Best Reef Salt Mix in 2023 – Chosing The Best Salt For Your Mix

Making sure that you have the right equipment and decorations for your saltwater aquarium can be difficult as it is.

But having the right aquarium conditions for your reef tank can be even more difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for. One of the most vital factors to consider before you purchase anything for your reef aquarium is the type of salt mix.

Unlike freshwater aquariums, saltwater aquariums are required to have a certain level of salt in the water, which is an extra step to consider and continuously monitor as you’re caring for your saltwater tank. Reef salt mix is able to be added into your saltwater aquarium in order to bring the most vital compounds needed for the corals and reef plants in your tank to become healthy and grow effectively.

Given the difficult of choosing the best types of reef salt mixes to put in your tank, I’ve put together a guide that can help you in your buying process. Now if you are interested in maintaining your aquarium the right way, start here.

Otherwise this guide contains some of the best information to consider before you choose on any certain type of mix to introduced to your saltwater aquarium. Not only that, but I’ve also included my reviews about five reef salt mixes on the market. Lastly, I’ve included information about what I think is the best reef salt mix that I think you should consider purchasing.

See what is our selection of best aquarium plants

And the best 10 gallon tanks

How to Mix Saltwater for Your Aquarium

1. Required equipment

Make sure that you have a RODI System for mixing your saltwater. A RODI System is a Reverse Osmosis Deionization System, and it helps remove the water impurities from the tap water so that you can add the salt into the water for your tank. In addition to that, you’ll also want to make sure that you have a Refractometer and a calibration fluid. The Refractometer is responsible for measuring the salinity of your aquarium water, and its calibration fluid helps to calibrate the device so that it’s able to offer the most accurate measurements.

I’d recommend purchasing these at either a pet store or online, since you’ll need them if you’re planning on caring for a saltwater aquarium tank for a long period of time. In addition to that, I’d also recommend getting an aquarium heater, since your water should be at a certain temperature before you place your fish, corals, and other marine organisms back into the water. Lastly, you’ll need an aquarium wavemaker or a return pump. 

Talking of which, read on to check out our awesome guide on the best betta fish toys. 

2. Heat the RODI water

After you have all of the correct equipment to mix your saltwater, you should heat up the water that you’ve treated with the RODI System, and this can be done with the aquarium heater. Make sure that the water is at the right temperature for your specific aquarium type. After it’s heated use the wavemaker to put it into circulation to continue mixing.

3. Add salt

After your water is all heated, filtered, and circulated, you’ll then want to add your salt. You can add the right amount of salt by consulting the menu or label on the certain product of salt mix that you have. Add the salt until your Refractometer reaches 35 PPM. After that, wait up to a half hour. You should wait between every time that you have to add salt to the to ensure the salinity is mixed throughout the water. After you have the right salinity for your specific tank, you can then add the water to the tank and allow your fish to enjoy their aquatic environment.

If you’re also wondering what causes red slime algae, read the guide before moving on. 

Features to Consider Before Buying Reef Salt Mix

Ingredients of Reef Salt Mix

Before you purchase any kind of reef salt for your aquarium, you should make sure that you’re aware of every ingredient that’s in the certain salt mixture. For instance, you should make sure that any salt mix you find is able to offer three of the most important elements, including calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity. Some of the best types of reef salt mixes are able to offer each of these elements in high quantities.

Your salt mix should have a high amount of calcium because your corals use calcium in order to build and support their skeletons. Without it, they won’t be able to grow into strong plants, lessening the length of their overall lives. You should also make sure that your salt mix has a high alkalinity, since it refers to a high content of bicarbonate. Having a high bicarbonate is recommended because it decreases the level of acidity in your water, thus creating better water conditions for your aquarium organisms.

Lastly, your reef salt mix should have a high amount of magnesium, since this is one of the main components present in natural saltwater. Magnesium is able to interact with bicarbonate in your water in order to prevent the removal of the salt in your water.

Organisms in your aquarium

It’s also important that you consider what types of organisms are living in your tank, since you’ll want to use a salt mix that’s able to safely interact with the organisms in your water. Not only that, but some marine organisms require certain water conditions, so you’ll want to consider what those requirements are in order to accommodate for their needs.

Each different salt mix offers varying levels of ingredients, such as different degrees of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium. Because of that, make sure that he certain fish, types of corals, plants, and other marine organisms in your tank are able to withstand the amount of salt mix doses and mixtures that you place into the tank before using them.

Synthetic or mined salt mixes

You should consider whether your specific tank will benefit from either synthetic or mined salt, since they both offer varying effects. More specifically, mined salts come from evaporated seawater deposits in the ocean. Synthetic mixes are more expensive, since they have a higher quality of salt and are usually pulled straight from the ocean (2).

Check out this video for more tips on finding the best reef salt mix:

Best Reef Salt Mixes in 2023

1. Kent Marine Saltwater Aquarium Salt Mix

You’re highly recommended to check out this saltwater mixture because you have the ability to purchase it in a variety of different sizes, so you can purchase the size that’s best able to provide you with the best benefits to fit your specific saltwater aquarium. Not only that, but this Kent Marine product was produced using Cora-Vite technology, so it’s able to offer high quality salt.

Furthermore, this Kent Marine product is able to dissolve quickly into water, decreasing the amount of time that you’ll have to spend making the mixture. It’s also enhanced with calcium, strontium, iodine, and other vitamins and minerals that can provide your aquarium with beneficial features.

Pros:

• Available in various sizes
• Produced with Cora-Vite technology
• Enhanced with certain vitamins and minerals to improve the water conditions of your tank

Cons:

• More expensive than most other saltwater mixes on the market

2. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt for Reef Aquariums

I’d recommend that you check out this specific saltwater mixture because it’s also available in various different sizes that give you the ability to purchase no more than what’s needed for your specific tank size. Additionally, this saltwater mix is formulated specifically for reef aquariums, so it’s able to contribute all of its ingredients towards improving the health condition of your specific corals and other reef plants.

Moreover, this salt mix contains extra calcium so that the skeletons of your corals and reef plants are improved and strengthened. There are also extra trace elements and extra vitamins in this mixture to make sure that your aquarium is healthy and beautiful.

Pros:

• Detoxifies metals in your tank
• Contains extra ingredients for maximized health, including extra calcium, trace elements, and vitamins
• Available in various sizes to accommodate for different tank sizes

Cons:

• Not recommended for saltwater tanks with fish

3. Brightwell Aquatics Neomarine Marine Salt for Aquarium

The Brightwell Aquatics Neomarine Marine Salt is highly suggested for your aquarium tank because it’s available at an affordable price, and it’s also able to deliver beneficial effects for the condition of your saltwater. For instance, this marine salt is able to offer beneficial trace elements and other natural elements that can help to improve the overall condition of your saltwater aquarium.

In addition to each of these benefits, this product has been tested over a multi-year period, so its effects have been studied closely to ensure your saltwater not only safety but improvement. This mixture is classified as a Persian salt mixture that’s able to offer similar effects to your aquarium’s water as the Persian Sea for its marine organisms.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Tested over multiple years for safety, improvement, and effectiveness
• Classified as a Persian salt blend

Cons:

• Only gives you the option to purchase one size: 150-gallon

4. Red Sea Fish Pharm Coral Pro Marine Salt for Aquarium

You’re recommended to check out this Red Sea Fish Pharm Marine Salt because it contains ingredients that are able to promote healthy coral growth as well as accelerated health. More specifically, this product in particular contains trace elements that are able to be absorbed by the corals and other reef elements in order to encourage healthy growth.

Furthermore, the Red Sea marine salt is able to provide you with the beneficial information that you need in order to mix the correct amount of salt within your saltwater tank. More specifically, this product discloses information about the ratio between the different elements included, such as the amounts of calcium, magnesium, and carbonates.

Pros:

• Provides nutrients required for various corals, including hard and soft plants
• Shares info about the ratios between the trace elements
• Comes in a 175-gallon bucket

Cons:

• More expensive than some of the other marine salt products on this list

5. Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums

This Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Organisms is one of the most recommended products because it’s not only available in various different sizes for maximum customization, but it’s also classified as a great choice by many public aquariums and scientific research facilities.

Additionally, this product is recommended for you because it’s able to dissolve quickly into the tank water, decreasing the amount of time that you’ll have to spend mixing and preparing the solution inside of the saltwater. Lastly, this Instant Ocean product is recommended for you because I was able to produce up to 200 gallons of water in just one box of the product.

Pros:

• Recommended by scientists and public aquariums
• Available in various sizes
• Nitrate and phosphate-free

Cons:

• Previous customers complain that the mixture is clumpy when mixing

Conclusion

Overall, each of the reef salt mixes included on this list give you the ability to accurately create the best water conditions for your aquatic organisms. More specifically, they all contain the right type of ingredients for your saltwater, and they can be easily mixed to add to your tank water. Given the beneficial features of each product, it can be difficult to choose between which mixture you want to purchase, even after reviewing all of the buying information.

Because of that, I’d recommended product #5: Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums as the best reef salt mix in this guide. This product is not only recommended by some of the most knowledgeable and credible sources in the aquarium industry, but it’s also recommended because it ensures maximum safety features. For instance, this product doesn’t contain any nitrate or phosphate, so you don’t have to worry about your aquarium water experiencing negative effects as a result of the mixture.

Not only that, but I suggest that you purchase this Instant Ocean product because it’s able to produce up to 200 gallons of water, and it contains all of the necessary elements needed in order to create a healthy saltwater aquarium. Given all of these benefits, you’re most recommended to purchase the Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums on the market.

As a suggested next read, we recommend having a look at our best aquarium stands for your fish tank.