POLLING

[freshysalty]

I have been a steadfast Instant ocean salt mix user. I am running low and I am down to my last water change worth. I am not one to change because, consistancy is key.But, if there is something better out there I would like to know about it. I am sure there are plenty of you that would take a reccomendation of many at the very least take anothers opinion into consideration. Therefore, I am polling a question.
1.Instant ocean SALT MIX
2.Instant ocean REEF CRYSTALS
3.another brand outside of Instant ocean all together,state Where to get that brand, and cost per unit size as well.

example------160gal worth of instant ocean in a 5 gallon bucket retails for $50.00. obviously goes down in smaller quantities. it can be purchased at any LFS

I think this is a great question for newbies and vetrans alike.

[chaseN]

What do you keep in your tank?

[Tony A.]

One of those questions that comes up over and over with just as many responses.
If you do a search, there have been a number of studies done to determine which brand is most similar to NSW...or at least measure their chemical composition.
Some have 'better' levels of Mg, Ca, Alk, etc....while some have elevated levels of PO4 (to name just a few).

My suggestion is to simply stick with whats worked for you.
Besides 'what do you keep in your tank', I'd also ask 'what supplements do you use on a routine basis?...do you use a Ca-Reactor?...do you run a kalk-reactor?...how often you do water changes?'
Depending on your answer to these questions and others, the brand of salt used may be of little consequence....or mean the difference between barely surviving and thriving.

btw...I use IO

[Keith81]

Only a 14 biocube here but I use the natural ocean water in the 5 gallon jugs at petco, you really cannot beat them for the price when u have a nano that needs a 2-3 gallon w/c... they cost $11.84...

[Zook]

Salt mix depends on what you keep in your tank and how big your wallet is.

I keep a variety of corals, fish, and inverts in my system and my personal favorite is Tropic Marin Pro-Reef, but due to cost, I mix the TMPR with a less expensive salt to even out the cost and benefit: TMPR ($0.425/g) + Oceanic ($0.26/g) = Zook's Mix ($0.3425/g).

Why I use Oceanic instead of Reef Crystals? Ask BigMatt -____-

Only a 14 biocube here but I use the natural ocean water in the 5 gallon jugs at petco, you really cannot beat them for the price when u have a nano that needs a 2-3 gallon w/c... they cost $11.84...

The above equals out to be about $2.368/gal; this is a little much even for my small system. . .

[Keith81]

Only a 14 biocube here but I use the natural ocean water in the 5 gallon jugs at petco, you really cannot beat them for the price when u have a nano that needs a 2-3 gallon w/c... they cost $11.84...

The above equals out to be about $2.368/gal; this is a little much even for my small system. . .
[/quote]

For me this is the easy route, no mix, no mess = happy fiance! 

[NYSEMTI]

Only a 14 biocube here but I use the natural ocean water in the 5 gallon jugs at petco, you really cannot beat them for the price when u have a nano that needs a 2-3 gallon w/c... they cost $11.84...

The above equals out to be about $2.368/gal; this is a little much even for my small system. . .

For me this is the easy route, no mix, no mess = happy fiance! 
[/quote]

And you don't have to buy an RO/DI and heater and pump and container and float valve and all the other junk that goes along with making your own water! I'm with you keith for a system that small I would absolutely use the pre made stuff. But that is mostly because I am really lazy. LOL 

[tammy hernandez]

U could be like me I get mine at healthy pets in troy for 99 cents. a gallon all ready mixed with salt

[freshysalty]

not me.it would cost me $20.00 a week just for pre-mix water.
    I invested $180.00 in an RO/DI and 160gal of salt mix every two months @ $50.00pc. so that's 50(saltmix)*6(mo).= 300.00(saltmix per year) + 180.00(RO/DI(one time investment))= 480.00(for the year)/52(wks.per yr.)=$9.23a wk to run my system.
    the RO/DI pays for itself inside a year/then every year and a half to two years considering I won't wear a larger path in the pavement from my house to the LFS.I replace filters at a fraction of the total price of the unit.
using your system with my size tank would cost me .99(pre-mix)*.18()=17.82 a week in pre-made water a week or 17.82*52=926.64 so I'd be lazy AND broke.I do weekly 20% water changes. on a 90gal.
ouch! math

[NYSEMTI]

Yeah def not economical for a tank that large. I don't know where the cutoff would be maybe 20 or 30 gallons where it just wouldn't be worth buying pre mix. 

[freshysalty]

yeah bro.I'm a numbers guy and was just interested in what it would be if I went that route.it's fun. kinda makes me wanna go small.

[laf-reef]

I have a 120 mixed reef and a 120 aggressive reef ...  I used to use IO for the aggressive and Tropic Marine Pro-Reef for the mixed reef.  Before that I used Reef Crystals and Oceanic....

I have now settled on IO exclusively.  I have a calcium reactor on the mixed reef and I do 12 gal/week water changes on both.  5 gallons from the mixed reef is used as water change source for my son's 20L.