Aquaforest Reef Mineral Salt — NaCl-free salt for the Balling method, in an 800 g pack or 5 kg bucket

Reef Mineral Salt is not a standard marine salt — it's a sodium-chloride-free (NaCl-free) mineral blend that keeps the ionic balance of a reef tank dosed with the Balling method. The principle: every dose of calcium (calcium chloride) and KH Buffer (sodium bicarbonate) mechanically adds NaCl to the tank. Reef Mineral Salt offsets it by supplying the essential components of marine salt — without extra sodium chloride. Two formats: the 800 g resealable pack to set up the routine, and the 5 kg bucket for large tanks and multi-tank setups.

What Reef Mineral Salt does in the Balling protocol

Ionic balance — offsets the NaCl produced by Ca + KH dosing to preserve ocean composition.
Essential marine salt components — magnesium, calcium, potassium, bromine, fluorine, boron, strontium and other trace elements (official Aquaforest list).
Third pillar of Balling — dosed with the same liquid amounts as the Calcium and KH Buffer solutions.
Combinable with Magnesium — Aquaforest confirms it can be prepared in one solution with Magnesium.

Official preparation and dosing

Stock solution: dissolve 25 g in 1,000 ml of RO/DI water.
Dosing: the solution is dosed with the same liquid amounts as the Calcium and KH Buffer solutions, based on water tests and coral consumption.
Stock solution refresh: every two to three weeks, bottle away from light, shaken before each draw.
Official Aquaforest note: dosing cannot replace water changes, which are still necessary.

Which format for which tank?

800 g pack: several months of routine on a mid-sized reef — the format to start with.
5 kg bucket: at 25 g per liter of stock solution, it covers one to two years on a 200 US gal (757 L) tank with moderate growth, depending on measured calcium consumption.

Our advice

"We make it ourselves with the liquids. In the end it's the same thing as Component 1+2+3+, except it's more economical to make it yourself with the products: Reef Mineral Salt, Calcium, Magnesium, alkalinity (KH Buffer) and Components Strong. Same version, more economical — and it's what we run one hundred percent at the store: the salt and the 1+2+3+ we mix ourselves. We've been using it for years. We've tried a lot of products and honestly, it's the best result I've had of everything I've tried — and the easiest to follow."

— Stéphane, Aquarium ReefSolution, Laval

Why choose ReefSolution

Authorized Aquaforest dealer. In business since 1999 — in-store expertise in Laval and delivery across Canada.

Component C 2,000 ml — the ready-to-dose liquid version of the same magnesium and trace element balance.
Ca Plus — the calcium solution to dose alongside for KH-Ca-Mg stability.
KH Plus 2 L — the alkalinity solution to dose with Ca Plus in the simplified routine.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Reef Mineral Salt with the Ca Plus / KH Plus routine?

Yes — Reef Mineral Salt rounds out the Ca Plus + KH Plus strategy by supplying the magnesium, potassium and trace elements those two products don't. It's the third pillar of the simplified Aquaforest protocols.

Reef Mineral Salt or ready-made Components 1+2+3+?

Both roads lead to the same balance. Components 1+2+3+ come ready to dose; Reef Mineral Salt is for mixing your own solution — with Calcium, Magnesium, KH Buffer and Components Strong — the most economical option. It's the house recipe the store runs (see our advice above).

Can I add it directly to water-change salt?

No — Reef Mineral Salt is designed for daily solution dosing, not for mixing into water-change salt. Water-change salts (Reef Salt, Reef Salt+, Hybrid Pro) already include their own trace elements. And dosing does not replace the water changes themselves.

How long does a 5 kg bucket last?

At 25 g per liter of stock solution and a typical 20-40 ml/day dose on a 200 US gal (757 L) tank with moderate growth, the bucket easily covers one to two years. Exact duration depends on your tank's measured calcium consumption.