The Inland Reef / Reefs.org Salt Analysis Project

[Delphinus]

(Posted as per a request by Carpentersreef - Delphinus)

Fellow reefkeepers,

We wanted to make you aware that the folks over at Inland Reef Aquaria (http://www.inlandreef.com/) in conjunction with Reefs.org (http://www.reefs.org) have taken the initiative to start a fund for a very thorough analysis of many of the salt mixes on the market.



The Inland Reef / Reefs.org Salt Analysis Project

In coordination with the Reefs.org, Inland Reef is undertaking a detailed, independent analysis of the synthetic salt mixes currently available to hobbyists.

Some recent studies (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-0...ture/index.htm) have shown that there may be substances in salt mixes that are toxic to some marine life. However, the two salts that fared the best in the referenced study were never analyzed for content.

Another popular analysis of salt mixes, Atkinson and Bingman, 1999 (http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a.../1/default.asp), did not include these two salts and is now over 4 years old -- manufacturers change their formulations frequently.

The preliminary plan is as follows:

1. Obtain samples of each of the following salt mixes:

Aquacraft Bio-Sea Marinemix
Aquacraft Coral Marine Sea Salt
Aquacraft Marine Environment
AquaMedic Sea Salt
Aquarium Systems Instant Ocean
Aquarium Systems Reef Crystals
Coralife Salt
Kent Marine Sea Salt
Marine Enterprises Crystal Sea Marinemix
Red Sea Fish Pharm Sea Salt
SeaChem Sea Salt
Sera Premium Sea Salt
Tropic Marin Sea Salt
Waterlife Ultramarine
Wiegandt HW Marine Mix

We will get three samples of each, and try to get different batches by ordering a couple months apart and/or from different suppliers. We will get most of the salts from our wholesale distributors, but will have to order some from other retailers. We will not use any samples supplied direct from the manufacturer.

2. Obtain three different natural seawater (NSW) samples. We will collect one from the Atlantic (U.S. east coast), one from the Pacific (U.S. west coast), and have one mailed to us from the South Pacific region.

3. Mix a quantity of each salt with the same batch of RO/DI water.

4. Determine the weight required for each to mix to a 1.025 specific gravity.

5. Measure initial pH and pH of the NSW samples.

6. Send out samples of the dry salt to Northern Analytical Labs (http://www.northernanalytical.com/) for an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) test. This test will give elemental quantities for Lithium through Uranium down to the part-per-trillion range with a 1% accuracy. We will either evaporate the NSW samples, or check to see if the lab can get comparable results with a liquid sample.

7. While waiting for the lab, let the liquid samples stand for a number of days and test pH periodically during the wait period. We can not aerate the samples, as it would be difficult to provide aeration in a manner that is identical for each sample.

8. Publish results on Inland Reef's website and on the Reefs.org web site. Include full elemental analysis, weight determination (do you get 50 gallons from a 50 gallon bag?), and pH results. Cover both the bag-to-bag consistency and the comparison to each other and NSW.

The cost of this project will be considerable. For the number of samples we are running the cost is $280 per test. 15 salts plus NSW X 3 = 48 tests -- that adds up to $13,440.

We are pursuing several routes to fund the effort. We will be seeking donations from the salt manufacturers, there will be a number of raffles for high-value marine aquarium items, and finally, we are seeking donations from you, the aquarium hobbyist.



To help fund this project, we are asking for donations. To donate to this cause, please see: http://www.inlandreef.net/saanprdo.html

Donation amounts of $5, $10, $25, or $100 (or any variation thereof) are available.

A running tally of donations will be posted in this thread on the Reefs.org web site: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=27367

Thank you in advance for any and all donations to this project!

Sincerely,

-- The folks at Inland Reef Aquaria and Reefs.org