Initial salt mix

I will be filling up my 125gal tank in about a week and I am looking for a salt mix. I am looking at either Coralife or Oceanic because they are available in the local petsmart, but I've read Oceanic is not very good compare to Coralife...is it true? I am also thinking about IO or Kent, but they are a little bit more expensive...so i am not really sure. What do you guys think I should get???

Thanks!
GKW

 

I have had good luck with good ole instant ocean. My local LFS uses Kent and they really push it. I just bought a bucket of the new Seachem reef salt. I have heard good things about it. Not sure if that helps. Petsmart in here in GA carries regular instant ocean. Maybe yours can order it for you? Also you can order salt on line at many retailers. Shipping is a little costly, but the prices are grea. try www.thatfishplace.com They carry everything and you can not beat their prices on all dry goods.

 

I stopped by the LFS today and there was this sale. So, I got two 90 gal Oceanic Natual Sea Salt Mix for $16.99 each and two 160 gal Instant Ocean for $31.99 each. Because I don't want to miss out the deal, so I got what they have left on the shelf. They said they may restock tomorrow.

Now, I am not gonna use 2 brand of salt, so I am trying to decide which one is better to use for long term. My LFS always carry them. I will give the other brand to my friend who's also starting a SW aquarium.

This is for a new set up and it will be coral in about 6 - 8 months.

Can anyone give me some insight?
Thanks!

 

I use instant ocean and have great success. It takes a while to dissolve so I make mine at least 24 hours in advance.

 

I've used both and both seem to be fine. I switched from IO to Oceanic because it seems to dissolve a little faster, and seems to have a little more consistent and slightly higher PH.

Mike

 

I did the initial fill of my 300 with Oceanic with no problems. My local LFS guy likes it. My 210 lives on it. Normally I use either IO or Reef Crystals for my home tanks. I think RC dissolves a little faster. Petco has IO on sale all over the place.

 

My LFS has IO on sale for $28.88 per 160 gal bucket + Tetra 3.5oz marine flake, but I think I am just going with Oceanic. It's a little more, but I guess the Ca in Oceanic balance it out.

Also, I am putting about 100 lbs of aragamax in my main tank and I heard that they dissolve and 'feed' the water with Ca and other trace element. Would my water be too 'rich' in Ca if I use Oceanic?

Thanks again!

 

That is a great price on IO and there is nothing wrong with it. IMO, it just dissolves a little slower than Oceanic.

It shouldn't. Oceanic should initially land around 440-450, but test test test. Never ass-u-me. Frankly IO should be right in that range too.

Fankly, at that price I'd stock up on IO.

 

ON SALE:
IO per 200gal = $36.10
Oceanic per 200gal = $37.76 (price match)

REGULAR:
IO per 200gal = $49.99
Oceanic per 200gal = $66.64

They both are on sale(Oceanic is price matched). Oceanic costs more when not price matched. That's one of the reasons I am leaning toward Oceanic. The other is the Ca and Ma level are higher than IO and I've heard keeping Ca and Ma level down is cheaper than adding it to the water. Is that right?

Thanks!

 

Reef Crystals is the most expensive salt on the market. Most of the salt mixes are made by in the same factory, by the same company. All the same I would use either Reef Crystals(because the mix has added calcium, strontium and molybdenum) for reefs, or kent salt. Oceanic is good because it mixes quickly and easily. On the whole, the salts are pretty much the same just price is different.