Marine Salt/Iodized Salt

**crash32** · 12-14-2008, 05:01 AM

I ran out of sea salt & i need like 7 gallons of saltwater more. I know that there are chemical differences between table salt & marine salt, but from what i've read it seems like it wouldn't hurt the inhabitants (corals & fish) to use table salt short term. Should i not risk it?

**cocoa_pleco** · 12-14-2008, 05:07 AM

personally wouldnt risk it

**unleashed** · 12-14-2008, 05:22 AM

standard table salt has many chemicals which are toxic to fish in confined environments (tanks)

**gm72** · 12-14-2008, 12:36 PM

Agreed. Not so good of an idea I don't think. I would think the iodine in of itself might cause a problem?

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 12-14-2008, 12:57 PM

Well, there the chemicals is a problem, but it's not the excess of them, it's the lack of them in table salt. First of all, the "iodine" in table salt is in fact iodide and that is not toxic to your fish at all. That aside though the problem you have is that table salt lacks the things like Magnesium, strontium, molybdenum, and many many other trace elements that are present in marine salt, and all of those are needed for the health of your fish.

**kaybee** · 12-14-2008, 01:09 PM

Can you acquire a marine salt mix from your LFS today or do you have to mail order it?

I typically keep approximately 38-40gals of circulated and 'ready to use' SW available at all times in two rubbermaid-type containers, so when my 'makes 200gal' salt mix bucket is completely expended I have a fall-back for any emergencies while I order some more.

When you say you need 7gal more, what is the total required (for example did you need 20gal but could only make 13, or needed 10gal and only had 3gal on hand)?