Reef Tank Chemistry & Salt Mix Guides

We commit to identifying the best of the best, not a single crown champion, but the best for specific reefing styles.

Ryan scored it a 7/10—with a caveat that could bump it to a 10. Terence went straight to 9/10 out of the gate. Time to find out why the Nyos Ion-B surprised us.

It's been around longer than either of us, yet there are surprises at every turn. How can something that contains trace elements effectively not replenish them? Today we review ESV and find out the answers together.

Red Seas CRC wasn’t our favorite among the additive systems we reviewed, and it comes with a fairly significant price tag. But would we still recommend it to Serious Reefers? Let’s find out together.

NAF is a sodium hydroxide based two part with double the pH lift of most two parts. Is the pH juice worth the squeeze? It’s not dangerous but is it safe? Do you need a monitor or controller to use NAF? Time to give an unfiltered look!

Triton 4 part. Does it live up to expectations? This one turned out to be better than both of us remembered on a variety of fronts but cost was #1.

Time for an unfiltered review of AquaForest 1+, 2+, 3+. Upfront, this wasn’t our favorite additive solution for intermediate to advanced reefers, but there is one group we would recommend it to, newer reefers.

Baseline kalkwasser is nearly free, and even the highest-quality options are only marginally more expensive. Calcium hydroxide delivers a stronger pH boost than most two-part systems, can help reduce phosphate, supports coral growth, and doesn’t alter salinity. Despite these benefits, kalkwasser is often dismissed. The reason isn’t the chemistry—it’s the outdated ways it was traditionally used.

Time for an unfiltered look at an old friend, BRS two part. True to form, Terence gives his opinions raw. And since I am the one who helped create this kit, I am about as biased as it gets. But with the unfiltered hat on, we take a fresh look at it and see how it really stacks up. Let’s find out where BRS two part lands compared to the rest..

Time for an unfiltered review of Aquaforest’s 3-in-1 calcium formate one-part reef tank additive. Spoiler alert: it’s exceptionally clean, noticeably cleaner than its main competitor, and it costs less. But is it something we’d actually use on a reef tank? Let’s find out.

Time to take an unfiltered look at Brightwell’s Reef Code Two-Part. We learned a lot in this review, not just about the additive itself, but about how bias quietly shapes every review. Come along for the ride and decide for yourself whether Reef Code is the right two-part for your reef.

This one surprised us. All-For-Reef earns a 9.3 for most reefers and still lands around a 7 for intermediate to advanced setups—making it one of the most versatile options out there. We break it down from every angle and share exactly what we learned along the way.

Reefers ask all the time, “Why not mix it stronger?” Historically, our answer has been that it is difficult to dissolve more alkalinity (soda ash) into a gallon of solution. Today we put that to the test. Common retail additives like Nyos, Red Sea, and Triton all approach 10,000 dKH per liter using commercial mixing. The question is, can we do it at home with a spoon?

A dozen unfiltered additive reviews. Each one taught us something, but the real test came after seeing them all side by side. That perspective reshaped how we view reef additives and made one thing clear. There are definite winners.

Today, Ryan Thompson shares the results of his 2022 Ultimate Salt Test on Reef2Reef. While a few salts stood out, this is a great time to set aside brand loyalty, dig into the data, and discover something new about the salts we use in our reef tanks.

Last week we covered Ryan Thompson’s Ultimate Salt Test. This week we look at a second round of tests, years apart, from entirely different labs. Will the results match, and if they do, what does it mean for reefers?

In a blind bucket test, which salt mix would you pick? The salt mix where marine embryos thrive, similar to the way they do in natural seawater, or the one that kills nearly all of them? Time to explore one of the hobby's most debated experiments of all time.

If your answer to "Who makes the best salt?" is simply what you use, then you're missing the point of the question. Today, we explore what really matters to all reefers and find the right salt for everyone and every job.