And seeing the quality of your tank , your opinion is actually worth alot. I switched from red sea pro back to instant ocean for the same reasons. Good video, thank you for sharing!
I’ve been using the tropic Marin for a year also, I never had that slime in my mixing bucket., I was using the aqua forest reef salt which is very good, but honestly I think the water is clearer when using it, I since switched to the tropic Marin bio actif salt which has higher levels and I think that after a water change the water is even clearer, I know it’s the most expensive but I’m sticking with it for now, 5 gallons a week I change just to vacuum the crap at the bottom of the tank, when I spend $200 for a 1/2” frag, why not spend the money on a trusted brand, BRS did a video on that salt also, it came out to be the best, I also switched to brightwell aquatics two part on Black Friday, I’m going to do my own icp test also to see if my levels have changed for the better, my old test always showed low on strontium and Florine, so I just dose it once a month even though brightwells is supposed to have higher levels , we will see,!,
I watched that series too and chose this salt to try. I was using Aqua Forest's Sea Salt for my softie tank but it seems it was discontinued. Before AF I did use IO for years, just didn't like that it didn't all dissolve for me. It is a great salt on its own though.
Thank you bro, am going to start my salt aquarium in 2 months and I have been breaking my head on what salt to buy. I heard so meany BS that I was about to let it go. But I already bought everything but the salt so, theirs no turning back. But with this video I will go with the cheap brand and just invest in other mixing products to better the water if needed. Thank you this video was the best I've seen from all. Seems the other guys were sponsor and paid to say expensive salt is better. Am going to take your advise. Best of luck.
Wow!!!! I really didn’t expect those results! I personally feel like you did the best test results possible, no need to setup 10 tanks to find the “truth”. Appreciate the effort you put in here and I was super curious as to the end result. Interesting IO won, don’t blame you at all! Happy new year!
You have to reason that a salt mix has to work most of the time else they would not be in business for long. This salt and reef crystals has been around for years.
Very interesting! I used IO for about a year and hated the scummy crud left behind in my saltwater reservoir. I switched to Fritz RPM and love it. These days though, I’ve been using a blend of about 30% Fritz to 70% Tropic Marin Pro Reef and suddenly I have great PE on my acropora, montipora, and millepora. And a spotless saltwater reservoir. 😁
Hello, I would like to state that when mixing from a 20 or 25 kilo bucket of salt there will be variations in the levels due to the minerals settling during shipping. That said I found a company in Germany that custom makes salt at a very affordable price. You tell them what levels you want and it is what you get. The only thing is they require you to order a ton or more. Sounds like a lot but if you get enough people together it is worth it. They sell to many aquariums world wide and make the salt for other companies as well. If your interested check them out the name of the company is Aqua Seduction. Happy reefing
@@TheBioReef Got another question, I got some Instant ocean & some of the salt went blue. Surely this is not normal? have not mixed with water yet, so why do you think this would happen? only thing I can think of is, Copper? what do you think?
the residue is just calcium carbonate, they have tested it and it is no big deal, just clean it up. I've used TM and some times have residue too just less. I have to say, I mix my salt in a clear 2.5 gallon container so I can pick up residue easier than someone using a Brute container or even a 5 gallon container. I have a nano tank so I don't need to mix up a lot. What I don't like about TM is their alkalinity can range from 7.5 to 9 plus sometimes. It is how you stir up your salt before it goes into the water.
Thanks, very useful comparison... same 'ol story "Buyer Beware". I've got a bucket of Royal Nature Reef Salt here, it was a good price but now I think I should have gone with Instant Ocean. Your reef looks wonderful on in :-)
If you are using Tropic Marin pro get an icp to make sure your Mercury isn't high. that had a batch or two that went out that is believed to be contaminated this was around October.
I used Regular IO for over 20 years. I've recently been experimenting with salts and have settled on Brightwell NeoMarine. Only reason for switching was the NeoMarine mixes to closer alkalinity levels that I like to keep my tank at. Did you see a notice decrease in alkalinity with the Tropic Marin since IO mixes much higher???
I recently started using sodium bisulfate to drop the alk of instant ocean. Ends up being much cheaper... Loudwolf Sodium Bisulfate / 8 Ounce Bottle / 99.5% Pure/Microprills/Ships Fast from USA smile.amazon.com/dp/B07XFGSVJH/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_DLDhEbFTM8KHF Using the amounts listed in the following thread, it's been dead on www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-bisulfate-to-reduce-alkalinity-in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/
One 8oz bottle of sodium bisulphate ends up being enough to drop 1412 gallons by 1 dkh or 470 gallons by 3 dkh being that i usually want to drop IO from about 10 to 7
This is good info and all the comments are great I am planning to change from RedSea PRO to Tropic Marine Reef PRO as well for the new build coming up going from 46G to 180G soon..
@@austinbassin4420 Other reefers have had good success with it. I chose to try it after watching Bulk Reef Supply's salt comparison series since my old salt has been discontinued.
Great video real life test with very interesting results that helped me make up my mind about switching salt thank for taking the time expense and sharing
Okay now i know why i have zoa problems over a year and when i switch to Tropic Marin Pro reef. ZERO IODINIE. How is it possible in that expensive salt ?
getreck one thing they annoys me is how the salt mentions it has minor and trace elements but doesn’t actually quantify it so you don’t really know what you are getting on they front
Because of the way water changes work your elements will always get lower over time unless propping them up by dosing. This experiment with the ICP test really doesn't tell you much about the salts, just your systems consumption, unless you provide ICP tests of your consumption over the same periods of time before you switched
I noticed you mention changing your seascape. Are those flat, stepped shelf looking rocks on the bottom right, Marco or STAX rocks? If so, how long did it take for them to encrust with coralline? I'm asking, because I've bought some myself, but am now worried they won't encrust, and be forever white looking! I've read some reefs never develop much corraline, that wouldn't be a good outcome IMHO. Thanks :-)
STAX - i think it took them 6 month or so to get covered in coralline - you can see the progression. Here is when they first went in th-cam.com/video/kiQs_BE1WeE/w-d-xo.html a month later they were still greeish th-cam.com/video/m1SDPi6H06o/w-d-xo.html two month later th-cam.com/video/dne2HAB-ju8/w-d-xo.html three month later th-cam.com/video/7DxblwADLPM/w-d-xo.html 4 month later th-cam.com/video/cI6PqzlY-Mo/w-d-xo.html 5 month later th-cam.com/video/D3urX4WZ_C8/w-d-xo.html 6 month later th-cam.com/video/GRUnN-jwGZo/w-d-xo.html
so i think you haven’t considered the possibility that the lower levels in trace elements could be due to better uptake by healthier corals. you did mention that a few of your corals improved slightly in color. it is also worth noting that color and growth isn’t always a hallmark of healthy corals, so while your corals might have been healthy before, they could be in better health now due to the consistency of the tropic marin, subsequently increasing the demand for trace elements. also, you’ve been running this experiment for quite some time now, which is a good thing, but you also have to account for the fact that you have larger colonies growing faster that could contribute to the growing consumption rate of the micro nutrients corals.
there really isn’t any debate over how and why tropic marin is a superior salt to io, it’s pretty clear that tropic marin produces consistent batches of salt every time, and it’s been proven that io can vary greatly batch to batch. to me your corals did look better with tropic marin for the most part, but they already looked very good beforehand, and that’s because you’re obviously an informed reefer and you know what you’re doing, i just wanted to share my opinions on what you may have not thought about in terms of the experiment.
Thanks for sharing! I tried two buckets of TM and I didn't like it. Mainly due to some color changes in a couple of corals I suspect was due to the salt, but who knows. It could also just be the change of salt that annoyed them, not necessarily the salt itself. Interesting that yours left a residue. Mine was totally clean. So, since you have stopped dosing phosphates, have you noticed a decrease in growth?
The setpoint in the ICP test result is the reference point as this is the level of the respective elements in NSW. Looks like IO parameters is close to NSW and TM is a little off on the lower side, not sure why they charge double??? In my personal opinion TM does not justify the high price based on the ICP test results. FYI - Mo is Molybdenum, V is Vanadium
Great video as always. I've always believed that dosing makes your tank and not the salt mix. I've just switched from Liveaquaria Reef Salt to Reef Crystals because of the super deal on Amazon. Liveaquaria was usually the cheapest when on sale but I got a few buckets of RC for $20USD. It was too cheap to pass up. Lol
I've been using Tropic marin pro from the getgo. I think it's time to make a switch to the cheaper option to see what happens. Thank you for the informative video.
I used IO for years but didn't like how it never seemed to fully dissolve for me. I've used Aqua Forest Sea Salt the last few years but it's hard to find now. I chose to try the Tropic Marin salt after watching BRS TV's salt comparison series. I just got it a few days ago so it'll be interesting to see how it works out for me.
@AmroAzul TV Is this a promo video for Instant Ocean ? For me the difference was night and day, got way better results with Tropic Marin. Salt quality matters allot in spite of what you are implying...just as Rico.
Hi Mihai, I am not sponsored by anyone, and i would never go on here and try to push a product. I am simply sharing my experiences. I've been always curious if the more expensive salt was worth it. I switched and i didn't find big differences that would justify the extra cost. Your tank may be different than mine. My tank has been documented on youtube since day 1; you are more than welcome to check out the videos from last year, and compare how my tank looks to the videos taken over the past 4 month (when i started using Tropic Marin). Also, if you read Mike Paletta's articles on reef to reef, you will find that many highly successful SPS tanks have used the cheap instant ocean salt (www.reef2reef.com/ams/following-the-masters-part-two.301/).
I would only switch if you are not having success and you have to dose a lot right away. I would go with whatever is readily available because you will have a time where you need to get salt in an emergency. I use fritz salt because it is readily available and it mixes faster than reef crystals. With all salts you want to test a new box or bucket to see any unusual difference and the test I use is Alk.
I was surprised at your results and I'll tell you what we have here is a case of "If it ain't broke,don't fix it"🤣 there's a reason why Instant Ocean has been around for so long I guess it's really good salt mix🤔 and losing those colonies could very much have to do with the change? Think about it your tank has been super steady without loss,then you change over and "3" die 🤔 sounds Fishy!🤣 specially when you can buy twice the amount for the price of the fancy stuff. Tank looks great,even though I didn't get to see it😢😢🤣Thanks buddy!💜💜💜🐠🐠
Thanks Eddy... i know i like to mess around with my tank... I have a Russian friend who keeps telling me this proverb - "excellent is the enemy of very good". Hopefully, all this experimenting is not going to come and bite me
@@TheBioReef No it's great that you went to all the work to find out why it's so ridiculously expensive,and I'm just messing around with you! There's nothing better than to mess around with our tanks💙
thanks for doing this video! I have a new tank coming in the next few months a RS650P and I am debating on what salt to use. my normal go to in IORC but I plan on doing daily AWC and dont want that gunk in the mixing station. so I am between IO and TMP. I am leaning towards IO then once my tank needs more of the big 3 was thinking about a Ca reactor vs 2 part dosing. your results surprised me. everyone loves TMP hows the experiment with IORC going?
Thanks Deva... If you are in the US or North America, then TMP probably comes at a premium because it has to be shipped all the way from Germany. While these additional costs are often explained away as TMP being a better salt (and the luxury effect), i don't think it is superior in any way, or at least superior enough to warrant the massive markup in cost vs. IO. Its still early going with IORC but i haven't seen any adverse affects... i am dosing less of alk and ca; partly because RC is enriched for these, but also because i recently restarted my tank with 1" frags so the demand is lower.
Everyone's tanks are different, you may have completely different results. BRS TV did a salt comparison series and TM came out on top, so I'll be trying it for my pico reef lol.
I think the cost of shipping the salt to North America from Germany is the real reason the salt costs twice as much as the IO (produced in the USA) here... but to be fair, it is often marketed as a 'premium' salt here in North America.
Used plain Instant Ocean for 23 years with now real issues. Just switched to the Live Aquaria just because there was a sale + free shipping similar to my IO so using that now. I usually order 10 boxes of the 205g/box at a time. Don't usually want to spend too much on consumables. Reef Crystals has a clay chelator to absorb metals according to Their customer support but plain IO doesn't have that.
I agree, the coral changes you did notice, could've even been just due to the coral growing out, or nutrient adjustments. With the price difference, having overall lower parameters within the salt, is ridiculous. Either way, gorgeous tank man.
Thank you for performing this experiment!! I just recently purchased a bucket of TM pro (TMP) and the Alk consistently measures 6.7-6.9 dkh. My IO always measured around 9.8- 10.0. I run my tank at 8 dkh. The two salts are at the ends of my desired range but I picked TMP because I thought it was a better product. I'm going back to IO and will use mecuric acid to decrease the IO down to my desired range and save a lot of money at the same time.
@@TheBioReef that's very good advise. I have a 40 gallon breeder with a sump. 50 gallon total volume. I some time complete 30% to 40% water changes, which would dramatically change the water chemistry.
Nice analysis, here in the UK tropic marin really isn't a premium salt, its a pretty good salt don't get me wrong but I find it strange that in North America they market it as premium just because of the price to import it. For cost per litre here in the UK its about middle ground for whats available.
The price of Tropic Marin is not much different from other salt brands, here in the US, if you look at per gallon cost instead of cost per bucket. It is a little more expensive than some, due to the cost of the very pure, pharmaceutical grade raw materials used in its manufacture. The price is not elevated in the US due to shipping and import coasts.
Tropic marin is the same price as all the other commen brands like red sea here in the UK. I presume you are in the states? It cost them a lot more to ship to the states hence the higher price tag.....
Thanks Tom - there is a lot of truth to this... but the issue is that in North America, reef shops bitch Tropic Marin as a 'fancy salt' that should be better than others... I think if they went with the honest approach and said - this $120 salt is only expensive because we have to ship it from Germany, then no people in their right mind would buy it. Instead, they claim that this luxury salt is clean and better for your tank...
@@TheBioReef its fancy because its made with pharmaceutical chemicals which are cleaner than others used in most common salts.... you won't see a major difference in the health of your tank by using any salt, tropic marin salt parameters are more consistent which leads to a more stable tank... they mix faster than all the other non elevated salts, the levels don't precipitate when stored for longer periods of time, it doesn't leave residue in your mixing containers either which reduces maintenance.... so many reason to use tropic marin over the rest, especially if its the same price as other salts.... Its what I will be using on my new build....
tom england yeah I agree that I would use it if it was the same cost as instant ocean... but cost:benefit ratio looses its merit if it’s twice as expensive :)
Yeah me personally I have never had any residue from IO purple bucket. When I switched to reef crystals one of the first things I noticed was the smell. It smells like vitamins literally. And it left just a little residue not a lot. I just ordered Tropic Marin Pro reef from BRS lets see how it works. I like reef crystals. Parameters are always 450, 1400, and 9.3. The Mag is a little high for me but lets see how tropic marin works. Tropic Marin costs 45 dollars on BRS for a 80G bucket. Reef Crystals at Petsmart, Petco, Amazon, or Chewy is like 36 bucks for a 160G bucket. And petsmart and petco always have discounts on the app or send through email. I just got my recent RC 160G bucket at petsmart for 25 dollars. Much less for what I paid for Tropic Marin and much more salt.
other than the crud on my mixing container - i am reallying liking the tank on reef crystals. i am noticing that i am not dosing as much calicum and mag.
I've only used Instant Ocean Reef Crystals(200gal $45) & Redsea Coral Pro(200gal $65). Never had any issues, corals love them, so why change ...I'm never paying over 100 for salt, just not worth it.
@@TheBioReef we got a bad shipment in all the stores around me of reef crystals and a lot of people around me started having problems one was a coral farm that’s used RC from the start I’ve since been using fritz
Good video. But I have to mention, that Marine Reef Pro is not really "expensive" salt. It's actually one of the cheaper ones. The only cheaper salt I've found is made by Aquaforest. You guys in Canada seem to have to pay a premium for it. Based on that I wouldn't expect it to be better than Instant Ocean.
I am sure that the costs of shipping it here to North America leads to more overhead. But its often marketed by local fish stores as premium salt. But i agree
AmroAzul TV Hi Amro am I write in thinking you now use the cheapest salt and don feed your corals anything just do 10% weekly water changes , and let the new water put the nutrients back in your tank 🤔😃
Andrew I do about 2L daily water changes, so that about 6% total volume per week. I am now trying a different cheap salt - instant oceans reef crystals. I don’t feed corals but feed the fish 4x a day (once frozen, 3 x pellets)
@@andrew5762 i have an automatic water changes so it is really easy to do... also, there was some nice articles by Randy Homles-Farley about the benefits of daily small water changes vs. large weekly or montly water changes - here reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
Instant Ocean is a great, inexpensive salt to start out with. Once you get a handle on what you want you can try more expensive ones. Good luck with the tank! I've been in the hobby twelve years, it's a great hobby!
No it doesn't my mag mixes over 1500 and calc over 500 dkh 9 pH 8.2 there stats are wrong been using it for 2 years with no problems but mine is mixed in Germany and not turkey 😂
there is obvious difference in salt consistency in the bucket. Really hated RSCP salt for swings in parameters when you start new bucket ant when you used up half of bucket, CA / Alk swings, and i think there is swings in elements too.
This was not an apples to apples. Instant ocean is not a reef salt. Reef Crystal's would have been more accurate comparison. Tropical Marin is a great product. Reef Crystal's is definitely cheaper and very comparable. Brs did a great video on it. But yes I do hate the brown film in my bucket but like saving money more
Very true.... But if you compare tropic Marin to tropic Marin pro reef the numbers are significantly different. Calcium and magnesium levels are far higher in a reef salt of any brand was my point I suppose. www.thatpetplace.com/salt-mix-guide Evey tank is different, staying consistent is one of the most important things for success
@@trevordavis464 i am curious about doing a test with reef crystals as well... not sure if i should switch back to IO first, then to reef crystals, or to just go to reef crystals right away ...
@AmroAzul TV I just like higher Cal and Mag and was having to supplement with Regular IO. I use a Seachem Acid buffer to drop the AlK down to 8.0-8.5. Then it’s good to go.
Anthony's Fishy Friends it may be coming your way, although should I got to regular IO first then reef crystals ? Or go straight to reef crystals after my TM bucket is done
@AmroAzul TV Reef Crystals will precipitate if the temp is over 80+ in the brute can. Keep the temp under 80. Also if this happens add a air-stone to bind the crud on the waters surface.
AmroAzul TV so we agree reef crystals is a upper quality product then. I had used it for years then sea chem came out with vibrant sea salt. You use one half cup less cup per 5 gallons of water. I live trigger fish and have a few so a reef tank is not possiable but I love coralline alge growth. Reef crystals did it for me but will now try the sea chem. The sea chem box survived shipping better too. Thanks and regards Joe
AmroAzul TV yh I will let you know if I get any noticeable changes, I normally only do 10 percent water changes each week unless something changes so it would be around 3 months for a complete salt switch. Do you think that’s to fast ?
Jamie Skinner that is about what I did but with daily small water changes that added up to about 10% per week... it was easy for me to do this because of my automatic water change system
I'm sorry you didnt have a positive experience. Salt is salt and if you're having a successful tank with cheaper salt it's a very easy choice to go back back.
@@TheBioReef I totally agree, and the fact that you actually took the time to do the icp test and put numbers behind it is great. You dont need 10 test tanks when you only have 1 display tank and it didnt do enough to warrant the cost difference.
Hi AmroAzul, great video and looking forward to your next up load! i have just started up a new large tank and used the premium salt you mentioned in this video. Although it is expensive i think i am going to continue with this salt as it was the first salt that i used. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you as well :) - This is a video of my new tank th-cam.com/video/rvPG5G5IaZw/w-d-xo.html
I call bolo on the slime stuff, ive been running tropic pro with absolutely no residue at all ever!!!!! Instant ocean on the other hand is full of crap.
Hi Joe... i've never had any issues with the cheapest IO salt, although i briefly tried IO reef crystals a long time ago and that indeed lead to major deposits. The slime from the TM is real - wouldn't make something like that up. Perhaps my bucket is not really representative of what TM pro reef, but i can assure you, that slime only started after the switch. If you don't believe me, then check out please check out this video of my mixing container with IO from last March; around the 5 min mark - clean as a whistle... th-cam.com/video/rW5UehaPZm8/w-d-xo.html
The brown slime you are seeing in your mixing container does not look like the "residue" that people usually talk about in relation to mixing up salts. The slime you are showing on your finger, in the video, looks much more like a biological growth of some kind. Could be cyano bacteria or dinophlagellates. Many reasons why you may have not seen that growth with your IO. The residue from mixing, that people complain about, is usually a brown or grey sludge at the bottom of the container.
This test is usless imho. I give you kudos for your in home testing video though. You have no control tank, you just switched salt ofer time and assumed everything was 100% Tropic Marin. Also what ICP company did you use? I don't know man, I'm not disrespecting you whatsoever but you're not comparing apples to apples. At best you're comparing apples to tainted apples and that's totally different. ICP testing is a joke. There's only about two reputable companies out there and the rest are just shooting in the dark basically with numbers. I can honestly say instant ocean is garbage. 20 years ago the salt was fine but today it's nothing like what it was. Reef crystals that's another joke! 41 you're spending the money on pharmaceutical grade sodium chloride and also the cost for shipping to Canada. I do agree it's very expensive salt but luckily I cross the border every week and I'm basically paying the same price down there even with the exchange rate the same price that you would pay in Canada four bucket of instant ocean.
My tank is been doing great with the Reef Crystals, great video and really appreciate you taking the time to do this 🤙🏼
thanks Eduardo
thank you for this video :) i no longer need to worry about changing to a more expensive salt!
Glad you found it helpful
And seeing the quality of your tank , your opinion is actually worth alot. I switched from red sea pro back to instant ocean for the same reasons.
Good video, thank you for sharing!
thanks, good luck with your switch back
I’ve been using the tropic Marin for a year also, I never had that slime in my mixing bucket., I was using the aqua forest reef salt which is very good, but honestly I think the water is clearer when using it, I since switched to the tropic Marin bio actif salt which has higher levels and I think that after a water change the water is even clearer, I know it’s the most expensive but I’m sticking with it for now, 5 gallons a week I change just to vacuum the crap at the bottom of the tank, when I spend $200 for a 1/2” frag, why not spend the money on a trusted brand, BRS did a video on that salt also, it came out to be the best, I also switched to brightwell aquatics two part on Black Friday, I’m going to do my own icp test also to see if my levels have changed for the better, my old test always showed low on strontium and Florine, so I just dose it once a month even though brightwells is supposed to have higher levels , we will see,!,
thanks for your feedback... let me know how the ICP on the brightwells comes out
I watched that series too and chose this salt to try. I was using Aqua Forest's Sea Salt for my softie tank but it seems it was discontinued. Before AF I did use IO for years, just didn't like that it didn't all dissolve for me. It is a great salt on its own though.
Good video. Thanks for the research and sharing your findings
Thank you bro, am going to start my salt aquarium in 2 months and I have been breaking my head on what salt to buy. I heard so meany BS that I was about to let it go. But I already bought everything but the salt so, theirs no turning back. But with this video I will go with the cheap brand and just invest in other mixing products to better the water if needed. Thank you this video was the best I've seen from all. Seems the other guys were sponsor and paid to say expensive salt is better. Am going to take your advise. Best of luck.
Wow!!!! I really didn’t expect those results! I personally feel like you did the best test results possible, no need to setup 10 tanks to find the “truth”. Appreciate the effort you put in here and I was super curious as to the end result. Interesting IO won, don’t blame you at all! Happy new year!
thanks Pelphrey - happy new year to you too!
You have to reason that a salt mix has to work most of the time else they would not be in business for long. This salt and reef crystals has been around for years.
Very interesting! I used IO for about a year and hated the scummy crud left behind in my saltwater reservoir. I switched to Fritz RPM and love it. These days though, I’ve been using a blend of about 30% Fritz to 70% Tropic Marin Pro Reef and suddenly I have great PE on my acropora, montipora, and millepora. And a spotless saltwater reservoir. 😁
Love the new scape!! My reefer xl300 is coming soon I can’t wait! Definitely learnt a lot from you!
thanks Jack - good luck with the reefer
Your findings somehow did not surprise me. Very helpful, tks!
Cornell Rosiu thanks !
Hello, I would like to state that when mixing from a 20 or 25 kilo bucket of salt there will be variations in the levels due to the minerals settling during shipping. That said I found a company in Germany that custom makes salt at a very affordable price. You tell them what levels you want and it is what you get. The only thing is they require you to order a ton or more. Sounds like a lot but if you get enough people together it is worth it. They sell to many aquariums world wide and make the salt for other companies as well. If your interested check them out the name of the company is Aqua Seduction. Happy reefing
How many types of Instant Ocean salts are there? Is there a difference between a white box Instant Ocean & purple bucket Instant Ocean?
Two I believe. The regular instant ocean (purple bucket) and the enriched reef crystals (orange bucket)
@@TheBioReef Thanks
@@TheBioReef Got another question, I got some Instant ocean & some of the salt went blue. Surely this is not normal? have not mixed with water yet, so why do you think this would happen? only thing I can think of is, Copper? what do you think?
@@bytime2762 that is odd. Never seen that before. Not sure what would cause this. I would avoid using that batch
@@TheBioReef Yep, from my knowledge blue I think is associated with copper sulphate or something copper. But yep avoided.
I switched to TM and don’t get no residue on my containers at all. Even after 2 weeks. I used to use Red Sea pro and IO. Both left the residue.
perhaps i got an odd batch, or maybe there was some kind of interaction between the IO and TM that led to residue in my bucket
the residue is just calcium carbonate, they have tested it and it is no big deal, just clean it up. I've used TM and some times have residue too just less. I have to say, I mix my salt in a clear 2.5 gallon container so I can pick up residue easier than someone using a Brute container or even a 5 gallon container. I have a nano tank so I don't need to mix up a lot. What I don't like about TM is their alkalinity can range from 7.5 to 9 plus sometimes. It is how you stir up your salt before it goes into the water.
Thank you, I've been waiting on these results.
thanks Robert
Thanks, very useful comparison... same 'ol story "Buyer Beware". I've got a bucket of Royal Nature Reef Salt here, it was a good price but now I think I should have gone with Instant Ocean. Your reef looks wonderful on in :-)
Mindboggle100 thanks
I've had success with instant ocean for a few years now. Please document the change back and note any good or bad effects
Scott Matheney will do
Superb video, I shall be sticking to IO. Thank you for your time.
thanks Martin
If you are using Tropic Marin pro get an icp to make sure your Mercury isn't high. that had a batch or two that went out that is believed to be contaminated this was around October.
Blake Scott thanks for the tip
I used Regular IO for over 20 years. I've recently been experimenting with salts and have settled on Brightwell NeoMarine. Only reason for switching was the NeoMarine mixes to closer alkalinity levels that I like to keep my tank at. Did you see a notice decrease in alkalinity with the Tropic Marin since IO mixes much higher???
nope, because i had my trident keep my alk at 8.5 by dosing 2 part.
@Reefkpr what’s the parameters for NeoMarine?
I recently started using sodium bisulfate to drop the alk of instant ocean. Ends up being much cheaper... Loudwolf Sodium Bisulfate / 8 Ounce Bottle / 99.5% Pure/Microprills/Ships Fast from USA smile.amazon.com/dp/B07XFGSVJH/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_DLDhEbFTM8KHF
Using the amounts listed in the following thread, it's been dead on
www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-bisulfate-to-reduce-alkalinity-in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/
.16g per gallon to drop 1dKH
One 8oz bottle of sodium bisulphate ends up being enough to drop 1412 gallons by 1 dkh or 470 gallons by 3 dkh being that i usually want to drop IO from about 10 to 7
This is good info and all the comments are great I am planning to change from RedSea PRO to Tropic Marine Reef PRO as well for the new build coming up going from 46G to 180G soon..
Why change after seeing this?????
@@austinbassin4420 Other reefers have had good success with it. I chose to try it after watching Bulk Reef Supply's salt comparison series since my old salt has been discontinued.
Where do you get a test readout like that, is it an online service?
Great video as always. I was debating making the switch from IO to something more expensive. Glad I didn't.
thanks!
Great video real life test with very interesting results that helped me make up my mind about switching salt thank for taking the time expense and sharing
thanks Braveheart!
What about calcareous algae consumption?
Okay now i know why i have zoa problems over a year and when i switch to Tropic Marin Pro reef. ZERO IODINIE. How is it possible in that expensive salt ?
getreck one thing they annoys me is how the salt mentions it has minor and trace elements but doesn’t actually quantify it so you don’t really know what you are getting on they front
Instant ocean has always been my favorite salt, thanks for share.
thanks Miguel!
so there will be no bad effects from switching from IO to reef crystals? I ordered a 160G of Reef cystals on Amazon for 30 USD.
The Holt2ic2 I don’t think so so long as the switch is done gradually
Because of the way water changes work your elements will always get lower over time unless propping them up by dosing. This experiment with the ICP test really doesn't tell you much about the salts, just your systems consumption, unless you provide ICP tests of your consumption over the same periods of time before you switched
Weird, I use the pro reef and I have no residue. I had lots of residue from the instant ocean.
You and me both man!
I noticed you mention changing your seascape. Are those flat, stepped shelf looking rocks on the bottom right, Marco or STAX rocks? If so, how long did it take for them to encrust with coralline? I'm asking, because I've bought some myself, but am now worried they won't encrust, and be forever white looking! I've read some reefs never develop much corraline, that wouldn't be a good outcome IMHO. Thanks :-)
STAX - i think it took them 6 month or so to get covered in coralline - you can see the progression. Here is when they first went in
th-cam.com/video/kiQs_BE1WeE/w-d-xo.html
a month later they were still greeish
th-cam.com/video/m1SDPi6H06o/w-d-xo.html
two month later
th-cam.com/video/dne2HAB-ju8/w-d-xo.html
three month later
th-cam.com/video/7DxblwADLPM/w-d-xo.html
4 month later
th-cam.com/video/cI6PqzlY-Mo/w-d-xo.html
5 month later
th-cam.com/video/D3urX4WZ_C8/w-d-xo.html
6 month later
th-cam.com/video/GRUnN-jwGZo/w-d-xo.html
so i think you haven’t considered the possibility that the lower levels in trace elements could be due to better uptake by healthier corals. you did mention that a few of your corals improved slightly in color. it is also worth noting that color and growth isn’t always a hallmark of healthy corals, so while your corals might have been healthy before, they could be in better health now due to the consistency of the tropic marin, subsequently increasing the demand for trace elements. also, you’ve been running this experiment for quite some time now, which is a good thing, but you also have to account for the fact that you have larger colonies growing faster that could contribute to the growing consumption rate of the micro nutrients corals.
there really isn’t any debate over how and why tropic marin is a superior salt to io, it’s pretty clear that tropic marin produces consistent batches of salt every time, and it’s been proven that io can vary greatly batch to batch. to me your corals did look better with tropic marin for the most part, but they already looked very good beforehand, and that’s because you’re obviously an informed reefer and you know what you’re doing, i just wanted to share my opinions on what you may have not thought about in terms of the experiment.
If color and growth are not hallmark of healthy coral, I am not sure what else it is your hallmark.
@@DZ-cm5xw i was simply saying the lack of intense coloration and rapid growth does not necessarily mean poor coral health.
Thanks for sharing! I tried two buckets of TM and I didn't like it. Mainly due to some color changes in a couple of corals I suspect was due to the salt, but who knows. It could also just be the change of salt that annoyed them, not necessarily the salt itself. Interesting that yours left a residue. Mine was totally clean.
So, since you have stopped dosing phosphates, have you noticed a decrease in growth?
not difference in growth i think
Yep, like several others have said, I use tropic because it’s where my tank levels are. Great video man👍
The setpoint in the ICP test result is the reference point as this is the level of the respective elements in NSW.
Looks like IO parameters is close to NSW and TM is a little off on the lower side, not sure why they charge double??? In my personal opinion TM does not justify the high price based on the ICP test results.
FYI - Mo is Molybdenum, V is Vanadium
Great video as always. I've always believed that dosing makes your tank and not the salt mix.
I've just switched from Liveaquaria Reef Salt to Reef Crystals because of the super deal on Amazon.
Liveaquaria was usually the cheapest when on sale but I got a few buckets of RC for $20USD. It was too cheap to pass up. Lol
i like cheap too Dave! a big trick in this hobby is to figure out where you money should be spent.
I've been using Tropic marin pro from the getgo. I think it's time to make a switch to the cheaper option to see what happens. Thank you for the informative video.
I used IO for years but didn't like how it never seemed to fully dissolve for me. I've used Aqua Forest Sea Salt the last few years but it's hard to find now. I chose to try the Tropic Marin salt after watching BRS TV's salt comparison series. I just got it a few days ago so it'll be interesting to see how it works out for me.
LulaMae21 good luck / Tm was easy to dissolve for sure, although I never bsd issues with IO dissolving
@AmroAzul TV Is this a promo video for Instant Ocean ? For me the difference was night and day, got way better results with Tropic Marin. Salt quality matters allot in spite of what you are implying...just as Rico.
Just remember, Rico used IO and Reef Crystals for the majority of time he was in the hobby. Most of us old timers have used IO for many many years.
Hi Mihai, I am not sponsored by anyone, and i would never go on here and try to push a product. I am simply sharing my experiences. I've been always curious if the more expensive salt was worth it. I switched and i didn't find big differences that would justify the extra cost. Your tank may be different than mine. My tank has been documented on youtube since day 1; you are more than welcome to check out the videos from last year, and compare how my tank looks to the videos taken over the past 4 month (when i started using Tropic Marin). Also, if you read Mike Paletta's articles on reef to reef, you will find that many highly successful SPS tanks have used the cheap instant ocean salt (www.reef2reef.com/ams/following-the-masters-part-two.301/).
Do you dose while using instant ocean?
Brandon Lucas I only dosed 2 part from esv to maintain Alk and ca
I would only switch if you are not having success and you have to dose a lot right away. I would go with whatever is readily available because you will have a time where you need to get salt in an emergency. I use fritz salt because it is readily available and it mixes faster than reef crystals. With all salts you want to test a new box or bucket to see any unusual difference and the test I use is Alk.
I was surprised at your results and I'll tell you what we have here is a case of "If it ain't broke,don't fix it"🤣 there's a reason why Instant Ocean has been around for so long I guess it's really good salt mix🤔 and losing those colonies could very much have to do with the change? Think about it your tank has been super steady without loss,then you change over and "3" die 🤔 sounds Fishy!🤣 specially when you can buy twice the amount for the price of the fancy stuff. Tank looks great,even though I didn't get to see it😢😢🤣Thanks buddy!💜💜💜🐠🐠
Thanks Eddy... i know i like to mess around with my tank... I have a Russian friend who keeps telling me this proverb - "excellent is the enemy of very good". Hopefully, all this experimenting is not going to come and bite me
@@TheBioReef No it's great that you went to all the work to find out why it's so ridiculously expensive,and I'm just messing around with you! There's nothing better than to mess around with our tanks💙
Destruyendo un mito más, felicidades por este excelente análisis. Saludos
wouldnt a better comparison be the IO reef salt?
thanks for doing this video! I have a new tank coming in the next few months a RS650P and I am debating on what salt to use. my normal go to in IORC but I plan on doing daily AWC and dont want that gunk in the mixing station. so I am between IO and TMP. I am leaning towards IO then once my tank needs more of the big 3 was thinking about a Ca reactor vs 2 part dosing.
your results surprised me. everyone loves TMP
hows the experiment with IORC going?
Thanks Deva... If you are in the US or North America, then TMP probably comes at a premium because it has to be shipped all the way from Germany. While these additional costs are often explained away as TMP being a better salt (and the luxury effect), i don't think it is superior in any way, or at least superior enough to warrant the massive markup in cost vs. IO. Its still early going with IORC but i haven't seen any adverse affects... i am dosing less of alk and ca; partly because RC is enriched for these, but also because i recently restarted my tank with 1" frags so the demand is lower.
Glad to see results but bummed because I am having 400 gal of TM delivered tomorrow lol.
Austin Bassin' :)
Everyone's tanks are different, you may have completely different results. BRS TV did a salt comparison series and TM came out on top, so I'll be trying it for my pico reef lol.
I dont know what the price salts in usa but in uk this 2 salts price diffrent just on 5£ . Sow i chose tmc pro deffenly.
I think the cost of shipping the salt to North America from Germany is the real reason the salt costs twice as much as the IO (produced in the USA) here... but to be fair, it is often marketed as a 'premium' salt here in North America.
I switched from IO to fritz rpm and never looked back
Alhamdulillah!!!
Thank you very very much.
Jazakallah.
Thanks for the comparison. Salt is salt. Million other factors that determine success.
i think so too
Used plain Instant Ocean for 23 years with now real issues. Just switched to the Live Aquaria just because there was a sale + free shipping similar to my IO so using that now. I usually order 10 boxes of the 205g/box at a time. Don't usually want to spend too much on consumables.
Reef Crystals has a clay chelator to absorb metals according to Their customer support but plain IO doesn't have that.
interesting... perhaps i should give Reef Crystals a try as my next test
@@TheBioReef the clay chelator will cause the brown crud in the mixing bucket. That's why I would stick with plain IO
I agree, the coral changes you did notice, could've even been just due to the coral growing out, or nutrient adjustments.
With the price difference, having overall lower parameters within the salt, is ridiculous.
Either way, gorgeous tank man.
thanks!
Great experiment with interesting result!
Thanks!
Thank you for performing this experiment!! I just recently purchased a bucket of TM pro (TMP) and the Alk consistently measures 6.7-6.9 dkh. My IO always measured around 9.8- 10.0. I run my tank at 8 dkh. The two salts are at the ends of my desired range but I picked TMP because I thought it was a better product. I'm going back to IO and will use mecuric acid to decrease the IO down to my desired range and save a lot of money at the same time.
thanks for sharing - but why not jus use the IO as is and adjust 2 part dosing according ?
@@TheBioReef that's very good advise. I have a 40 gallon breeder with a sump. 50 gallon total volume. I some time complete 30% to 40% water changes, which would dramatically change the water chemistry.
Nice analysis, here in the UK tropic marin really isn't a premium salt, its a pretty good salt don't get me wrong but I find it strange that in North America they market it as premium just because of the price to import it. For cost per litre here in the UK its about middle ground for whats available.
Thanks Tim... i also find it odd that it is sold as premium just to cover transatlantic shipping :) marketing marketing :)
The price of Tropic Marin is not much different from other salt brands, here in the US, if you look at per gallon cost instead of cost per bucket. It is a little more expensive than some, due to the cost of the very pure, pharmaceutical grade raw materials used in its manufacture. The price is not elevated in the US due to shipping and import coasts.
Do you dose minor traces at all? It amazes me that IO have similar minor traces to the TM PRO. Perhaps maybe there are minor traces in your two part?
No, i only dose ESV B-ionic 2 part. I also feed 3 times a day (twice pellets, once frozen). I don't do coral feeding
Tropic marin is the same price as all the other commen brands like red sea here in the UK. I presume you are in the states? It cost them a lot more to ship to the states hence the higher price tag.....
Thanks Tom - there is a lot of truth to this... but the issue is that in North America, reef shops bitch Tropic Marin as a 'fancy salt' that should be better than others... I think if they went with the honest approach and said - this $120 salt is only expensive because we have to ship it from Germany, then no people in their right mind would buy it. Instead, they claim that this luxury salt is clean and better for your tank...
@@TheBioReef its fancy because its made with pharmaceutical chemicals which are cleaner than others used in most common salts.... you won't see a major difference in the health of your tank by using any salt, tropic marin salt parameters are more consistent which leads to a more stable tank... they mix faster than all the other non elevated salts, the levels don't precipitate when stored for longer periods of time, it doesn't leave residue in your mixing containers either which reduces maintenance.... so many reason to use tropic marin over the rest, especially if its the same price as other salts....
Its what I will be using on my new build....
tom england yeah I agree that I would use it if it was the same cost as instant ocean... but cost:benefit ratio looses its merit if it’s twice as expensive :)
Yeah me personally I have never had any residue from IO purple bucket. When I switched to reef crystals one of the first things I noticed was the smell. It smells like vitamins literally. And it left just a little residue not a lot. I just ordered Tropic Marin Pro reef from BRS lets see how it works. I like reef crystals. Parameters are always 450, 1400, and 9.3. The Mag is a little high for me but lets see how tropic marin works. Tropic Marin costs 45 dollars on BRS for a 80G bucket. Reef Crystals at Petsmart, Petco, Amazon, or Chewy is like 36 bucks for a 160G bucket. And petsmart and petco always have discounts on the app or send through email. I just got my recent RC 160G bucket at petsmart for 25 dollars. Much less for what I paid for Tropic Marin and much more salt.
other than the crud on my mixing container - i am reallying liking the tank on reef crystals. i am noticing that i am not dosing as much calicum and mag.
you should test the water Petco sells.
DANIEL ALVARENGA ;)
I've only used Instant Ocean Reef Crystals(200gal $45) & Redsea Coral Pro(200gal $65).
Never had any issues, corals love them, so why change ...I'm never paying over 100 for salt, just not worth it.
I agree Jermaine... i was just curious... Now i don't have to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side
@@TheBioReef we got a bad shipment in all the stores around me of reef crystals and a lot of people around me started having problems one was a coral farm that’s used RC from the start I’ve since been using fritz
This is optimal need to knows with these salts glad I’m still using Instant Ocean.
Tru Reef Thanks
Good video. But I have to mention, that Marine Reef Pro is not really "expensive" salt. It's actually one of the cheaper ones. The only cheaper salt I've found is made by Aquaforest. You guys in Canada seem to have to pay a premium for it. Based on that I wouldn't expect it to be better than Instant Ocean.
I am sure that the costs of shipping it here to North America leads to more overhead. But its often marketed by local fish stores as premium salt. But i agree
Amazing video bro 😎👍
thanks Speedy
Great video man!!where in canada are u from?
thanks Mikey... Toronto and area
Thanks for the info.
You bet!
Where do you live? Great video
Around Toronto
Amro great vid your like the mad professor 😂 👍why does everyone tell you different .😤
Thanks Andrew
AmroAzul TV Hi Amro am I write in thinking you now use the cheapest salt and don feed your corals anything just do 10% weekly water changes , and let the new water put the nutrients back in your tank 🤔😃
Andrew I do about 2L daily water changes, so that about 6% total volume per week. I am now trying a different cheap salt - instant oceans reef crystals. I don’t feed corals but feed the fish 4x a day (once frozen, 3 x pellets)
AmroAzul TV please tell why daily water changes .🤔
@@andrew5762 i have an automatic water changes so it is really easy to do... also, there was some nice articles by Randy Homles-Farley about the benefits of daily small water changes vs. large weekly or montly water changes - here
reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
Are you still using instant salt? Im staring my first reef tank:).
I am doing an experiment with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals after a recommendation by several viewers
Instant Ocean is a great, inexpensive salt to start out with. Once you get a handle on what you want you can try more expensive ones. Good luck with the tank! I've been in the hobby twelve years, it's a great hobby!
No it doesn't my mag mixes over 1500 and calc over 500 dkh 9 pH 8.2 there stats are wrong been using it for 2 years with no problems but mine is mixed in Germany and not turkey 😂
Funny how you skipped over the vast amount of aluminum and Copper in Instant ocean but that’s ok lol those metals don’t harm anything right?😅
there is obvious difference in salt consistency in the bucket. Really hated RSCP salt for swings in parameters when you start new bucket ant when you used up half of bucket, CA / Alk swings, and i think there is swings in elements too.
This was not an apples to apples. Instant ocean is not a reef salt. Reef Crystal's would have been more accurate comparison. Tropical Marin is a great product. Reef Crystal's is definitely cheaper and very comparable. Brs did a great video on it. But yes I do hate the brown film in my bucket but like saving money more
I disagree that regular IO is not a reef salt. Many folks have been using it to run reef tanks, including Sps dominant system like mine...
Very true.... But if you compare tropic Marin to tropic Marin pro reef the numbers are significantly different. Calcium and magnesium levels are far higher in a reef salt of any brand was my point I suppose. www.thatpetplace.com/salt-mix-guide Evey tank is different, staying consistent is one of the most important things for success
Would love to see the same video with reef Crystals
@@trevordavis464 i am curious about doing a test with reef crystals as well... not sure if i should switch back to IO first, then to reef crystals, or to just go to reef crystals right away ...
Instant Ocean Reef Crystals here. 🙂
curious about the reef crystals as well... my next test perhaps...
@AmroAzul TV I just like higher Cal and Mag and was having to supplement with Regular IO. I use a Seachem Acid buffer to drop the AlK down to 8.0-8.5. Then it’s good to go.
@@TheBioReef I would like to see this test
Anthony's Fishy Friends it may be coming your way, although should I got to regular IO first then reef crystals ? Or go straight to reef crystals after my TM bucket is done
@AmroAzul TV Reef Crystals will precipitate if the temp is over 80+ in the brute can. Keep the temp under 80. Also if this happens add a air-stone to bind the crud on the waters surface.
You needed to compare to reef crystals not instant ocean. Apples to oranges here.
but Joe, both TM pro and Instant ocean are closer together realtive to reef crystals, which is super enriched
AmroAzul TV so we agree reef crystals is a upper quality product then. I had used it for years then sea chem came out with vibrant sea salt. You use one half cup less cup per 5 gallons of water. I live trigger fish and have a few so a reef tank is not possiable but I love coralline alge growth. Reef crystals did it for me but will now try the sea chem. The sea chem box survived shipping better too. Thanks and regards Joe
Good video... now subbed
thanks CT!
bottom line for me, I simply can not afford expensive salt..I buy IO when its on sale.
,💚👍
I use instant ocean since joined the hobby..
Don't have money to throw away😊
i hear you Cristina!
Got it more expensive isn't aways better. Lol in times like this cheaper is better
Reef crystal are cheaper than ever, its cheaper than regular instant ocean.
really - my reef cyrstals are about $10 more than reuglar instant ocea
@@TheBioReef idk, but they are on sale on my local petco
I’ve always used tropic Marin pro, but after watching I’m definitely going to swap to instant ocean.
Jamie Skinner I suggest a gradual switch as to not shock your system... also, let me know if you notice any adverse effects
AmroAzul TV yh I will let you know if I get any noticeable changes, I normally only do 10 percent water changes each week unless something changes so it would be around 3 months for a complete salt switch. Do you think that’s to fast ?
Jamie Skinner that is about what I did but with daily small water changes that added up to about 10% per week... it was easy for me to do this because of my automatic water change system
I'm sorry you didnt have a positive experience. Salt is salt and if you're having a successful tank with cheaper salt it's a very easy choice to go back back.
Thanks Gabe... i am glad i got to try it out... the grass always seems greener on the other side
@@TheBioReef I totally agree, and the fact that you actually took the time to do the icp test and put numbers behind it is great. You dont need 10 test tanks when you only have 1 display tank and it didnt do enough to warrant the cost difference.
Both salts today are 70$+
Instant ocean all day!!!!
Hi AmroAzul, great video and looking forward to your next up load! i have just started up a new large tank and used the premium salt you mentioned in this video. Although it is expensive i think i am going to continue with this salt as it was the first salt that i used. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you as well :) - This is a video of my new tank th-cam.com/video/rvPG5G5IaZw/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Bongos - i really liked your video... love the bubble closeups :) seems like it is going to be an exciting build!
AmroAzul TV ohh cool !im in brampton
nice... we are close!
Instant océan pour moi un sel fossile sans polluant.
Next best thing to a BRS test 👍🏾👍🏾
thanks Jeff
I call bolo on the slime stuff, ive been running tropic pro with absolutely no residue at all ever!!!!! Instant ocean on the other hand is full of crap.
Hi Joe... i've never had any issues with the cheapest IO salt, although i briefly tried IO reef crystals a long time ago and that indeed lead to major deposits. The slime from the TM is real - wouldn't make something like that up. Perhaps my bucket is not really representative of what TM pro reef, but i can assure you, that slime only started after the switch. If you don't believe me, then check out please check out this video of my mixing container with IO from last March; around the 5 min mark - clean as a whistle... th-cam.com/video/rW5UehaPZm8/w-d-xo.html
The brown slime you are seeing in your mixing container does not look like the "residue" that people usually talk about in relation to mixing up salts. The slime you are showing on your finger, in the video, looks much more like a biological growth of some kind. Could be cyano bacteria or dinophlagellates. Many reasons why you may have not seen that growth with your IO. The residue from mixing, that people complain about, is usually a brown or grey sludge at the bottom of the container.
Reef crystals, problem solved
Sorry you paid to much for both
Canadian prices Adam...
This test is usless imho. I give you kudos for your in home testing video though. You have no control tank, you just switched salt ofer time and assumed everything was 100% Tropic Marin. Also what ICP company did you use? I don't know man, I'm not disrespecting you whatsoever but you're not comparing apples to apples. At best you're comparing apples to tainted apples and that's totally different. ICP testing is a joke. There's only about two reputable companies out there and the rest are just shooting in the dark basically with numbers. I can honestly say instant ocean is garbage. 20 years ago the salt was fine but today it's nothing like what it was. Reef crystals that's another joke! 41 you're spending the money on pharmaceutical grade sodium chloride and also the cost for shipping to Canada. I do agree it's very expensive salt but luckily I cross the border every week and I'm basically paying the same price down there even with the exchange rate the same price that you would pay in Canada four bucket of instant ocean.
Wht a waste