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salt

Contents:

1. Which salt mix is best?
   by krogers/javelin.sim.es.com (K. Rogers) (Mon, 4 May 1992)
2. [M] "Red Sea" brand salt SUCKS!
   by shom0004/student.tc.umn.edu () (Fri, 30 Jul 1993)

Which salt mix is best?

by krogers/javelin.sim.es.com (K. Rogers)
Date: Mon, 4 May 1992
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria

>>I was wondering if anyone had any opinion as to which salt mix is best?
>> - Instant Ocean
>> - New Reef Crystals
>>CoraLife
>>Hawaiian Marine 
>
>Best for what, and in what category?  Instant Ocean is arguably the "best",
>because it's cheapest.  And it's fine for keeping a fish-only tank like
>mine.  Personally, I use Tropic Marin, because it's cheapest around here
>(it can be bought in bulk quantities more readily than can the other
>brands).

According to Bidwell and Spotte all commercial brands are pretty much
a toss up.  For one, they use mostly to exclusively technician grade
chemicals to keep the stuff affordable.  The purity of these grades
allow for large variations in trace elements.  They consider these
salts to be useful for routine maintenance of adult fish and inverts
only and recommend you make your own salt from one of the couple
hundred recipes they supply if you need controlable and standard
mixtures.  I don't remember the name of the book but the authors are
noted above and it was published only a couple years ago.

As for me, I use IO, which I can get locally for $13 a 50 gallon bag,
and supply what trace elements I've found important or have reason to
believe are important (like real scientists doing Big Science papers,
not full page ads in aquarium rags.)  As near as I can tell my tank is
as well off as any reported on the Net in terms of animal health and
spawning reports.

BTW, the really expesnive german (and Thiel's of course) salts really
are better formulations because they use ACS reagent grade or better
chemicals.  Not many of us can afford $100 / 50 gallon mix, though...
-- 
Keith Rogers
Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
krogers-at-javelin.sim.es.com

[M] "Red Sea" brand salt SUCKS!

by shom0004/student.tc.umn.edu ()
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1993
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria

I recently tried a new brand of salt mixture, "Red Sea" and I have
to say, it was AWFUL.  There was a LOT of strange residue left over
after I mixed it up, and SOMETHING in there dissolved with a wildly
exothermic reaction that I've never noticed while stirring in 
Instant Ocean or Corallife.  (By exothermic, I mean that
a handful of the mixture, held in water got scalding (painfully)
hot.  )  
	Since I didn't have any other salt around, and I needed to
do a water change, I ended up using it (after filtering it
through a MAgnum with a micron filter and diatomaceous earth),
but I don't think my fish are exactly thrilled with it, and the
pH seems lower than it ought to be.  

Don't let anyone sell you this stuff.

				Nirah

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