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Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 01:02 PM
Can I use this salt for my reef tank? I was wondering if I can mix it with the LFS sea salt like 50/50 because its like $35 for a bucket and the Purifued Sea Salt is like $8 for 50 lb? You can get the salt at Wincofoods. Here are a few pictures.
http://i50.*******.com/2jcpqd.jpg
http://i47.*******.com/imt939.jpg
http://i46.*******.com/2yox53l.jpg
http://i46.*******.com/xc63nq.jpg
http://i45.*******.com/2psrqpv.jpg
http://i50.*******.com/29f6s7l.jpg

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/04/2009, 01:07 PM
Nope.

Sea salt is never just dried seawater. It is greatly enriched in NaCl to the point where that is mostly what it is. That is why folks can eat it but not drink seawater. When they partly dry it out, the residual liquid contains a lot of magnesium and sulfate that is discarded.

Even if you somehow found totally dried seawater, it is not usable because calcium and magnesium carbonate will precipitate, taking out the alkalinity, and it won't redissolve.

Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 02:40 PM
Oh, darn, that sucks.

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/04/2009, 02:45 PM
:lol:

That's life. :D

Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 04:05 PM
:lol:

That's life. :D

lol

Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 04:07 PM
I have a question for you Randy Holmes-Farley, I will be taking chemistry next year as I'm in 10th grade and was wondering, what makes chemistry hard like a lot of people say? Is it because you have to remember the whole Periodic Table of Elements?

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/04/2009, 04:17 PM
:lol:

I didn't think high school chemistry was hard. :D

And no, we did not have to memorize the Periodic Table. :)

Memorizing organic chemical names and reactions in college, now that was unpleasant. :(

Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 04:45 PM
:lol:

I didn't think high school chemistry was hard. :D

And no, we did not have to memorize the Periodic Table. :)

Memorizing organic chemical names and reactions in college, now that was unpleasant. :(

lol

Would it help a lot of you memorize the Periodic Table?

lol That must have sucked. :p

What is your occupation if you don't mind me asking? Since you had to take so much chemistry.

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/04/2009, 06:38 PM
I invent pharmaceuticals at Genzyme. These I co-invented:

www.renagel.com
www.renvela.com
www.cholestagel.com
www.welchol.com

The last two are the same thing, just in Europe vs the US. :)

Western_reefer
12/04/2009, 09:28 PM
I invent pharmaceuticals at Genzyme. These I co-invented:

www.renagel.com
www.renvela.com
www.cholestagel.com
www.welchol.com

The last two are the same thing, just in Europe vs the US. :)

Oh, nice!!

sedor
12/04/2009, 09:39 PM
Wow no wonder we all look up to you Mr. Farley :)

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/05/2009, 07:43 AM
:lol:

Thanks.

Happy reefing. :)

billsreef
12/05/2009, 11:20 AM
Memorizing organic chemical names and reactions in college, now that was unpleasant. :(

Organic Chem was one of the make or break you courses in the marine bio major at my old college. I made it, but barely. High school chem I aced, in college did good with basic chem, and even did well with Chemical Oceanography, but organic was another story.

Western_reefer
12/05/2009, 11:41 AM
Organic Chem was one of the make or break you courses in the marine bio major at my old college. I made it, but barely. High school chem I aced, in college did good with basic chem, and even did well with Chemical Oceanography, but organic was another story.

Anyone have any good tips to help pass high school chemistry? A lot of kids say its super super hard. lol

billsreef
12/05/2009, 01:06 PM
Study ;)

luther1200
12/05/2009, 01:10 PM
Did you expect a different answer in this thread than your last on the same issue? I really hope you don't use that salt, it isn't ASW mix.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1751711

Boomer
12/05/2009, 01:28 PM
Well, Bill, you should have tried P-Chem :D

Boomer
12/05/2009, 01:41 PM
WR

Anyone have any good tips to help pass high school chemistry?

Get one of those new chem books that deal with everyday chem as most hold ones attention better and they are easier to read and learn from.

Such as

The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things by Snyder

Chemistry Connections, Second Edition: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena by . Karukstis

Hands-On Chemistry Activities with Real-Life Applications by Herr

Chemistry for Dummies by Moore

Western_reefer
12/05/2009, 01:57 PM
Did you expect a different answer in this thread than your last on the same issue? I really hope you don't use that salt, it isn't ASW mix.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1751711

I'm not going to use the salt. lol

Western_reefer
12/05/2009, 01:57 PM
Study ;)

WR

Anyone have any good tips to help pass high school chemistry?

Get one of those new chem books that deal with everyday chem as most hold ones attention better and they are easier to read and learn from.

Such as

The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things by Snyder

Chemistry Connections, Second Edition: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena by . Karukstis

Hands-On Chemistry Activities with Real-Life Applications by Herr

Chemistry for Dummies by Moore

Okay, thanks for the tips/help everyone!!

Yogre
12/05/2009, 04:07 PM
Well, Bill, you should have tried P-Chem :D

I did fine in Organic, and I really enjoyed Instrumental Analysis, but P-Chem lit me up. The last 3 weeks of the year were quantum mechanics; the professor was a PhD p-chemist and he was REALLY into quantum mechanics. He might as well have been talking in Swahili for all I understood what he was saying. :lol:

Thinking back on that experience gives me a real respect for Dr. Holmes-Farley and what he does.

MrRyanT
12/05/2009, 04:39 PM
You know I was kinda reading this thread, but mostly just wondered who that is in WR's avatar, LOL.

Western_reefer
12/05/2009, 05:18 PM
You know I was kinda reading this thread, but mostly just wondered who that is in WR's avatar, LOL.

LMAO! :D

Her name is Ashley Gellar. :) Do a google search on her. ;)

luther1200
12/06/2009, 04:31 PM
Sorry if I came off a little harsh, I just didn't want to see you use that salt and have problems. I wasn't trying to be rude and if I sounded rude I appologize, I read if after and it could have been interpreted that way, IMO. Sometimes people will just keep asking a question until they get the answer they are looking for from some body even if its not true.


Anyway what salt are you going to be using?

Western_reefer
12/06/2009, 10:01 PM
Sorry if I came off a little harsh, I just didn't want to see you use that salt and have problems. I wasn't trying to be rude and if I sounded rude I appologize, I read if after and it could have been interpreted that way, IMO. Sometimes people will just keep asking a question until they get the answer they are looking for from some body even if its not true.


Anyway what salt are you going to be using?

Its alright. No harm done. I was told to ask in The Reef Chemistry Forum to get a better answer, so I did. :)

I'm using Reef SeaChem salt. :) It just sucks that salt is soooo expensive. :(

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/07/2009, 05:53 AM
Maybe try Instant Ocean if cost is a concern. That's what I've always used. :)

Western_reefer
12/07/2009, 10:27 AM
Maybe try Instant Ocean if cost is a concern. That's what I've always used. :)

Instant Ocean salt is $30 a bucket and Reef SeaChem salt is $34 a bucket and the lvls are much better in the Reef SeaChem salt than the Instant Ocean and its just a few dollars more.

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/07/2009, 11:13 AM
Levels of what are better? Calcium and magnesium are higher, so if that is better in your opinion, OK, but they are farther from NSW and higher than I might prefer in a salt mix.

IMO, some things in Seachem are worse, such as elevated borate.

Western_reefer
12/07/2009, 11:25 AM
Levels of what are better? Calcium and magnesium are higher, so if that is better in your opinion, OK, but they are farther from NSW and higher than I might prefer in a salt mix.

IMO, some things in Seachem are worse, such as elevated borate.

Really? Hmmm... What would be the best salt to use in your opinion?

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/07/2009, 11:56 AM
I do not think there is a "best" salt mix. Nearly all of them will work fine as long as you know their pros and cons.

I personally prefer Instant Ocean, and this is why:

I don't want excessive borate, which leaves out Seachem.

I don't want vitamins or anything else organic in my mix, so that tosses out some like Reef Crystals, hW Marinemix Plus BioElements, Kent, Coralife, and Nutri-SeaWater.

I don't want excessive calcium (long term use of limewater as I use drives up calcium, so I do not want it starting high), so that tosses out a bunch, such as Kent, Seachem, Coralife and Oceanic.

There are certain companies that I will not support due to their misleading claims and/or product lines. That tosses out a few which I won't detail here since it is my personal thought as opposed to a specific issue with their salt mix.

I won't use certain lines of natural seawater due to excessive metals in it.

That only leaves a few to choose from, such as Instant Ocean and Tropic Marin Pro. The remaining ones might all be fine for me, but IO is lower in cost, especially if you get it when it goes on sale (which it frequently does). :)