Accurasea Salt (Anyone Use It?)

[livinlifeinBKK]

Ok guys, I'm not really asking if this salt is ok or not to use, I'm just trying to find out how accurate it is when mixed right and how well it mixes. I'm going crazy trying to figure out where 1.026 is with my cheap refractometer and salinity probe and it's driving me nuts because I'm pretty sure they're off given the trouble others have even with good quality salinity measurement tools. That's why the idea of the salt being prepackaged appeals to me (I can always measure the water and ensure its the right amount by weighing it.) Plus I need to buy salt anyway...Are the packages consistent and do they mix well?

 

[blaxsun]

It's as accurate that they manufacture it that you can confirm through testing. Most manufacturers will state a salinity range, although generally it's pretty close (YMMV).

If you're asking can you take x amount of pre-packaged salt and add it to y amount of water to end with exactly z salinity, the answer is probably no.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

It's as accurate that they manufacture it that you can confirm through testing. Most manufacturers will state a salinity range, although generally it's pretty close (YMMV).

If you're asking can you take x amount of pre-packaged salt and add it to y amount of water to end with exactly z salinity, the answer is probably no.

That's the claim they make so I was curious if it added up to be true (they say if you add it to the right amount of water salinity should be near perfect)...maybe too good to be true...

 

[blaxsun]

That's the claim they make so I was curious if it added up to be true (they say if you add it to the right amount of water salinity should be near perfect)...maybe too good to be true...

I have a semi-cheap refractometer, a salinity probe in my tank and my LFS has a lab-grade refractometer. Between the three I'm usually able to get a pretty close salinity reading, but I'm probably still off by +/-0.02-0.04ppt.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I have a semi-cheap refractometer, a salinity probe in my tank and my LFS has a lab-grade refractometer. Between the three I'm usually able to get a pretty close salinity reading, but I'm probably still off by +/-0.02-0.04ppt.

It's the not knowing that's been bothering me for a while now so I was hoping maybe this would help instead of buying something else to measure salinity...I really don't have a trusted fish store where I am to double check with them but whenever I buy a fish the salinity is always like 1-2 ppt lower than they say it should be which is why I'm really second guessing myself...I was thinking maybe the salt was especially accurate and that would put me closer so I was curious to hear what people had to say about it...it's time to buy salt again anyway so I might just get a box since parameters are close to what I currently have (plus I like the idea of no settling since each individual packaged is supposed to be all set for 5 gallons at a time)...it's always nice to hear how easily and clean it mixes as well

 

[blaxsun]

Fish stores will typically run their salinity lower for two reasons:
1. The fish they get from their suppliers are kept at a lower salinity and arrive as such.
2. It's cheaper.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Fish stores will typically run their salinity lower for two reasons:
1. The fish they get from their suppliers are kept at a lower salinity and arrive as such.
2. It's cheaper.

I'm talking really low (for example, I got a fish last month and tested the water at 24 ppt...I messaged them to ask if that was accurate and they said it should be more like 26 but I'm not complaining about where they keep their salinity at...just started me to think that according to them I was measuring a full 2 ppt low on my handheld probe

 

[blaxsun]

See #2. That's way too low, but what do you do other than a long acclimation process? I run my tank between 34.8-35.2ppt salinity, with a min/max ±2-3ppt variance at any given time.

 

[Woodyman]

@TheWB uses this salt, I have been considering the switch as my LFS is changing over to it.

 

[TheWB]

@TheWB uses this salt, I have been considering the switch as my LFS is changing over to it.

I do use this salt. I have been using it exclusively since Jan 2019. I use the small packages that mix up to 35ppm in 4.5 gallons of water. I do not ever test newly mixed water to double check but I do have a glass hydrometer that I use to spot check my tank and it’s always very close to 35ppm so I’m confident that this salt mixes up as it is intended to. Nothing is perfect but so far I’ve found it to be pretty bulletproof. YMMV so always do your own testing.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@TheWB uses this salt, I have been considering the switch as my LFS is changing over to it.

Yeah, I kinda like the prepackaged portion idea since it's supposed to avoid the issue of settling and if it lives up to it's claims of being so close to 1.026 salinity when mixed with the right amount of water that's always a plus...it's easy to weigh a graduated cylinder on a good scale and mark where true 1000 or 2000 ml is even if the line is a little off

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I do use this salt. I have been using it exclusively since Jan 2019. I use the small packages that mix up to 35ppm in 4.5 gallons of water. I do not ever test newly mixed water to double check but I do have a glass hydrometer that I use to spot check my tank and it’s always very close to 35ppm so I’m confident that this salt mixes up as it is intended to. Nothing is perfect but so far I’ve found it to be pretty bulletproof. YMMV so always do your own testing.

Does it mix easily and pretty clear?

 

[TheWB]

Does it mix easily and pretty clear?

Mixes easy and quickly. I’ve used it after mixing for only an hour a time or two. Usually I mix it overnight but either way it mixes clean and clear and I’ve never had a problem with salinity that wasn’t created by me. You should get Alk around 8-8.3, Cal around 420 and mag around 1300 with it pretty consistently.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Mixes easy and quickly. I’ve used it after mixing for only an hour a time or two. Usually I mix it overnight but either way it mixes clean and clear and I’ve never had a problem with salinity that wasn’t created by me. You should get Alk around 8-8.3, Cal around 420 and mag around 1300 with it pretty consistently.

Awesome! Thanks! That's where I'm aiming to keep maintain my tank at so it sounds like a good choice to me!

 

[TheWB]

Awesome! Thanks! That's where I'm aiming to keep maintain my tank at so it sounds like a good choice to me!

It’s where I like mine as well. I like to keep things simple so between the 4.5 gallon pouches which equals about a 12% water change for my tank and the fact that it hits my preferred parameters this salt was a no brainer from the beginning. I have never used a different salt in this tank and see no reason to change. Anything else would be more work and I avoid that whenever possible Lol.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

It’s where I like mine as well. I like to keep things simple so between the 4.5 gallon pouches which equals about a 12% water change for my tank and the fact that it hits my preferred parameters this salt was a no brainer from the beginning. I have never used a different salt in this tank and see no reason to change. Anything else would be more work and I avoid that whenever possible Lol.

The 4.5 gallon pouches come 10 to a box, right?

 

[TheWB]

The 4.5 gallon pouches come 10 to a box, right?

Yes

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Well I got my salt and mixing some up right now for a water change...so far I like it, especially the fact that the prepackaged pouches remove the settling issue of buckets! I weighed out the pouches to see how much deviation there was and they're pretty closely matched

 

[Superd513]

Fish stores will typically run their salinity lower for two reasons:
1. The fish they get from their suppliers are kept at a lower salinity and arrive as such.
2. It's cheaper.

There’s a third reason I just found out watching Jillian. The higher the salinity the more susceptible to disease and more importantly FUNGUS. which I lot of LFS fish have

 

[blaxsun]

There’s a third reason I just found out watching Jillian. The higher the salinity the more susceptible to disease and more importantly FUNGUS. which I lot of LFS fish have

Jilian...?