Understanding what i did?!?!

[Tony]

The only salt I know of that is made from evaporated sea water is red sea. I'm sure other guys can help along with other brands

 

[ScottK]

In salt brands like Red Sea there are tons of bacteria once the water is mixed for a day. This is because the salt is made from drying out salt water opposed to laboratory made salt brands. The water still contains the bacteria from the sea which become dormant when dried out and come back to life once rehydrated. However, the lab made salts do produce some bacteria but no where nearly as much as salts that are made by evaporating sea water

Is there any major benefit in using salt made via evaporation vs lab made? I recently changed to Red Sea salt but didn't realize that there was a major difference how salts were "made".

 

[pXius]

@leslie hempel..Thanks..it's good to know I can go larger if I want...was thinking of doing a 50% when I get my NeoMarine Salt as I don't like my current replacement Salt, but was worried about doing a very large waterchange, just so that I could get rid of the replacement Salt...would this "large" waterchange still be "viable" when I'll be "introducing" a different Salt..?

IMO it should be fine as long as salinity and temperature are both the same as your tank. The only difference would be in trace elements, Ca, Mg, etc. Which shouldn't have a negative impact on the system.

 

[belindamotion]

I know nothing about Salts but my guess is that it's a case of "either/or"...In a Nutshell I guess, Lab gives you "max"..ALK..MAG..CAL..etc...but then you "lose out" on all the benefits of Bacteria Strains...and "Natural" would give all the benefits of Bacteria and maybe not the Max of CAL,MAG..etc..I would assume where the dehydrated Salt came from also has a big say in the matter...I could be totally wrong, but that's how I summed it up in a Nutshell..

 

[RiaanP]

Is there any major benefit in using salt made via evaporation vs lab made? I recently changed to Red Sea salt but didn't realize that there was a major difference how salts were "made".

Evaporated salt is basically sea water, pumped into flat areas and let to dry out. Then its scraped together, processed and sold. How much processed? I do not know.

What bothers me is all the small critters and bacteria that is also pumped into drying pan. What happens to them. They die. Then my real problem is do they not lead to phosphate issues? Well the answer must be in how much it is processed. I do not know the answer.

Just something to think about. Again, maybe its no problem.

 

[belindamotion]

IMO it should be fine as long as salinity and temperature are both the same as your tank. The only difference would be in trace elements, Ca, Mg, etc. Which shouldn't have a negative impact on the system.

Thanks..I so seriously NEED to lower my trace elements and can't wait to do a large waterchange now...

 

[Tony]

Is there any major benefit in using salt made via evaporation vs lab made? I recently changed to Red Sea salt but didn't realize that there was a major difference how salts were "made".

No difference to my knowledge except for the bacteria thing. Red sea is a decent salt as far as I'm concerned. Most salts will differ in parameters like alk, Ca and Mag, along with trace elements, but that varies from brand to brand.

 

[dallasg]

there are a few salts that are totally synthetic

 

[leslie hempel]

@leslie hempel..Thanks..it's good to know I can go larger if I want...was thinking of doing a 50% when I get my NeoMarine Salt as I don't like my current replacement Salt, but was worried about doing a very large waterchange, just so that I could get rid of the replacement Salt...would this "large" waterchange still be "viable" when I'll be "introducing" a different Salt..?

i would think that you are actually safer using a salt mix (provided it is mixed properly) than using NSW.. as with NSW we have nutrients to contend with which is variable from addition to addition depending on collecting conditions..

i have on a few occasions even considered going synthetic myself to better be able to controll what i am adding to my system.. but i love my waterchanges and i have paid big cash for good skimmers to remove any doc's so im going to stay with NSW for a while longer..

perhaps if i go zeo i may dabble with synthetic... but it will depend on what im trying to achieve and the inhabitants kept..