Sea Salt vs "Marine Salt"

[dannypd]

I have been buying marine salt at aquarium services (big als) for some time now, usually buying the big containers.

I have found out I can purchase sea salt (guarenteed to have been obtained by evaporating ocean water), for much MUCH less then this "phosphate free" stuff.

Is this safe for a brackish water setup?  

(I'm not worried about algea, I got a neat little refugerium with 13W flurescent light and LOTS of algea grow )

This salt is coming from Portugal or PEI, either place...portugal is a little cheaper (warmer weather?)

[Marx]

yes you can use instant ocean salt and use it in brackish..

[NjOyRiD]

when you use marine or sea salt, you have to mix the aslt and water in a bucket first or u just drop the salt in the tank?

when doing a weekly cleaning, what are your procedures?

[gator]

Posted: 18 Apr 2005 09:37    Post subject:  

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when you use marine or sea salt, you have to mix the aslt and water in a bucket first or u just drop the salt in the tank?

when doing a weekly cleaning, what are your procedures?

Well, when I do a water change (usually 5 percent per month or so),  I used pre-mixed saltwater aged in a rubbermaid container.  I usually let it age for several days, the reason being that freshly mixed salt water is fairly caustic.

[dannypd]

I'm not looking for how to mix the salt water!!

I have a fully established tank at the moment!!!

I am wondering if SEASALT (something you buy from the grocery store for food....NOT iodine based salt, I'm talking crystal based evaporated from the ocean).

I can buy a large bag for $20 imported versus the $70 bag from BigAls' or what not...

[oenology]

I have use sea salt from Loblaws (Italian brand) to do salt treatments of my fancy goldfish and as a regular addition at waterchanges. I have also used pickling salt and kosher salt. In fact as far as I know, any salt that doesn't contain iodine is OK (although I think I read somewhere that certain Tang. Cichlids get goiter and need a bit of iodine in their diet). Which as I think about it is probably present in minute quantities in the sea salt:? I know nothing about brackish conditions.

[dannypd]

I have use sea salt from Loblaws (Italian brand) to do salt treatments of my fancy goldfish and as a regular addition at waterchanges. I have also used pickling salt and kosher salt. In fact as far as I know, any salt that doesn't contain iodine is OK (although I think I read somewhere that certain Tang. Cichlids get goiter and need a bit of iodine in their diet). Which as I think about it is probably present in minute quantities in the sea salt:? I know nothing about brackish conditions.

Brackish water can be found in estuaries between oceans and fresh water bodies.

It's pretty much dilluted ocean water...

[gator]

As far as "phosphate-free" salt goes, I've never heard of such a thing.   As for your concerns re: having a phosphate free product, it seems to me that brackish ecosystems would be by their nature (close proximity to land) very nutrient rich, including phosphate run-off from agricultural activities, so for you to spend extra money on a product that is being sold as "phosphate-free" seems to me unecessary.

[mseguin]

From what I remember from my paper on estuariy ecology, estuaries are rich in nutirents obtained from decaying plants, but tend to be otherwise fairly nutrient poor. But I don't ahve my paper  right here, so I cant exactly remember the research.

[dannypd]

So, in that case, from now on, I purchase SEASALT from PORTUGAL.

Unless I hear reason not to, my first purchase will be next tuesday (where around 80lbs come in, uncleaned and fresh)

[oenology]

So, in that case, from now on, I purchase SEASALT from PORTUGAL.

Unless I hear reason not to, my first purchase will be next tuesday (where around 80lbs come in, uncleaned and fresh)

What do you mean uncleaned? Tanker oil residues? Beach garbage? On a Koi board, Roack's Experimental Puddle I think there was discussion on using sea salt harvested(?) from one of the big bays in California. When it was analysed it was found to contain higher levels of pollutants than one would want to put in a tank.

[dannypd]

So, in that case, from now on, I purchase SEASALT from PORTUGAL.

Unless I hear reason not to, my first purchase will be next tuesday (where around 80lbs come in, uncleaned and fresh)

What do you mean uncleaned? Tanker oil residues? Beach garbage? On a Koi board, Roack's Experimental Puddle I think there was discussion on using sea salt harvested(?) from one of the big bays in California. When it was analysed it was found to contain higher levels of pollutants than one would want to put in a tank.

No no, there's a possibility there are particalss of fish and stuff on them...

In other words, you dont exactly want to cook food with them, but drying meat out is totally okay.  (including cod).

I'm gonna put salt into a rubbermaid container and put a filter in there, and take the water out of there.  Any particles should be taken care of by the filter...that also lets the salt water sit a few days!

[gator]

As far as using uncleaned salt goes, lots of saltwater people use narural saltwater from relatively polluted areas for their water changes (off the coast of new york city and new jersey), and report no ill effects to their reef tanks.  I think that most of the stuff, like heavy metals, etc, settles to the bottom where it is taken up in the food chain.   My understanding is that very little of the really bad stuff remains in soution in the seawater itself.

[dannypd]

As far as using uncleaned salt goes, lots of saltwater people use narural saltwater from relatively polluted areas for their water changes (off the coast of new york city and new jersey), and report no ill effects to their reef tanks.  I think that most of the stuff, like heavy metals, etc, settles to the bottom where it is taken up in the food chain.   My understanding is that very little of the really bad stuff remains in soution in the seawater itself.

also, oil floats