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We couldn't possibly do a better job than the fine folks at www.wetwebmedia.com in answering your questions about marine fish and reef keeping, so we invite you to visit their site.
Questions about our salts may be found below: Mixing Instructions: 1) In a
separate container, fill with enough fresh water to replace 10% to 20% of the
water in your aquarium. 2) Add
one full leveled FINS scoop (approximately 1/2 cup) of salt mixture for each
gallon of water to be mixed. 3) Stir
until salt mixture is completely dissolved. 4) Measure
the salinity (specific gravity) with a hydrometer. Adjust salt level accordingly.
If salinity is too low, add more salt mix.
If salinity is too high, add more de-chlorinated water. Recommended specific gravity: 1.020- 1.024
5) Add
salt water to the aquarium. Additional Recommendations: - Change 25% of the water in your aquarium each month. - Use de-chlorinated water; if using tap water, let it sit in an open container for
several hours
before adding mixture. - Never mix salt directly into aquariums containing live
animals. - Make sure newly mixed salt water temperature is within a few degrees of your
aquarium
before adding. - Monitor your aquarium for proper pH and Specific Gravity levels after adding new salt water. What
if I lose my FINS scoop, is there an alternate way to measure the salt? The
FINS scoop is designed to provide on average the correct amount of salt mixture
for making 1 gallon of water. A
standard measuring cup may also be used at a rate of approximately ½ cup
per gallon of water. If a measuring
cup is not available, you may also use a scale and add 4.5 ounces of salt mix
per gallon of water. The
exact amount of salt mixture required varies with local fresh water conditions
and existing tank conditions. Specific
Gravity measurements should be made to both the salt water mixture before adding
to your tank and to the tank water after adding the newly mixed salt water.
We recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before taking final SG
measurements to insure the mixture has reached equilibrium in your tank. Occasionally
I notice ‘specs’ of discolored materials in my salt mixture, are these
impurities and should I be concerned? Our
salt mixture is created from combining dozens of compounds, most of them mined
and later refined to 99.9% purity level; so statistically speaking there would
be about 1 grain per 1000 grains salt that is not a purified compound.
The vast majority of the discolored grains (reddish in color) are
actually calcium carbonate carrying trace elements, which are completely
dissolvable, leave no precipitate, and are harmless to the inhabitants of your
aquarium. I
left the salt bag opened and it turned into one big clump of salt, can I still
safely use it for my tank? Clumping
of salt (also known as ‘caking’) is a natural process in which the crystals
of salt bond to each other by ‘sharing’ available water molecules in the air
to form ‘liquid bridges’
between neighboring particles, which are then transformed into crystal bridges
upon drying.
Our salts DO NOT contain anti-caking agents and therefore can cake when
exposed to moist air and dried again. To
reduce caking, do not open the inner vapor-proof bags until you are ready to use
the product and keep the unused portion of salt tightly wrapped in its bag and
store in a relatively dry place. Caked
salt is completely safe to use, only it poses difficulty when trying to measure
by volume. If your salt does cake,
you may break apart the clumps and measure by weight to get the correct mixing
results. Even guessing the volume
of broken ‘clumps’ is normally OK, just be sure to check and adjust the
salinity as required before adding to your tank.
Dry caked salt re-introduced to moist air conditions will become granular
and free flowing again. Anti-caking
agents basically serve to absorb moisture inside the package that may otherwise
be ‘shared’ by the salt crystals; in this manner it permits salt to
keep its free flowing characteristics; however, anti-caking agents (commonly
calcium silicate or sodium
hexocyanoferrate) are not
water-soluble, increase the need to change filter media for the tank and the
latter contains a small amount of toxins. Anti-caking agents become ineffective over time; so we feel they are best left out of our product. Is
the Fins salt mixture alone adequate to maintain a healthy marine and reef
environment? Our
formula is designed to provide sufficient nutrient and mineral levels to support
most aquariums. Our raw chemicals
are processed using advanced mixing, re-crystallization and purification
techniques to eliminate nitrates, phosphates and ammonia.
You will find that our salt mixture rapidly dissolves without leaving a
residue or precipitate on the water surface.
You will also notice that our salt mixture buffers within an acceptable
pH range. We
formulate and produce our salt mixture based on the latest scientific knowledge
available; however, the “best” formulation is, and likely always will be,
subjective. We use data from the
testing of near-surface Natural Sea Water and precisely mix to replicate the
inorganic chemical composition. As
aquariums are closed systems and their inhabitants, filtration, and water
conditions greatly vary from one tank to the next, replacement of specific
depleted nutrients may be required. Our
commercial services department is happy to work with volume users of our product
to customize the salt mixture according to specific client needs.
If you still have questions specifically about our products, you may contact us by filling our the below form:
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Send mail to webmaster@finssalt.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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