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AnAnemone
12/28/2004, 09:36 PM
I just read your salt mix study. I am very impressed with the results.
I have considered the paper and it's implications, which are great.
You have noted adsorption by the established aquarium of several toxic elements, such as fish tissues. My main initiative in the hobby is not of fishes, but hard corals. Is there evidence of these metals in coral tissue or skeletons... both wild specimens and those reared in captivity with synthetic salts? Well, probably not, but that leads me to my next thought, that of a bit more subjective issue, dictated by many variables...Coral growth and colouration.
As the study, which I believe to be valid and reliable, shows IO brand salt to have the greatest variation from NSW, would predict inhibited and otherwise poor coral performance. But as we all know, this is the typical hobbiests brand, and it seems from several sources that corals do quite well in our homes.
If a perfect study were to be conducted, I imagine, a coral would have to be removed from the reef, broken in two, and immediately placed in seperate prepared solutions of synthetic salts, and reared as such in as similar tanks as possible.
Until such study, which is out of my reach, is done, I won't go pouring my IO down the tiolet. I will, however use the other salt in one of my tanks. Not scientific, but hey!
Could you recommend a changeover protocol?
Your endevors in the hobby are remarkable. Thank you for your work!
Tim O

rshimek
12/29/2004, 09:49 AM
Hi Tim,

There is plenty of evidence of the effects of metal pollution on natural corals, less so on captive ones. The tests are expensive.

Skeleton presence is tricky. Anything in the skeleton is no longer availble to or effecting the animal.

I have published a whole series of articles on the issue of metals in our tanks (in the 2002- 2003 issues of [rk]), you may find some useful information there. There also has been much discussion of this topic on the web, some of it by people who know what they are talking about, but most by people who only think that they know. You might wish to read some of that, too.

IO likely has been reformulated since the study. Although it sells well in parts of the US; world wide, it is not a good selling salt. The number and array of corals and other animals that do well in it are actually quite limited and I suspect much of the mortality we see in the hobby of wild collected animals of all types is due to inappropriate salt mixes. .

If you were to change over, just start doing water changes with the new salt. After numerous changes, the new salt will have replaced the old.

lizman
01/02/2005, 08:01 PM
RS,

I read your article on the different salts. I am curious as to why you did not include german manufactured salts, such as anTropic marin, and Hawaiian Marine in your review.

Have you ever tried these two brands which are considered superior in the industry?


truly curious,
lizman

rshimek
01/03/2005, 01:01 PM
[welcome]

I was limited in $$ and chose what I had at hand or what other people suggested. Not everybody considers those brands superior. :D