Comments on: AWT’s Synthetic Salt Analysis… http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:26:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Switching to Tunze Reef Excel Lab Grade Salt | stonyreef http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-1839 Switching to Tunze Reef Excel Lab Grade Salt | stonyreef Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:08:39 +0000 http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/02/11/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/#comment-1839 [...] of reef salts out there, it can be a pretty confusing choice. The aquarium salt test results from AWT, Inland Reef Aquaria, and the various salt parameters and opinions seen posted on the reef boards [...] [...] of reef salts out there, it can be a pretty confusing choice. The aquarium salt test results from AWT, Inland Reef Aquaria, and the various salt parameters and opinions seen posted on the reef boards [...]

]]> By: Chehaliscoral http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Chehaliscoral Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:05:19 +0000 http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/02/11/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/#comment-57 Dang, they didnt do a study on OceanPure. Maybe on the next one Dang, they didnt do a study on OceanPure. Maybe on the next one

]]> By: jeffry r. johnston http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-56 jeffry r. johnston Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:20:29 +0000 http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/02/11/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/#comment-56 Good post, Stony! Good post, Stony!

]]> By: admin http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-55 admin Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:29:57 +0000 http://stonyreef.com/blog/2008/02/11/awts-synthetic-salt-analysis/#comment-55 after reading the the results of their salt analysis, i really don't know what the hell to think... rather than mixing to a standard salinity, they took a certain weight (see page 4, 7 grams to 200mL water) and mixed it up... most reef keepers I know keep tanks 33 - 35 ppt, why not choose a salinity, be it 33 or 36, whatever, and mix each salt up to that. It almost seems lazy to me... but if they took the time to test all the parameters, it certainly couldn't have taken much longer to measure out how much salt mix is needed per, say, 5 gallons, to reach "X" ppt. I don't really understand the reasoning behind it... who mixes only 7 grams at a time? drug dealers? Why not make a full gallon of water? Who makes less than a gallon, seriously? 200 mL? I certainly applaud AWT's efforts on making this kind of study available, but I don't get the reasoning behind testing the salts at different salinities. Look at the older <a href="http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1" rel="nofollow">Inland Reef Aquaria salt studies</a> - here is what they did, and I think this is the proper way to have gone about it: <blockquote>The salts were mixed with RO/DI water to a concentration of 35 ppt, as measured with a calibrated refractometer.</blockquote> <blockquote>Several samples were obtained from each bag, from various positions within the bag, to minimize the effects of settling.</blockquote> <blockquote>To test yield, we measured the dry weight of each salt mix required to produce a given amount of salt water at a concentration of 35 ppt. To keep moisture accumulation to a minimum, the length of time each dry sample was exposed to the air was minimized and all dry samples were handled in an identical manner. After all the salt solutions were mixed, the salinity was tested with a calibrated refractometer. The wet samples were then allowed 24 hours to fully dissolve before re-testing and, if needed, adjusting the salinity to 35 ppt. The table below shows the amount of dry sample used, the volume of salt water produced, and the actual yield from a 50 gallon bag (or equivalent portion) of each salt:</blockquote> after reading the the results of their salt analysis, i really don’t know what the hell to think… rather than mixing to a standard salinity, they took a certain weight (see page 4, 7 grams to 200mL water) and mixed it up… most reef keepers I know keep tanks 33 – 35 ppt, why not choose a salinity, be it 33 or 36, whatever, and mix each salt up to that. It almost seems lazy to me… but if they took the time to test all the parameters, it certainly couldn’t have taken much longer to measure out how much salt mix is needed per, say, 5 gallons, to reach “X” ppt. I don’t really understand the reasoning behind it… who mixes only 7 grams at a time? drug dealers? Why not make a full gallon of water? Who makes less than a gallon, seriously? 200 mL?

I certainly applaud AWT’s efforts on making this kind of study available, but I don’t get the reasoning behind testing the salts at different salinities.

Look at the older Inland Reef Aquaria salt studies – here is what they did, and I think this is the proper way to have gone about it:

The salts were mixed with RO/DI water to a concentration of 35 ppt, as measured with a calibrated refractometer.

Several samples were obtained from each bag, from various positions within the bag, to minimize the effects of settling.

To test yield, we measured the dry weight of each salt mix required to produce a given amount of salt water at a concentration of 35 ppt. To keep moisture accumulation to a minimum, the length of time each dry sample was exposed to the air was minimized and all dry samples were handled in an identical manner. After all the salt solutions were mixed, the salinity was tested with a calibrated refractometer. The wet samples were then allowed 24 hours to fully dissolve before re-testing and, if needed, adjusting the salinity to 35 ppt. The table below shows the amount of dry sample used, the volume of salt water produced, and the actual yield from a 50 gallon bag (or equivalent portion) of each salt:

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