The Puffer Forum

Is there a difference? My fish guy said that the only difference was the natural buffers inside the marine salt. He said that as long as I add a buffer to raise the pH then the add the aquarium salt to the brackish level. Is this incorrect? I've read all the research but it doesn't say why marine salt but then I've read that the aquarium salt is fine as long as you use a buffer.

Please read this article from the library: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/salt.html

Marine mix is defintely the way to go to obtain brackish water. Anything else is just salty water.

I've read that article and it really didn't give the why.

I read it again and it said nothing about marine vs aquarium salts

While it doesn't address it directly, the basic gist of it can be found in this quotation:

the final product [aquarium salt or evaporated sea salt] does not match the composition or functional ability to support life that was present in the original seawater or in water made up from marine mix. It is fine for table use, inappropriate for the tank due to the significant differences from seawater.

NaCl is only one of the compounds found in true marine salt. Good marine mix makes a very strong attempt at matching true marine conditions. There are many trace elements and other buffering compounds found in marine mix that aren't present in plain aquarium salt, and go far beyond simply adding a pH buffer.

There is a vast difference in complexity between aquarium salt + pH buffer and true marine mix.

"Aquarium salt" is basically just your average sodium chloride. It goes great on pizzas, french fries and chicken. It is not the way to make sea water, though.

Marine mix is a blend of many different sorts of salts, minerals and trace elements, designed to synthesize real salt water, as would be found in the ocean.

Couldn't have said it better myself bred.

Thanks, finally a straight answer that I can understand.

So now my delima is this...How do you convert from aquarium salt to sea salt. is it ok to begin using sea salt at my next water change?

Yes, just use marine mix with your next water change. As always, keep an eye on your SG with a hydrometer.

I would only bump up the SG very slowly so the fish and the bacteria do not get shocked by the different water. Try to basically bump it up .002 a week at the most.