Salt Mix Measurement - Dec 2005

moneyman

moneyman

Member
Interesting article by Mathew Marulla, Thomas O'Toole titled: Feature Article: Inland Reef Aquaria Salt Study, Part I & II
* AquaMedic Sea Salt (AM)
* Oceanic Sea Salt (O)
* Omega Sea Marine Salt (OS)
* Aqua Craft Bio-Sea MarineMix (BSM)
* Marine Enterprises Crystal Sea MarineMix (CSM)
* Tropic Marin Sea Salt (TM)
* Instant Ocean (IO)
* Kent Marine Salt (KM)
* Marine Enterprises Crystal Sea Bio-Assay Formula (CSB)
They rank the 'best' salt statistically. Tropic Marin & Kent Marine tie for first. Instant Ocean is a close 2nd.
Here are just a few measurements
PH:

Magnesium:

Sulfur:

Potassium:

Calcium:

Bromine:

Silicon:

Iodine:
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Was there more to this article? I remember reading a year or so ago an article where the author went much more in-depth in testing every salt. There was like 10 or 15 things that the author tested for in each salt mix.
 
moneyman

moneyman

Member
There are like 20 elements that were tested.
What was interesting to me are:
1) Salt mix doesn't have enough sulfur. This is great because I've recently add Epsom Salt.
2) Iodine is hard to detect even for the authors, assumed to be 'professionals'. Yet, iodine in the mix far exceed NSW.
 
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thomas712

Guest
You know what ticks me off though, it really doesn't matter what chemist does what, cause if I open a bag, box, or bucket of Brand X salt in Michigan, it's not going to test the same as the same brand X that someone opens in Texas, or Colorado, or Florida...It's just not going to. I think the several salt survey on the net by experts and on every BB out there by regular hobbyists like me are tending to show this. Its all a crap shoot IMO, IME.
Here I have the feeling that this has some truth to it, not matter how one sided it is. This is from the makers of the one sided S-15 report.
Issue No. 3
Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Water
Copyright © 2000 by Aqua Craft®, Inc. All rights reserved.
(WHAT THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS)
The subject of trace elements has received more attention than Bill and Monica. In regards to trace elements in marine salts, most of the information is at best bogus.
In the early 1970's hW Marinemix® told the world they had all 62 trace elements in their salt. Tropic Marin®told the world that they had all 70 elements in their salt. Instant Ocean® told the world they had all elements known to be essential. Forty Fathoms® (now Crystal Sea®) printed an "assay" that showed dozens and dozens of elements in their salt.
In Sea Scope™, the Aquarium Systems®, Inc. dealer/consumer handout was a front page article entitled... "Trace Element War". It appeared that the marine salt with the most trace elements was the winner. Quite simply, this made mundane reading for the average marine hobbyist and made no sense at all to qualified marine technicians. Was this an effort by Aquarium Systems® to cloud simple facts? See Sea Scope or SMOKE SCREEN.
In the 1990's Reef Crystals® told the world that their salt contained "extra trace elements". Deep Ocean™ told the world they had "all necessary trace elements". Then, Red Sea® told the world their salt had "trace elements distributed by a NEW method". In short order, Coralife© told the world their salt was "rich in trace elements". Later, Kent® Salt muddied the waters ever more by telling the world his salt had "enhanced trace mineral content".
THE FACTS
The S-15™ Report™ reveals what qualified marine chemists have know for decades. All of the above statements made by various marine salt producers are: half truths, misleading or blatantly false. The reality is that ALL marine salts have the SAME NUMBER of TRACE ELEMENTS -- ALL trace elements. The issue is not existence, but proportionality.
A simple example would be for me to give you a hand full of common salts (sodium chloride). I could look you directly in the eyes and honestly tell you that this common salt contained all elements found in sea water. Or, better yet. I could honestly tell you that the salt you were holding contained all the elements on earth.
Even if common salt was refined to 99.99% pure, the remaining .01% of impurities contain all other elements. When manufacturing marine salts, some producers include these impurities as though they were part of the formula.
Example #1. A simple marine salt could be produced using only major elements/bulk salts. If these major components were mixed in a similar ratio to natural sea water (NSW), it would be suitable for the short term keeping of seafood in restaurant tanks. In the aquarium industry, such a product could be sold as product that was identical to NSW and contained all 70 elements.
 
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thomas712

Guest
The hW Marinemix® claim of having 62 trace elements is a half truth. Most of the elements are found as impurities, except for aluminum, lead and nickel. Al was 17.1 times higher, lead was 1,333 times higher, nickel was 12.8 times higher than NSW. Other "trace elements" were found at higher concentrations vs. NSW. In the same samples, essential calcium, a major ion, was chronically low. See hW Marinemix®.
The Tropic Marin® claim of having all 70 elements in exact proportion to NSW is blatantly false. Most of the elements are found at similar levels to other brands of marine salts -- with the exception of 13.2 times more aluminum, 4.8 times more iron, 8 times more zinc, 10 times more manganese and 333 times more lead vs. NSW. The same samples were chronically low in essential calcium, a major ion. See Tropic Marin®.
The Instant Ocean® claim of having all elements known to be essential is misleading. Just like other marine salts, all elements are present. However, the most costly elements are omitted and found only as impurities. Bromide found in NSW at 65 ppm is found as an impurity at 5.4 ppm. Importance of Bromide. Trace impurities are found at concentrations similar to other marine Salts. See Instant Ocean®.
Crystal Sea®/Forty Fathoms© advertising showing an assay listing dozens of elements is a half truth. The elements listed are in the product. However, like other marine salts, they are found as impurities. Except for: 3.6 times more iron, 2 times more phosphate, 33% less bromide, some of the lowest levels of essential calcium and unbelievable variations from batch to batch vs. NSW. See Crystal Sea®.
Reef Crystals® claim of extra trace elements is misleading and blatantly false. It has the same number of trace elements as other marine salts. As with other Aquarium Systems® salts the costly elements are omitted and found only as impurities. Bromide found in NSW at 65 ppm is found at 6.8 to 9.0 ppm in two samples tested. Importance of Bromide. Zinc, selenium, silver, nickel, lead, copper, cobalt, chromium, and cadmium are found at concentrations comparable with other marine salts. However, major elements such as calcium and potassium varied from sample to sample. See Reef Crystals®.
The Deep Ocean™ claim of having all necessary trace elements is misleading. The samples varied dramatically from batch to batch. Both samples were low in strontium and void of bromide. Sample #1 had 255 times more and sample #2 had ten times more manganese than NSW. Sample #2 had nine times more zinc than sample #1. See Deep Ocean™
The RED SEA® claim of having trace elements distributed in a new method concerns experts. Sample #1 had over 133 times more boron than sample #2. Sample #1 had 20% less and sample #2 had 70% more strontium vs. NSW. Sample #1 had 14.6 times more and sample #2 had 1.6 time more copper vs. NSW. The S-15™ Report™ clearly shows this product varies dramatically to the point of defying the mixing procedure employed to produce this item. See Red Sea®.
The Coralife® claim of rich in trace elements is misleading. It contains the same number of trace elements as other marine salts. At the same time, major elements are either very low or vary dramatically from sample to sample. Bromide is found as an impurity. Importance of Bromide. There are other statements on their package that are also false. See Coralife®.
KENT SEA SALT® preliminary investigations indicate that this product is very similar to Reef Crystals®, which is similar to Instant Ocean®. Kent Sea Salt® has the same number of trace elements as other marine salts.
MISLEADING OR FALSE STATEMENTS
Statements like: contains all elements, 62 elements, 70 elements, rich in elements, and extra elements, or enhanced trace mineral content are misleading. All these elements are present as impurities.
Since there are a total of 70 elements in NSW, how could anyone add extra or enhance this number? As demonstrated in the S-15™ Report™, the answer is simple. These are not truthful or honest, or accurate statements. If a marine salt contained extra trace elements, it would win a Nobel Prize. If it had enhanced or richer amounts, it might be considered to be contaminated. Contaminants can be detrimental to all living things.
TRACE IMPURITIES AND THEIR VALUE
The concentration of most trace impurities is similar from brand to brand of marine salt. In some instances these impurities are similar to amounts found in NSW. Impurities usually do not stay in solution. Trace impurities can easily be removed from the closed system by: simple biological filtration, skimming, chemical filtration and lost through the normal metabolic process of the captive animals on display.
 
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thomas712

Guest
A SUPERIOR MARINE SALT OR SUPPLEMENTS AND ADDITIVES
With the understanding that most trace impurities could be depleted, removed or exhausted before most captive marine organisms can use them, we must search for a suitable remedy to this ongoing situation.
One simple remedy is to use Marine Envrionment® dual phase formula™. This product that was created to control this undesirable situation.
Another approach is to employ supplements or additives. However, it is essential to understand that a good marine salt that is in balance to NSW MUST be used. A good marine salt should not demonstrate excesses, deficiencies, contaminants or variations from batch to batch.
The S-15™ Report™ reveals that the majority of marine salts failed to meet this basic and simple, but totally necessary requirement.
Nothing -- lights, filters, foods, ozone, skimmers, supplements, controllers, etc. -- can remedy bad water. How to Judge a Good Marine Salt.
 
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lagger

Guest
I don't know what to think about AquaCraft. The gentleman is very opinionated about what he has to say, however, I think he is just trying to sell his product.
First he states "The reality is that ALL marine salts have the SAME NUMBER of TRACE ELEMENTS -- ALL trace elements. The issue is not existence, but proportionality." Then goes on to say Bio-Sea is the best. When in fact tested by Inland Reef Aquaria Salt Study, it tests the lowest in Magnesium, Sulfur, Potassium and somewhere in the middle regarding Bromide after touting the all mighty importance of it.
I'm sure his products are fine, but you won't find me running out to go buy a bucket of Bio-sea.
 
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thomas712

Guest
Exactly, like I said one sided, but with some truth to it as well, so no matter what you will run into inconsistancy, doesn't matter who makes it.
Words to live by:
Thus we should always test the first batch out of a new bag, box, bucket not matter what.
 
firedog

firedog

Member
I just read that article posted by Thomas a few days ago. I thought it was a legitmate report until I got to the end, then realized it was just an advertisement.
There was another thread on here about various salt mixes, people swearing by one brand or another. I don't think I have a preference at this time. The only thing that seems consisent is that each batch varies from the next. Most of the books I read also seem to state that most brands are pretty much the same.
I guess what I really wanted to say was that I have nothing to say.
 
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