marine salts

[Gazza]

My take on the salt dispute was that more frequent water changes was just adding more heavy metals from the new salt. And if I remember correctly there was 50 times the amount of copper in IO than there was in NSW. And the bottom line was why add the extra heavy metals if you didn't need to. (as in a different saltmix.)

GAZZA

[BCOrchidGuy]

Gazza, strangley enough IO is known for its lack or low amounts of trace elements. If IO has huge levels of copper then the Kent should have even higher seeing as Kent is IO with additives.

Remember Aqua Craft put the samples together, prepared them, put some in tap water, some in R/O water etc... basically I think they prepared the samples to elevate their samples. They also interpreted the results of the tests.

IMHO the S-15 report is a prime example of misrepresentation/propaganda/chest thumping and grasping at straws to try to increase sales.

[steve-s]

Actually Kent has 1.44 times more copper the IO. In fact IO was the lowest tested.

Kent 2.4 mm/k

IO 1.8 mm/k

Salt Comparison

Have a look...

Cheers
Steve

[BCOrchidGuy]

Copper in that quantity would work out to .156 ppm

((2.4mm/k x molar mass of copper 63.55g)/1000) x SG of test water 1.023 = a copper concentration of 0.156 ppm

Yes you are right Kent salt has more copper, am I worried? no, I think if your salt is consistant from batch to batch that is your biggest worry. If you want to change salt because of that then go ahead. I think though that it is an extreme measure. I would rather have a salt that mixes pH, Ca and Alk wise the same batch to batch. What will you do if you get a batch of salt that has a massive dose of copper..... I personally know two people who have used BioSea/Marine Environment on and off over the years, they both keep saying they will never go back but they do, they have complained about low pH (7.5) Hi pH (9.6) and Ca and Alk levels that leave them scratching their heads..... they change salts... their coral closes up... so they go back to the one they love to hate.

[steve-s]

Just for clarification, I was not knocking Kent. I have been using their salts now for over 6 years and have no intension of changing.

I actually bought a small bag of IO salts a while ago and saw nothing about it that would make me switch....

Cheers
Steve

[BCOrchidGuy]

I've been in contact with Kent on number of occasions as well as spoken to reps at the LFS. Kent salt is IO salt with Kents additives put in. Kent salt is produced and packaged by IO. Kents reasoning was that IO has the cleanest, most up to date, most controlled enviroment in their labs. Kent made the judgement that it would be more cost effective to have IO just put in a TOP SECRET set of ingredients. As I said before, if I had a fish only tank I would use IO, but I know a number of people who use IO in their reefs and they do pretty darn well with it.

I guess I got defensive as I've had nothing but trouble with the BioSea Marine Environment stuff. I hate to see anyone use it.

[Troy F]

Kents reasoning was that IO has the cleanest, most up to date, most controlled enviroment in their labs.

Call me a pessimist when it comes to business but my interpretation of that would be; "IO agreed to give us the best deal to repackage their salt with our "extra" ingredients."

[BCOrchidGuy]

Possibly Troy but even MDP will admit, no one has a lab/processing plant like IO... although the aquacraft folks will tell you there is nothing wrong with shipping damp salt, just put it in a bucket and add some water to make soup and then add that to your water... ( the owners suggestion), he also admits that he uses old cement mixers... steel ones to mix salt. IO uses Stainless... Aquacraft doesn't even bother to dry the air in their processing plant..... I feel confident that Kent made the decision based on the ability of IO to produce a top quality consistant product.....

PS.. I just realized I sound like a Kent advertisment.... lol.. I've never endorsed anything before... wow I must be getting old...

[Troy F]

I've used both IO and Kent and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with either. I actually find IO mixes up a little better and I never got Ca readings over 340ppm from either of them. Do you think there have been changes to either brand over the past few years? I don't think I've used Kent for about two maybe three years.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Troy I can sure find out easy enough I have been in email contact with one of the Kent scientists for a few days regarding trace elements and heavy metal toxicity.