalinity (mequiv kg-1), TA = total alkalinity (mequiv kg-1). The first thing is the anti-caking agents in the salt mix. The other issue is the evaluated alkalinity of the mix. Austin, Texas 78750. When hes not writing about fish, you can find him going for a run or building websites, such as this one! Myself included. If you have a fish-only saltwater tank and want to save some money, go with the sea salt mix. Though we might not be able to interact with these animals in the ways we do with others, there's still a deep bond. Mark is the founder of Aquarium Store Depot. 2. Adjust salt level accordingly.