DIY Saltwater
- Thread starter cwarmouth
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+1 save $$$
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I assume you are asking about diy salt mix not saltwater mix as you posted initially?
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I am contemplating doing it.
Sorry for the confusion.
I'll keep looking for that article. I did a preliminary search here but didn't come up with anything yet.
I've read about it being done but it was on huge tanks.
One of my reasons for being interested in a DIY mix is because I am planning a reef tank with some 5th grade students and I'd love to demonstrate to them the many ingredients in seawater by getting them involved in the process of making it ourselves. I'll keep thinking that through and welcoming any input.
Thanks,
CW
ha...
I'd recommend just showing them the side of a bucket of Salinity (by Seachem Aqua Vitro)..
it'll list all the measurements of most of the elements found in their product (when mixed at 1.026 sg)
IMO, Don't make your own salt.. too many things that you could get wrong.. why put your corals/fish/inverts through that..?
I'd recommend just showing them the side of a bucket of Salinity (by Seachem Aqua Vitro)..
it'll list all the measurements of most of the elements found in their product (when mixed at 1.026 sg)
IMO, Don't make your own salt.. too many things that you could get wrong.. why put your corals/fish/inverts through that..?
OK, but be prepared for the sticker shock!
I think it would be great for a one time lesson. They could even compare the water properties of their own mix vs the commercial brand.
FWIW- You cannot buy the ingredients for anywhere near as cheaply as you can buy a bag of salt mix.
Not to mention that trying to source all of the "ingredients" while making sure they were of sufficient purity might be quite a task... I mean, it would be cheaper to do most anything yourself if you were willing to do it in enough bulk (and invest the initial outlay), but I think that with the amounts most of us use (not counting Grouper Therapy, LOL) it wouldn't even approach practical.
Heck, even the commonly used DIY two-part supplement recipe, done the only economical way, has its drawbacks (such as having to protect 50 pounds of CACL from humidity and dealing with elevating sulfate levels).
Maybe cover all of the components and how to test what is commonly tested? They could also do an economic study of what it would</em> cost to make it... and get some math exercise in the process!
Heck, even the commonly used DIY two-part supplement recipe, done the only economical way, has its drawbacks (such as having to protect 50 pounds of CACL from humidity and dealing with elevating sulfate levels).
Maybe cover all of the components and how to test what is commonly tested? They could also do an economic study of what it would</em> cost to make it... and get some math exercise in the process!
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Yes that is what prompted my reconsidering the idea. There is a guy on another forum that is making and using his own salt with excellent results so far. Based on his recipe and sources the cost is about 30% of retail instant ocean. Sorry I don't have the materials yet or I would donate a batch.
Edit: Along the lines of purity I'm not sure what the manufacturers test for or their suppliers test for or how often. Most of the sources I have found list the percentage of purity but do not reveal what the impurities are.There is a risk taken even using the retail premixes so with a little research I'm willing to take the risk. Some have mentioned that the companies that supply us the salt now would be liable for impurities if it were to reach your tank and cause losses but I would bet you a week's pay on their ever reimbursing someone for the losses especially since it would be associated with multiple systems using that batch. My point ? That argument offers me no comfort at all.
I agree that it is prudent to heed wise counsel, but many inventions would not have come to fruition if "wise" counsel had been heeded. I am not saying that if we see death on a door we should walk into it, but I believe that sometimes we allow our ideas to be deflated too quickly just because someone, presumeably and expert, says otherwise.
the difference is that inventions take time/money/effort to perfect..
I'm not saying that someone shouldn't give it a try.. but (for lack of a better term) an amateur chemists will spend more money perfecting something than professional chemists..
if you're doing it to create a better product... have at it..
if you're doing it to save money... beware...
I'm not saying that someone shouldn't give it a try.. but (for lack of a better term) an amateur chemists will spend more money perfecting something than professional chemists..
if you're doing it to create a better product... have at it..
if you're doing it to save money... beware...
I've never heard that point addressed in any of those discussions, and it's a great one. With a few notable exceptions, I think most every company in the world has a person on staff whose title should be the "Not Our Fault Representative".
+1
I looked into this back when I worked in R&D. Even with the input of professional chemists, some of whom were close friends, I could not come close to the price of a bag of IO salt. Your time is worth something, as is the equipment that you need, including a digital scale. The scales have come down a lot since then, though.
You can buy the chemicals, cheaply</em> I guess. I looked into reagent grade because I cared about what my fish got and it was available. I did not search for commodity grade chemicals, for the same reasons. The price does come WAY down when you buy in bulk. However, I did not want to start a salt business just to save a few bucks.
FWIW- The Georgia Aquarium uses Instant Ocean sea salt. I think there may be reasons why, and they would have EVERY reason to explore alternatives.
In the end, the juice was not worth the squeeze! (or the risk) -JMHO
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