Salt Water Suggestions

I am in highschool and not old enough to have a job that allows me to work regular hours. To earn cash for my tank I do odd jobs for people and earn little money from it. Lately it has been very hard to get saltwater that is premixed at my LFS, especially after they raised the prices (it is $2.50 a gallon.) The water I am using now is Salinity and it has been fine in my tank. My plan is to buy mix-it-yourself salt solution that is close to Salinity and mix it with the RO/DI I buy in 5 gallon jugs from there which is cheap ($0.25 a gallon.) My question is what brand of salt is the best quality for a reef aquarium or is close to Salinity.

 

I use instant ocean has done me good so far

 

I use Instant Ocean as well.

 

looks like there are a lot of Instant Ocean users lol....me being one of them. I would like to say if you buy the bucket roll it before you use it each time. that way the salt mix is mixed well.

 

Can I use distilled water or is RO/DI best.

 

W

*When I am mixing I mean.

 

Rodi is best.

 

from what Ive been told and read, salt is salt. all the fancy additives and what not added into the stuff like the reef salt by instant ocean is unneeded. the regular one does the same basic thing and replenishes your elements the same way. Like its said above, get the bucket. I'm in college and on a short pay and it's the best thing to get and it'll save you a few dollars here and there in the long run

edit: also invest in a refractometer. don't do the hydrometer because it's inaccurate to no end.

 

i beg to differ on the io reef crystals salt opposed to the regular salt they produce as well. When i use the regular because its all i had it threw my params way off. i wouldn't go back and fourth. the ca and mag and alk were all jacked up until i could get the Reef crystals again. LFS near me had a shipment come in wrong of all normal salt and no reef salt. Fun stuff i tell ya.



This may help in your hunt for salt. My reef crystals comes out a little higher in the ca portion though.

 

Agree. While it may cost a little more Rc is definitely formulated a little better for Reef tanks. Salt mixes are definitely not created equally for the most part. It all depends on the aquarist needs,stocking level, and the manner by which elements are replaced.I don't dose my system so for me the extra cost on Rc is worth it.