SeaChem Reef Salt

[Hobster]

Has anyone used this ? Any reports? Below is a link. There is a another link to the contents (per SeaChem) I have not seen other salts list this. Do these numbers appear to be good? I can only go by the Ca and Mg.

http://www.seachem.com/products/prod...eefSalt05.html

Composition of Seachem ReefSaltâ„¢


Ion Concentration (ppm)
Chloride 19336
Sodium 10752
Sulfate 2657
Magnesium 1317
Potassium 421
Calcium 442
Carbonate/Bicarbonate 142
Strontium 9.5
Boron 16
Bromide 64
Iodide 0.060
Lithium 0.3
Silicon <0.1
Iron 0.0098
Copper 0.0003
Nickel <0.015
Zinc 0.0107
Manganese 0.0023
Molybdenum 0.0098
Cobalt 0.0004
Vanadium <0.015
Selenium <0.019
Rubidium 0.118
Barium <0.04

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You have to wonder if that is a target and not an actual result. That said, the boron is still well above NSW (3x), but not nearly as high as the old Seachem Salt.

[Hobster]

Anyone out there using this product??

[Hobster]

FYI, FWIW

From a question on the SeaChem forum:

Yes, the borate in our Reef Salt is about 2 - 3x NSW depending on the SG you mix to. Borate at this level is not toxic. There was an article written referencing borate levels of 28 ppm (6x NSW) potentially causing problems in 2 species. We do not contain near that much, in fact it is half as much or less depending on the SG mixed to. Factually, the increased amount of borate increases calcium solubility and aids in maintaining elevated pH levels....both pluses.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Factually, the increased amount of borate increases calcium solubility

I think I'll probe that comment a little further.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...31#post5389231

[Hobster]

It seems that no one has been replying on their forum since 7/19 or so??

[baruchbl]

I dont understand your answer Randy do you recomend to use Seachem salt or not.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not use Seachem salt. I use Instant Ocean.

With the limited data available, I do neither recommend the new Seachem salt, nor not recommend it, but they apparently still have slightly elevated borate (lower than before however), and I do not prefer that in a salt mix.

[KH971]

I thought seachem wasn't marketing a salt mix? One of the reps said it wasn't ready to be put out. .

Also Randy i know you use IO, but what salt has the best ratio of CA to ALK to MG?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure what best means in that context, but here's an analysis of several:

The Composition Of Several Synthetic Seawater Mixes
http://web.archive.org/web/200306081.../1/default.asp

[baruchbl]

What about Oceanic salt?
Do you recomend me to use this salt?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not care for Oceanic salt mix. They seem to not even try to match NSW, having excessive magnesium and calcium, and leaving out borate and strontium. What else do they not try to match? That's what really worries me.

[baruchbl]

I dont believe that i can find the best salt from this article. For this i need you.
Oceanic salt is cheaper than IO so i want to hear your opinion about this salt please.
Thank you for your respond
Baruch

[baruchbl]

Thank you for your respond
Baruch

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I choose to use Instant Ocean. Is it best? I do not know. But I've not seen convincing infomation to switch to anything else.

[Hobster]

Randy,

Not sure if you saw SeaChems reply to the borate question.
Down towards the end of this thread.

Shall leave it to you Chemists, well beyond me.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=629765

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I didn't, thanks.

[wfgworks]

Randy

Why is Borate a concern for you in a salt if its found in NSW?

I understand its 3x the normal amount, but at what level does it become a concern?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I detail some of the tox concerns at levels found in the old Seachem salt in this thread:

Boron in a Reef Tank (and its effect on pH buffering)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2002/chem.htm

from it:

"Elevated Boron: Toxicity

At boron levels above that present in natural seawater, as is supplied in some artificial salt mixes and as may develop from overuse of boron supplements, boron begins to exert undesirable toxicity on a number of organisms. The studies on marine organisms are not wide ranging, so one must be careful in how to interpret levels above natural seawater since tests have not been run on most of the organisms that we keep.

In general, marine organisms (invertebrates and fish) are seemingly more prone to experience toxicity from boron than are freshwater species. The marine isopod Limnoria lignorum has a 24-hour LC50 (that is, the concentration at which 50% die in 24 hours) of only 2.6 mM (28 ppm boron). That is only about 6 times the concentration in natural seawater (and is BELOW the concentration in Seachem salt mix!). Similarly, the dab, Limanda limanda (a North Sea Fish), has a 96-hour LC50 of 6.8 mM (74 ppm boron).

A lot of additional biological effects can be found on the web sites of the Canadian Environmental Protection Division Ministry of Water, Lands and Air Protection and the United Nations International Program on Chemical Safety."

[wfgworks]

Randy

Thanks for the response.

Do you personally have the ability to measure boron in salt?

If so, can you confirm that Seachem's new Reef Salt has a lower Boron level than their old?

Is 16ppm still considered toxic or is this level more acceptable?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have access to the capability, but the method that I used is fairly time consuming and I don't have the time to test that in the near future.

Salifert has a boron kit that might be useful:

The Salifert Boron Test Kit
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...t2003/chem.htm

[wfgworks]

Thanks Randy, that article was very helpful.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.