Salt mix without the salt

[AlexKilpatrick]

This is a clever idea. I wonder why no one thought of it before.

http://reefbuilders.com/2010/03/18/neomarine-kalibrate-saltwater-premix-brightwell-making-seawater-bulk/

The idea is that they can ship and store saltwater mix much cheaper if they don't include the salt, which is 80%. You can get the salt locally.

I would love to not have to deal with those huge buckets.

[chark]

Where you going to get good quality NaCl?

[AlexKilpatrick]

I haven't looked, but it doesn't seem like it would be that hard. NaCl is NaCl. It just needs to be relatively pure.

[+mcallahan]

I think HEB has it on isle 8.

[chark]

Are you talking about salt for a water softner or food salt?

[AlexKilpatrick]

I would assume food salt. It is just NaCl without anything else in it. I would guess the difference would be the level of purity.

[+Daniel]

I would assume food salt. It is just NaCl without anything else in it. I would guess the difference would be the level of purity.

The grain size would also have an affect on the quantity of salt you'd mix in. Seems like a nice idea. I think I'll try it.

[AlexKilpatrick]

The grain size would also have an affect on the quantity of salt you'd mix in. Seems like a nice idea. I think I'll try it.

Actually, you hit on a potential problem. I mix up saltwater in a trashcan, and I don't have a precise measurement on the amount of water. I just put in salt until the salinity gets to the right point.

That approach won't work if your saltwater mix is in two separate parts. You would have to put in the exact right amount of the trace elements, and then you could adjust the salinity with NaCl. But you would have to know exactly how much water you had.

[DaJMasta]

Actually, you hit on a potential problem. I mix up saltwater in a trashcan, and I don't have a precise measurement on the amount of water. I just put in salt until the salinity gets to the right point.

That approach won't work if your saltwater mix is in two separate parts. You would have to put in the exact right amount of the trace elements, and then you could adjust the salinity with NaCl. But you would have to know exactly how much water you had.

Easy solution, measure the salt and salt mix supplements before and add water until you hit the right salinity. Just have to do it in the other order.

I think the more important application is listed in the description - you get to decide what proportion of supplemental salt mix is added. If your non-salt element demand is especially high (tons of corals) you can mix up a salt that starts at a higher Ca, Mg, Alk, etc content than someone running a FOWLR tank. You get to customize certain aspects of the salt, though you still have to use the non sodium chloride part of everything in the proportions they have mixed up.

I would hesitate to go as far as saying it could be used supplementally - I don't think they intended to have this mix mimic the loss of nutrients in a tank just because the demands of each tank are so different - but preemptively raising nutrient levels in your fresh batches of water could be useful. I think unless you're using an expensive salt or this is especially cheap, this won't be much of a cost reducer.

[chark]

Do you know if anyone caries the mix locally?

[AlexKilpatrick]

@chark -- I don't think it is on the market yet. It is supposed to be something they are releasing soon.

@DaJMasta -- I don't expect it to save costs. I just think it might be easier to manage, and certainly cheaper to ship.