Information: What chemicals are in my product?

[ActiveAngel]

Just thought to elaborate on a topic that not everyone knows. And others can chime in and add to the discussion.

"I want to know what chemicals are in my product, before I use it." ....its a great question. But for many, if its not written on the label, they dont know where to go.
The answer is the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which can be easily found with a google search for most products. It will provide a bunch of detailed safety information for your product.

Example: Lets look at "API Water Conditioner"



1) Google search .... click the top link



2) The Data Sheet pdf opens




3) Scroll down, we can see a few things... such as hazards



4) But also, what chemicals are in it.



Note: Some products will not post which specific chemicals/quantities they use, or say something such as "proprietary mix of XYZ".
In this example, we see Sodium Thiosulfate is about 30%... This provides a starting point for your own research to see if you wish to use this product.

 

[ActiveAngel]

Haha, you can also oftentimes use this to see if two competing products (expensive vs cheap) are actually just the same chemical in same concentration, but with different profit margins for the company.

 

[ichthyoid]

That works when they list the actual ingredients.

Hobby, and pet products in particular, sometimes list as ‘proprietary, proprietary blend’ or vague descriptions such as ‘organic salts’, or words to that effect. This is usually done in an attempt to protect market share.

 

[ichthyoid]

If you wanted to know what’s in Red Sea’s NOPOx for example. The MRP is $129 for 5 liters, which I can make for about 20% of that, with no bulk pricing involved. Even with packaging and promotion a handsome profit, I’d say!

Ethanol 24-26% (vodka)

Acetic acid 3-5% (vinegar)

Methanol 2- <3% (wood alcohol)

https://g1.redseafish.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NO3PO4X-Algae-Management-MSDS-.pdf