AnAnemone
Premium Member
I just read your salt mix study. I am very impressed with the results.
I have considered the paper and it's implications, which are great.
You have noted adsorption by the established aquarium of several toxic elements, such as fish tissues. My main initiative in the hobby is not of fishes, but hard corals. Is there evidence of these metals in coral tissue or skeletons... both wild specimens and those reared in captivity with synthetic salts? Well, probably not, but that leads me to my next thought, that of a bit more subjective issue, dictated by many variables...Coral growth and colouration.
As the study, which I believe to be valid and reliable, shows IO brand salt to have the greatest variation from NSW, would predict inhibited and otherwise poor coral performance. But as we all know, this is the typical hobbiests brand, and it seems from several sources that corals do quite well in our homes.
If a perfect study were to be conducted, I imagine, a coral would have to be removed from the reef, broken in two, and immediately placed in seperate prepared solutions of synthetic salts, and reared as such in as similar tanks as possible.
Until such study, which is out of my reach, is done, I won't go pouring my IO down the tiolet. I will, however use the other salt in one of my tanks. Not scientific, but hey!
Could you recommend a changeover protocol?
Your endevors in the hobby are remarkable. Thank you for your work!
Tim O
I have considered the paper and it's implications, which are great.
You have noted adsorption by the established aquarium of several toxic elements, such as fish tissues. My main initiative in the hobby is not of fishes, but hard corals. Is there evidence of these metals in coral tissue or skeletons... both wild specimens and those reared in captivity with synthetic salts? Well, probably not, but that leads me to my next thought, that of a bit more subjective issue, dictated by many variables...Coral growth and colouration.
As the study, which I believe to be valid and reliable, shows IO brand salt to have the greatest variation from NSW, would predict inhibited and otherwise poor coral performance. But as we all know, this is the typical hobbiests brand, and it seems from several sources that corals do quite well in our homes.
If a perfect study were to be conducted, I imagine, a coral would have to be removed from the reef, broken in two, and immediately placed in seperate prepared solutions of synthetic salts, and reared as such in as similar tanks as possible.
Until such study, which is out of my reach, is done, I won't go pouring my IO down the tiolet. I will, however use the other salt in one of my tanks. Not scientific, but hey!
Could you recommend a changeover protocol?
Your endevors in the hobby are remarkable. Thank you for your work!
Tim O