Any Plans to Test Salt?

[swk]

Ah, somehow I missed that, sorry. I am all about Randy buying 200g salt mixes, prepping the entire batch at once and send for testing! Of course he should test 10 brands or so and test a least 3 lots of each. :bigsmile:

Someone is in the process of doing this. Not 3 lots, but everything else you mentioned. The results will be made available online for everyone to see, from what I understand

 

[TheClark]

It was the part where triton would waive, or cut fees. That would make them a part of it in the eyes of many, and perhaps eyes of the law as far as litigation is concerned. It's stupid, but it is how things are done today...

Thanks for the clarification swk.

It still is surprising to me given that Advanced Aquarist had the guts to publish a similar study back in 2005 despite the risk of litigation. I wonder if Mathew Marulla and Thomas O'Toole would be up for another round with today's tools?

Feature Article: Inland Reef Aquaria Salt Study, Part I ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog


Not knowing the chemistry of what we are adjusting with makes the job of adjusting more costly and difficult.

 

[Keithcorals]

It was the part where triton would waive, or cut fees. That would make them a part of it in the eyes of many, and perhaps eyes of the law as far as litigation is concerned. It's stupid, but it is how things are done today...

It wouldn't be an issue because even if the test packets were donated by Triton the way the testing is done they wouldn't know when they were sent in or what they were testing. If this really is an issue I'm sure funding could be accomplished through kickstarter or something along those lines

 

[TheClark]

Ah, somehow I missed that, sorry. I am all about Randy buying 200g salt mixes, prepping the entire batch at once and send for testing! Of course he should test 10 brands or so and test a least 3 lots of each. :bigsmile:

Ya no kidding! Somehow it would have to be worth everyone's time and expense. By no means am I volunteering him but it would be epic

 

[hart24601]

Someone is in the process of doing this. Not 3 lots, but everything else you mentioned. The results will be made available online for everyone to see, from what I understand

I have seen that. I just hope it gets done. I remember other ambitious plans over the years and most fall apart, but I would love if this one doesn't. I switched to TMP based off their recommendation, and will probably stick with it unless they recommend something else.

 

[Hedgedrew]

Just be careful wuth tropic Marin pro kh levels. We have to dose our 400gall vats with 60ml of kh buffer juts to gt out alk to 8. We think it comes out of box at 6 to 7.

 

[Keithcorals]

Just be careful wuth tropic Marin pro kh levels. We have to dose our 400gall vats with 60ml of kh buffer juts to gt out alk to 8. We think it comes out of box at 6 to 7.

It does but it's easier to raise alk than to lower it some people that run ultra low nutrient systems run their alk around 7(I was one of them) so for them it's perfect right were it starts and if not it's easy to raise

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Not sure and PO4

i don't think that is especially significant. I would not compare phosphate in new salt water with phosphate in the tank.

I would compare the amount added in a water change to the amount added by feeding.

A 10% change will boost phosphate by 0.009 ppm. Foods will add something like 0.02 to 0.3 ppm each day. So the one day you do a water change you are still adding a lot less than you do with food.

I show that here:

Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need To Understand Both ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

One problem with a salt test is that you do not know how long it might be accurate for (until some supplier changes, for example), and the same brand in different locations can use different raw materials suppliers.

 

[TheReefKeeper]

Agreed on both points Randy guess first glance without much thinking took over LOLOL

 

[mikellini]

One problem with a salt test is that you do not know how long it might be accurate for (until some supplier changes, for example), and the same brand in different locations can use different raw materials suppliers.

Well yes, you never know how long it would be accurate for, and things will change, even from batch to batch... but that doesn't make this kind of rigorous testing pointless. It would give us a solid baseline of results from a wide variety of CURRENT salts on the market, and we would have more information to draw a conclusion about which salt we should buy vs avoid. And yes, we would probably have to do it again every so often, until the day comes where the manufacturers decide to publish accurate, reliable and up-to-date statistics of their own, rather than hide behind 'proprietary formulas'. But it would still be better than spending money based upon anecdotal experiences, word of mouth, and marketing strategies, no?

 

[gpwdr]

Why?^

Do you really think Triton hasn't tested the salt manufacturers salt?

Of course they have. Triton has also tested the salt water from the collection areas.

There is a lot of liability telling others what the manufactures have in their salt. If the manufacturers of salt wanted you to know whats in their product they would tell us and they won't.

If your into Triton use what Triton recommends.

So their reef tank parameter recommendations are from the areas they tested in and the salt they recommend is TM PRO and PURE.

Gene

 

[WesF]

Just be careful wuth tropic Marin pro kh levels. We have to dose our 400gall vats with 60ml of kh buffer juts to gt out alk to 8. We think it comes out of box at 6 to 7.

6 to 7 is NSW levels

 

[Hedgedrew]

Yup. Agree. But mist people don't run it that low and we have tested batches as low as 5 6. So I just wanted out there. We have been using it but we test alk in our vat to ensure consistency. If I was guaranteed 7 all the time would be nice. So far so good. Still waiting for all those triton tests back. Must have got into them before they shut down testing.

 

[Hedgedrew]

Anyone ever see a triton pure salt bucket yet distributed in us???

 

[swk]

Anyone ever see a triton pure salt bucket yet distributed in us???

Yes - at unique corals

 

[DMan]

Not sure what this triton test is but whos to say the salt tested won't be different than the salt you end up buying. If Tropic Marine comes out on top but their next batch run of salt isn't up to snuff then what good is the test.

 

[DMan]

Well yes, you never know how long it would be accurate for, and things will change, even from batch to batch... but that doesn't make this kind of rigorous testing pointless. It would give us a solid baseline of results from a wide variety of CURRENT salts on the market, and we would have more information to draw a conclusion about which salt we should buy vs avoid. And yes, we would probably have to do it again every so often, until the day comes where the manufacturers decide to publish accurate, reliable and up-to-date statistics of their own, rather than hide behind 'proprietary formulas'. But it would still be better than spending money based upon anecdotal experiences, word of mouth, and marketing strategies, no?

Seems like a crap shoot. The test is only good if you can get your hands on the same batch. Someone on the east coast may get lucky, but someone out west may not find that same batch. So if that person bases their decision on a certain test batch and ends up with a different batch with different results. I don't see who this would benefit. Unless someone pkns on testing each bucket they buy it seems pointless.

 

[mikellini]

Seems like a crap shoot. The test is only good if you can get your hands on the same batch. Someone on the east coast may get lucky, but someone out west may not find that same batch. So if that person bases their decision on a certain test batch and ends up with a different batch with different results. I don't see who this would benefit. Unless someone pkns on testing each bucket they buy it seems pointless.

There will be some variation, but at least we would have an idea. And some salts that have consistently high/low numbers could be avoided. IMO that's why it's not being done or published, manufacturers don't want to lose money

 

[Hedgedrew]

I'm starting to trust same results coming back consistently. Already there are high end salt manuf who are starting or planning to change their product. What is useless are the people testing from their tanks. Everything is absorbed or used up already. I trust the direct salt method with ro and doing water changes with proper salt!!!!