Questions about salt organics

[PDR]

I have several questions about salt organics:

- What exactly are the organics in the salt?
- Why are they added?
- Why do they cause issues when storing mixed saltwater long term? (2-4 weeks)
- Which salts contain no organics?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reef Crystals adds vitamins and metal chelators, all of which are organic. I don't think there is evidence they are useful, and I do not want degradable organic matter in my salt mix that would make it potentially need aeration for storage.

There are a few mixes that claim to have probiotic organics in them. Tropic Marin Bioactif, for example:

"Tropic Marin® BIO-ACTIF Sea Salt contains naturally occurring marine biopolymers, which support the microbiological conditions in an aquarium and thus protect and enhance the growth of aquarium fauna"

It's not clear exactly what those are or what benefit they may provide, beyond a marketing distinction.

Most salt mixes do not contain organic matter. Normal IO, for example, or Red Sea salt mixes.