Ive dealt with 3 brands that were the same from batch to batch without having to mix up the entire bucket or box. My favorite HW marine, of course TM and the underdog Fritz has been the same from scoop to scoop.
Im a huge fan of TLF salt. Julian Sprung mixes it himself. Been using for years. Clean mix nothing left in reservoirs and parameters are always consistent.
I have tried them all and always go back to Fritz RPM. it mixes clean, has great alk level, corals love it and it's cheaper than TMP. I used TMP up until that sludge mess.
Hey ReefBum! I’ve been a reefer for a little over a year. Launched my tank in June 2021. Been using HW Marinemix Reefer salt, which is a German synthetic mix aimed at the aquaculturist who specializes in corals. I knew I wanted a mixed reef since day-one. This brand is recommend by Bulk Reef Supply and is their number-two salt right after Tropic Marin. I always gravitate towards the best option but not necessarily the most expensive. Decided this salt was for me based on all experiments and experience through the BRS network. How has it worked? It’s been great! No need to change. Comes dialed in with elements and minerals specifically for coral keeping and DKh around 9 out of the box. Mixes clean and is ready to use in an hour. Glad to see you are venturing into new salts and methods as this type of mindset is what leads to discoveries. Cheers and Reef on! 😎🐠🐟🐡
@@tomg5405 thanks for the heads up. I thoroughly research everything before making decisions. Negative reviews could be user-error or other factors causing adverse effects and ultimately blamed on the salt. I think I would have noticed any undesirable results since the beginning, especially month-one. Here’s a run-down of my setup to have a better idea of why, in my opinion, I have success: 1) In-line UV sterilizer - never had iche or velvet/parasites plus reduced algae growth 2) ROWA Phos in reactor to reduce phosphates 3) eshopps skimmer for the usual nutrient export and oxygen exchange 4) refugium with chaeto and Neptune GROW LED 5) Dosing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef on WiFi pump for trace minerals, magnesium, alkalinity, and calcium. 6) I filter my own water with 4-stage BRS RODI system 7) Occasionally dose food-grade baking soda (aluminum-free sodium bicarbonate) for alkalinity uptake in order to avoid overdosing All-For-Reef Here’s my parameters: Ph: 8.3-8.4 Alkalinity: 8-9 DKh Phosphates: 0.05 ppm Nitrates: 7-10 ppm (dosing NeoNitro occasionally due to corals consuming it) Water temperature: 78-81° F Salinity: 1.026 specific gravity *My water change schedule is 10% every 2-3 months. I’m on the “changeless water quest” so theoretically the HW salt reefer mix is really being put to the test and has pleasantly passed so far. *Currently keeping acropora, other SPS, LPS, and softies. Hope this helps. 😃
@@limitlessluis that is a very good sep up for a beginner, or your since more long in the hobby or you inform yourself very good befor starting. And I think even if you would use a bad salt, as you use all for reef you should not have issue about trace elements. On reef too reef many people seemed to have the same problem same time with very low potassium, I think it was probably a bad batch, probably they have fixed it since. Strangely I can find near no information about this salt in Germany. But the description looks a lot same the salt from another brand, my guess is maybe they sell it in other countries under another name
HW is the only salt I’ve used since 2016. Although I agree with Keith that the consistency of Captiv8 may be better than blended salts, and it’s nice to have the ability to reach out to a knowledgeable US supplier such as Chris, I have to rely on independent comparative data. As best I can tell, none exists, so not changing yet. Hint - buy a year’s worth of HW on Black Friday. That’s my move.
Is this the same as the ESV salt? Also a 4 part, 2 dry, 2 liquid. I have used it for a year now and it has been very consistent and actually easier to mix since it is measured by weight.
I've also made the switch to Captiv8 reef salts and thier other line of products, kalk,Isol8 mt,nitr8, etc. Also been doing icp tests from reef labs, over all I'm happy with the switch.
@@ReefBum Good to know. I use Tropic Marin Pro Reef but I am always looking for other salts that mix clean as options in case I want to try something different. BTW, Tropic Marin Pro always mixes clean for me as well.
I very much like the chemistry considerations of using a 4-part mix. It's hard to argue against how much of a benefit that would provide to consistency. But, at my point in reefing: the idea of measuring each part in addition to all the other maintenance tasks seems like a chore I'd put off doing. And with me personally, that means I'd do water changes less often. It's a personal point of criticism. But, I know how I operate. I also don't have the infrastructure like a mixing station with bulk RO/DI storage. I have the old trusted Brute, that gets filled with RO overnight, and then mixed with salt the next day. Nor do I have multiple tanks or a large volume (90 gallon system). For these reasons, a small bucket of salt works well. I also go for the small buckets to help guard against stratification of larger buckets during shipping. A method like Capti8's seems like something I'd consider or rather graduate too as I progress into larger systems, with more coral biomass, and much larger volumes of water (and thus salt mix). I also see the advantage of a hobby level water storage system, which would help negate the chore as you can mix a larger batch and use it over time. I think it's a fantastic concept for what is the very foundation of our reef tanks. But, I don't see the advantages being a large factor for smaller scale hobbyist like myself. The argument for for this product is really aimed at those with larger systems, more infrastructure, or multiple tanks. And in that case, this seems like a fantastic product line. And it certainly should be considered for any commercial operations, where any flaws in salt consistency could spell economic doom. If I had a farm, I'd certainly use something like this for it's consistency alone. Those are likely the gaps in the market where Capti8 can break in.
Not disclosed here is how long the salt has been in use. Changes in coral health are not always apparent right away so cause may be from some other factor prior to new salt use. Please show the salt bin after a significant time period and then state how long. It's true though, IO does leave behind gunk but another important point is how long does it stay consistent as far a parameters in the container. In my experience IO is hard to beat here. Test the water after a weak then let us know if their are any changes.
I did mention right in the beginning that I have been using the salt for 2 months. I did power wash my salt water mixing drum and removed as much of the dirt and filth as possible but there is still staining left over from the IO salt. I can assure you the Captiv8 salt is not dirty as it does not have a film at the top like the IO salt. I also mentioned that I could not prove that the coral coloration improved due to the salt and traces. But I did say that I made no other major changes to the tank. Could the increased colors be due to a drop of my phosphates? Sure.
I do not sell Captiv8 stuff but you can shop for their products here. Captiv8 Aquaculture Salt portal-captiv8aquaculture.com/products/formul8-reef-35-4-ppt-enhanced-coral-culture-ionic-values Other Captiv8 Aquaculture Products www.captiv8aquaculture.com/purchasing
This is an interesting take, and I some ways sounds like a step towards the Triton Method, which mixes powders and is a four part (technically only 3 part) dosing system. I have to withdraw about 300ml of water for the ATO to top off to maintain stable salinity, but I don’t really use salt as I rarely do water changes. 6months since I’ve done one.
Sounds good. I've used IO, Red Sea, HW, NeoMarine, Turkish Blend, and haven't seen any difference except for paramaters which I trend to run on the high side, so prefer R/Sea black bucket. Does it make a difference? If you like clean buckets it does. If the manufacturer can't get their $hit together. Yes. Salt is rarely the limiting factor when it comes to reefing. The reefer usually is. You've used a variety of brands and have had success because you know what you're doing. BTW, the frags (HW, TBM) I got from you 6 months ago are amazing and blowing up. Keep up the good wokr, Keith!
It comes in 4 parts, two are liquids and two are solids. Just make sure you pick up an accurate scale and some beakers to make sure you measure each part accurately.
Never heard of this Captivate 8 salt been using been red sea salt no problem is this stuff available at stores or only online I never heard of it your Tank's looking awesome
My go to is fritz salt bc alk seem to always be spot on but been buying reefcrystals bc of cost associated with having 700 total volume. Bummer fritz cost 75bucks for a box now. Reef crystal being 40 bucks is a steal
I feel like the captiv8 method leave more room for error. Now there are 4 parts that can be messed up by the manufacturer and then also by the consumer. Saying that large manufacturers have had issues doesn't prove that small manufacturers do not and you even point out that you don't know if IO could have issues down the line. Just seems silly to me that you've had years and years of success with a product, even building a frag business off of it, and then subtly imply it caused browning while singing the praises of a new sponsored product you have less than a years experience with. Just saying "hey, maybe this thing is what turned my tank around but I don't know and can't prove anything" doesn't help the consumer at all.
So if you go back and re-watch the video you will see that I said the brown outs likely occurred due to high phosphates (I dosed too much). They were not due to the IO salt. My point is that the Captiv8 salt and traces may have led to the colors coming back. But as I said in the video I can't prove that. As for the 4 parts they are individual components and are raw materials that have an extremely high degree of purity (over 99%). So there will not be any issues with mixing anything together because Captive8 is not doing the mixing, the end user is. That is why I said it is important for the end user to measure the 4 different components carefully. I switched because I am a bit gun shy about what has happened with other salts in terms of them not being mixed homogeneously. This can happen if salt blends are sold in a bucket or box to hobbyists. Is there a possibility for a quality control issue with the Captiv8 salt? Sure, but I feel the possibility of quality control issues are higher for those companies that mix salt with solid components in a factory blender or mixer. BTW, I made the switch from IO to Captiv8 before there was a material connection between me and Captiv8. Again, I will NOT use anything that is not going to be good for my animals.
@@ReefBum I realize you mentioned phosphates but you also claim that the colors may have come back because of captiv8. That implies that they would not have come back with IO. I also said that it leaves more room for error because the 4 parts could be messed up by either the manufacturer OR the consumer. I don't see having to mix the parts as a benefit at all, just another chance to get it wrong. Also, im sure tropic marin also claimed a high purity, mistakes happen on every level. I believe that you believe this is the best move but I also am not going trust a company solely based on claims....we've seen many products pushed on youtube that end up being a lower quality or something totally different than they claim time and time again. And honestly, your gun shy about the salt you had success with but not something new and relatively untested? We've all seen what IO is capable of in your tanks, absolutely stunning results.....
I would imagine the trace elements had more impact than switching salts (that said, impurities like copper, aluminum, etc can dull colors if they are in too high of a concentration). Would love to see you give reef moonshiner method a try! I know it sounds like a bunch of nonsense, but it's legit the best thing I've ever done for my systems. Better colors, faster growth, and more time for me :)
“Includes paid promotion” is all you need to know here folks. Changing salts isn’t gonna make your reef any prettier. Unbiased reefing content is near impossible to find these days. Seen it over and over. Before sponsors, use instant ocean, after sponsors, use free stuff
All I can tell you is that I ONLY use products that I think will be good for my corals and fish. Yep, there is a material connection with Captiv8 but again I would not be using their stuff if I didn't think it was of the highest quality and good for my reef. Note **Disclosure of Material Connection** in video description. Do you have any counter points about what was said in the video in terms of the salt mixing issues I raised? You can't deny the problems with some of the salts out there.
@@ReefBum Keep up the amazing work Keith. I guess no matter how genuine you are you will always have haters. I Remember you talking to the guy who owns captiv8. Great review on the salt.
This is what’s hurting hobby instant ocean reef crystals works but this guys push more expensive stuff they get for free they price ppl out off hobby that used to be fun
I plan on switching from reef crystals too. Corals look fine but I like the idea of consistent trace elements in the Captiv8. Perhaps I can decrease water changes in my 320 to biweekly or monthly if ICP determines trace elements are holding steady.
Glad to hear you have switched, not a fan of IO. Had to use a bucket after we had an issue at work and needed big water changes. Pulled a fresh bucket off the shelf and alk was testing at 12+ every time I mixed some up. Magnesium was also stupid high on it. After that experience it seems like using IO is a huge liability unless you do tiny water changes.
Your review was more than fair Keith. Keep doing what you are doing.
Look into the manufacturing process for Fauna Marin salt, very insightful 👍👍👍
Ive dealt with 3 brands that were the same from batch to batch without having to mix up the entire bucket or box. My favorite HW marine, of course TM and the underdog Fritz has been the same from scoop to scoop.
Im a huge fan of TLF salt. Julian Sprung mixes it himself. Been using for years. Clean mix nothing left in reservoirs and parameters are always consistent.
I have tried them all and always go back to Fritz RPM. it mixes clean, has great alk level, corals love it and it's cheaper than TMP. I used TMP up until that sludge mess.
Hey ReefBum! I’ve been a reefer for a little over a year. Launched my tank in June 2021. Been using HW Marinemix Reefer salt, which is a German synthetic mix aimed at the aquaculturist who specializes in corals. I knew I wanted a mixed reef since day-one. This brand is recommend by Bulk Reef Supply and is their number-two salt right after Tropic Marin. I always gravitate towards the best option but not necessarily the most expensive. Decided this salt was for me based on all experiments and experience through the BRS network. How has it worked? It’s been great! No need to change. Comes dialed in with elements and minerals specifically for coral keeping and DKh around 9 out of the box. Mixes clean and is ready to use in an hour. Glad to see you are venturing into new salts and methods as this type of mindset is what leads to discoveries. Cheers and Reef on! 😎🐠🐟🐡
It's near unknowed in germany,never saw it in shops ,be carefull reviews on reef to reef some years ago weren't great
@@tomg5405 thanks for the heads up. I thoroughly research everything before making decisions. Negative reviews could be user-error or other factors causing adverse effects and ultimately blamed on the salt. I think I would have noticed any undesirable results since the beginning, especially month-one. Here’s a run-down of my setup to have a better idea of why, in my opinion, I have success:
1) In-line UV sterilizer - never had iche or velvet/parasites plus reduced algae growth
2) ROWA Phos in reactor to reduce phosphates
3) eshopps skimmer for the usual nutrient export and oxygen exchange
4) refugium with chaeto and Neptune GROW LED
5) Dosing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef on WiFi pump for trace minerals, magnesium, alkalinity, and calcium.
6) I filter my own water with 4-stage BRS RODI system
7) Occasionally dose food-grade baking soda (aluminum-free sodium bicarbonate) for alkalinity uptake in order to avoid overdosing All-For-Reef
Here’s my parameters:
Ph: 8.3-8.4
Alkalinity: 8-9 DKh
Phosphates: 0.05 ppm
Nitrates: 7-10 ppm (dosing NeoNitro occasionally due to corals consuming it)
Water temperature: 78-81° F
Salinity: 1.026 specific gravity
*My water change schedule is 10% every 2-3 months. I’m on the “changeless water quest” so theoretically the HW salt reefer mix is really being put to the test and has pleasantly passed so far.
*Currently keeping acropora, other SPS, LPS, and softies.
Hope this helps. 😃
@@limitlessluis that is a very good sep up for a beginner, or your since more long in the hobby or you inform yourself very good befor starting. And I think even if you would use a bad salt, as you use all for reef you should not have issue about trace elements. On reef too reef many people seemed to have the same problem same time with very low potassium, I think it was probably a bad batch, probably they have fixed it since. Strangely I can find near no information about this salt in Germany. But the description looks a lot same the salt from another brand, my guess is maybe they sell it in other countries under another name
HW is the only salt I’ve used since 2016. Although I agree with Keith that the consistency of Captiv8 may be better than blended salts, and it’s nice to have the ability to reach out to a knowledgeable US supplier such as Chris, I have to rely on independent comparative data. As best I can tell, none exists, so not changing yet. Hint - buy a year’s worth of HW on Black Friday. That’s my move.
You new system looks great. Major prop in getting that growth form. I knew that took some time getting strong random flow similar to a thunder storm
Is this the same as the ESV salt? Also a 4 part, 2 dry, 2 liquid. I have used it for a year now and it has been very consistent and actually easier to mix since it is measured by weight.
Same concept and I used to use the ESV salt a few years ago, I liked it alot.
I've also made the switch to Captiv8 reef salts and thier other line of products, kalk,Isol8 mt,nitr8, etc. Also been doing icp tests from reef labs, over all I'm happy with the switch.
That Tshirt is EPIC!
Would you have switched salts if they hadn't sponsored the video?
I made the switch before there was a material connection with Captiv8. So the answer is yes.
@@ReefBum Good to know. I use Tropic Marin Pro Reef but I am always looking for other salts that mix clean as options in case I want to try something different. BTW, Tropic Marin Pro always mixes clean for me as well.
I very much like the chemistry considerations of using a 4-part mix. It's hard to argue against how much of a benefit that would provide to consistency.
But, at my point in reefing: the idea of measuring each part in addition to all the other maintenance tasks seems like a chore I'd put off doing. And with me personally, that means I'd do water changes less often. It's a personal point of criticism. But, I know how I operate. I also don't have the infrastructure like a mixing station with bulk RO/DI storage. I have the old trusted Brute, that gets filled with RO overnight, and then mixed with salt the next day. Nor do I have multiple tanks or a large volume (90 gallon system). For these reasons, a small bucket of salt works well. I also go for the small buckets to help guard against stratification of larger buckets during shipping.
A method like Capti8's seems like something I'd consider or rather graduate too as I progress into larger systems, with more coral biomass, and much larger volumes of water (and thus salt mix). I also see the advantage of a hobby level water storage system, which would help negate the chore as you can mix a larger batch and use it over time.
I think it's a fantastic concept for what is the very foundation of our reef tanks. But, I don't see the advantages being a large factor for smaller scale hobbyist like myself. The argument for for this product is really aimed at those with larger systems, more infrastructure, or multiple tanks. And in that case, this seems like a fantastic product line. And it certainly should be considered for any commercial operations, where any flaws in salt consistency could spell economic doom. If I had a farm, I'd certainly use something like this for it's consistency alone. Those are likely the gaps in the market where Capti8 can break in.
what is the cost per gallon difference between captiv8 and instant ocean?
I believe I calculated it out to be 2x higher for price for Capitv8 vs. IO.
Is this salt around anymore? I’m not really seeing it available anymore anywhere.
www.captiv8aquaculture.com/shop?Collection=Sea+Salt+Blends+%28Complete%29
Just looked up the cost for captive and that's a no go for me. 30 years using IO and not changing.
Not disclosed here is how long the salt has been in use. Changes in coral health are not always apparent right away so cause may be from some other factor prior to new salt use. Please show the salt bin after a significant time period and then state how long. It's true though, IO does leave behind gunk but another important point is how long does it stay consistent as far a parameters in the container. In my experience IO is hard to beat here. Test the water after a weak then let us know if their are any changes.
I did mention right in the beginning that I have been using the salt for 2 months. I did power wash my salt water mixing drum and removed as much of the dirt and filth as possible but there is still staining left over from the IO salt. I can assure you the Captiv8 salt is not dirty as it does not have a film at the top like the IO salt. I also mentioned that I could not prove that the coral coloration improved due to the salt and traces. But I did say that I made no other major changes to the tank. Could the increased colors be due to a drop of my phosphates? Sure.
Where do you get this salt and trace elements? Is this something you sell on your site?
I do not sell Captiv8 stuff but you can shop for their products here.
Captiv8 Aquaculture Salt
portal-captiv8aquaculture.com/products/formul8-reef-35-4-ppt-enhanced-coral-culture-ionic-values
Other Captiv8 Aquaculture Products
www.captiv8aquaculture.com/purchasing
This is an interesting take, and I some ways sounds like a step towards the Triton Method, which mixes powders and is a four part (technically only 3 part) dosing system. I have to withdraw about 300ml of water for the ATO to top off to maintain stable salinity, but I don’t really use salt as I rarely do water changes. 6months since I’ve done one.
Sounds good. I've used IO, Red Sea, HW, NeoMarine, Turkish Blend, and haven't seen any difference except for paramaters which I trend to run on the high side, so prefer R/Sea black bucket. Does it make a difference? If you like clean buckets it does. If the manufacturer can't get their $hit together. Yes. Salt is rarely the limiting factor when it comes to reefing. The reefer usually is. You've used a variety of brands and have had success because you know what you're doing. BTW, the frags (HW, TBM) I got from you 6 months ago are amazing and blowing up. Keep up the good wokr, Keith!
The trace elements account for any improvements seen imo
Do you need to add anything else or is it a premix blend? Thinking of giving this a try
It comes in 4 parts, two are liquids and two are solids. Just make sure you pick up an accurate scale and some beakers to make sure you measure each part accurately.
What is the coral at 3:49
Jason Fox Homewrecker
Never heard of this Captivate 8 salt been using been red sea salt no problem is this stuff available at stores or only online I never heard of it your Tank's looking awesome
My go to is fritz salt bc alk seem to always be spot on but been buying reefcrystals bc of cost associated with having 700 total volume. Bummer fritz cost 75bucks for a box now. Reef crystal being 40 bucks is a steal
I feel like the captiv8 method leave more room for error. Now there are 4 parts that can be messed up by the manufacturer and then also by the consumer.
Saying that large manufacturers have had issues doesn't prove that small manufacturers do not and you even point out that you don't know if IO could have issues down the line.
Just seems silly to me that you've had years and years of success with a product, even building a frag business off of it, and then subtly imply it caused browning while singing the praises of a new sponsored product you have less than a years experience with.
Just saying "hey, maybe this thing is what turned my tank around but I don't know and can't prove anything" doesn't help the consumer at all.
So if you go back and re-watch the video you will see that I said the brown outs likely occurred due to high phosphates (I dosed too much). They were not due to the IO salt. My point is that the Captiv8 salt and traces may have led to the colors coming back. But as I said in the video I can't prove that. As for the 4 parts they are individual components and are raw materials that have an extremely high degree of purity (over 99%). So there will not be any issues with mixing anything together because Captive8 is not doing the mixing, the end user is. That is why I said it is important for the end user to measure the 4 different components carefully.
I switched because I am a bit gun shy about what has happened with other salts in terms of them not being mixed homogeneously. This can happen if salt blends are sold in a bucket or box to hobbyists. Is there a possibility for a quality control issue with the Captiv8 salt? Sure, but I feel the possibility of quality control issues are higher for those companies that mix salt with solid components in a factory blender or mixer.
BTW, I made the switch from IO to Captiv8 before there was a material connection between me and Captiv8. Again, I will NOT use anything that is not going to be good for my animals.
@@ReefBum I realize you mentioned phosphates but you also claim that the colors may have come back because of captiv8. That implies that they would not have come back with IO.
I also said that it leaves more room for error because the 4 parts could be messed up by either the manufacturer OR the consumer. I don't see having to mix the parts as a benefit at all, just another chance to get it wrong. Also, im sure tropic marin also claimed a high purity, mistakes happen on every level.
I believe that you believe this is the best move but I also am not going trust a company solely based on claims....we've seen many products pushed on youtube that end up being a lower quality or something totally different than they claim time and time again.
And honestly, your gun shy about the salt you had success with but not something new and relatively untested? We've all seen what IO is capable of in your tanks, absolutely stunning results.....
@@AH-tw4wy I think at this point let's agree to disagree :)
Absolutely live Instant Ocean, basic salt not the reef salt. I also dose 2 part and TM part C. It is like having TM salt but way cheaper
That captive8 salt sounds like ESV salt.
Yep, same concept.
I would imagine the trace elements had more impact than switching salts (that said, impurities like copper, aluminum, etc can dull colors if they are in too high of a concentration).
Would love to see you give reef moonshiner method a try! I know it sounds like a bunch of nonsense, but it's legit the best thing I've ever done for my systems. Better colors, faster growth, and more time for me :)
“Includes paid promotion” is all you need to know here folks. Changing salts isn’t gonna make your reef any prettier. Unbiased reefing content is near impossible to find these days. Seen it over and over. Before sponsors, use instant ocean, after sponsors, use free stuff
All I can tell you is that I ONLY use products that I think will be good for my corals and fish. Yep, there is a material connection with Captiv8 but again I would not be using their stuff if I didn't think it was of the highest quality and good for my reef. Note **Disclosure of Material Connection** in video description. Do you have any counter points about what was said in the video in terms of the salt mixing issues I raised? You can't deny the problems with some of the salts out there.
Honestly, not cleaning out salt bins and pumps is worth the extra for me. At least he's being honest that it's a sponsored post.
Yea he’s probably sponsored but seemed like a pretty honest review. Didn’t make any snake oil claims or anything
@@ReefBum Keep up the amazing work Keith. I guess no matter how genuine you are you will always have haters. I Remember you talking to the guy who owns captiv8. Great review on the salt.
This is what’s hurting hobby instant ocean reef crystals works but this guys push more expensive stuff they get for free they price ppl out off hobby that used to be fun
Keith, where do you buy the salt?
Link is in the video description. portal-captiv8aquaculture.com/products/formul8-reef-35-4-ppt-enhanced-coral-culture-ionic-values
I plan on switching from reef crystals too. Corals look fine but I like the idea of consistent trace elements in the Captiv8. Perhaps I can decrease water changes in my 320 to biweekly or monthly if ICP determines trace elements are holding steady.
Where are you getting the NaCl…
@@andrewsdrmike Morton Purex, over 99.5% pure. portal-captiv8aquaculture.com/products/formul8x-reef-pre-mix-35-4-ppt-enhanced-coral-culture-ionic-values
Glad to hear you have switched, not a fan of IO. Had to use a bucket after we had an issue at work and needed big water changes. Pulled a fresh bucket off the shelf and alk was testing at 12+ every time I mixed some up. Magnesium was also stupid high on it. After that experience it seems like using IO is a huge liability unless you do tiny water changes.
What a scam!!! 40 years using IO and reef crystals fairly priced And NO Problem s.Spend more money if u wish.😀