Making your own salt

[Miles]

What about pool salt? It is $6 for a 40lb bag at Walmart. It would probly be on the 'dirty' side but nothing a filter cant handle. Throw in the trace elements... or am I just dreaming?

[William]

I tried it again last week.

To try to determine the cause of the cloudiness I experienced last time, this time I used only two ingredients:
580gm of Morton's Table Salt
20gm of Publix brand Epsom Salt

Even with no Ca or CO3, the water again was very cloudy and took forever to clear.
So, the cloudiness, is not coming from the precipitation of CaCO3.

So it is either coming from the Epsom salt or the Table salt. Looks like one more experiment is called for to be certain, but suspect that it is the Table salt.

[William]

What about pool salt? It is $6 for a 40lb bag at Walmart. It would probly be on the 'dirty' side but nothing a filter cant handle. Throw in the trace elements... or am I just dreaming?

That is not any cheaper than the Table Salt I am experimenting with now. If price is a sign of quality, it should be no less pure than table salt....

[Miles]

I am assuming you are using non-iodized table salt... the pool salt is straight sodium chloride and no additives so it should be the same as table salt.

But that brings up another question...
A few places I've read say NO NO NO to iodized salt, but if we have to ADD iodine to help with spawning and stripe formation, why not use the iodized salt in some limited amount?

[William]

Yes, the table salt is not iodized.
Here is the salt I am using.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/naviga ... tem=181933

From a quick google search Iodized salt has 15 - 40ppm of Iodine. Seawater has an iodine concentration around 0.06 ppm. I have no idea if that much iodine would hurt anything but it does not seem like a good idea to use iodized salt. Much safer to add the iodine yourself.

[KathyL]

What is the anticaking additive?

[Spracklcat]

Just what I was thinking Kathy--that might be your problem.

[William]

The anti-caking ingredient is Sodium Silicoaluminate.

I agree, that it is the most likely culprit.

[KathyL]

Just what I was thinking Kathy--that might be your problem.

See, this is why you should come to IMAC. Great minds think alike!

[Jin]

Any update on this?

[KathyL]

Dman is taking a break from fish breeding, so, it is unlikely that we will hear more from him until he comes back.

[Miles]

I tried an 80 / 20 split of IO to pool salt... Didn't seem to hurt, but it kept my PH lower so I was having to dose to raise it. Became more of a hassle than anything to save 20% on salt cost.

[BaboonScience]

I noticed that Lowe's and Home Depot have pure NaCl available as water softener salt. Has anyone tried this one?

[vaporize]

Dman is taking a break from fish breeding, so, it is unlikely that we will hear more from him until he comes back.

he's around if you wait long enough

[BaboonScience]

I also noticed that pool salt is available and the bag states that it is purified NaCl.
Yet another source for the Sodium Chloride component and cheap!

[vaporize]

I also noticed that pool salt is available and the bag states that it is purified NaCl.
Yet another source for the Sodium Chloride component and cheap!

For us in Canada, noticed walmart has pool salt for $11.30 for 10kg. A I.O 160G bucket is around $35-40 cheapest (on sale) , around 25kg. So around $28.5 for a pail of pool salt. If it's regular price, then it's about 25% savings best.

[BaboonScience]

Pool salt is a little cheaper here. They sell it in 50 pound (about 23 Kilos) for about the same price ($13 plus or minus). A little cheaper.
Might be worth it.
John

[BUGSY]

ANY UPDATES ON MAKING YOUR OWN? THANKS GREG

[Miles]

By the time you get all the additives needed, its generally the same price, if not more than just buying IO. Plus a huge hassle. IO is generally on sale every few weeks from the wholesalers. Get the LFS to let you know when that is, and get a few pails/boxes.

[steamman]

I know this is an old thread. Is anyone still using and having long term success using these recipes? I am considering going this route myself.

[vaporize]

I know this is an old thread. Is anyone still using and having long term success using these recipes? I am considering going this route myself.

I've heard somebody with good success on a reef tank

[steamman]

I am wondering if this is a good source for sodium sulfate? http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=%22sodium+sulfate%22

[steamman]

I am trying this and really could use some help. If anyone knows anything about chemistry could chime in it would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I should use the second recipe instead as it doesn't use sodium sulphate? I am looking at both recipes as options right now.