The sea salt market is crowded these days with new manufacturers. Some are chemical supplement manufacturers, lobster salt manufacturers and existing salt manufacturers repackaging previous mixes. Hype abounds. One product is labeled to look as if it is a German import, but is really made in the U.S. Another manufacturer advertises "scientific grade." (What is scientific grade? Chemicals are graded by reagent grade, USP or pharmaceutical grade, food grade and technical grade. There is no "scientific grade!") A manufacturer draws a bar chart, reportedly reflecting information from a "government test lab." (Of course the lab report itself is not published. No information is given as to how samples were collected and who commissioned the report. As expected, the top three salts tested were made by the manufacturer that prints the ad!).
What are the important considerations when selecting a salt mix for a marine aquarium? Recent entries into the manufacture of salt mixes all claim to have the best salt mix. How do you know who to believe? The following tips may help you through the maze.
Manufacturer’s Reputation
Look at other products that the manufacturer makes. Are quality standards evident in those products? I recently heard an aquarist say " I won`t use their liquid supplements, but I use their salt." Does it make any sense that their salt would be made to any higher standard than their other products?
Proper Equipment
You don’t just roll over one morning and manufacture quality sea salt. It takes research, planning and lots of expensive equipment. Kent Sea Salt is manufactured in one of the finest facilities in the world, insuring consistent mixes batch after batch. Salts are pulverized in a huge stainless steel hammer mill and blending is done in a large stainless steel pharmaceutical blender. Salts are weighed electronically and bagged on an automatic form and fill machine, and the atmosphere is controlled by industrial dehumidifiers and air conditioners. While some manufacturers give excuses for their salt mixes being wet, Kent refuses to compromise. Our salt is dry because it is made in a proper facility, not a cement mixer in an unairconditioned warehouse! No drying agents are added!
Proper Ingredients
Kent uses only the finest materials, selected by assay. We use the same quality trace minerals that we use in our world class additives and they are added individually. Kent Sea Salt contains all of the essential major, minor and trace minerals of natural sea water in proper proportions. At Kent, we do not rely on contaminants brought in with the major ingredients for our trace minerals. Some major European manufacturers also list "protective colloids," we don’t add them, they are organic chemicals that just add to the bio load. (By the way, what is a "gel conditioner" and does gelatin have any place in a marine aquarium?) One manufacturer readily admits that he uses old seawater that has been dried. This has never worked. Plankton and other organic components predispose the aquarium to be dirty. Why do a water change with "used water?" Kent Sea Salt is made from prime bagged chemicals.
Enhanced Mix
Most sea salts, however fine, only provide seawater levels of trace minerals. In the wild, animals have cubic miles of seawater from which to draw the minerals that they need. In the enclosed environment of a marine aquarium, however, animals often suffer because they quickly use up available minerals. Kent Sea Salt contains enhanced buffer levels and enhanced levels of important minerals, such as calcium, strontium, iodine, iron, cobalt, rubidium, lithium and many others. It includes our Coral-Vite technology which provides these minerals plus vitamins for the invertebrates. One manufacturer claims that a salt mix is too harsh an environment for vitamins, and it is -- if the salt is packaged wet! Also, vitamins, in the proper form (i.e. aquaculture grade) are expensive.
Price
Impartial testing has proven that some manufacturers` salts have major deficiencies, particularly in magnesium, calcium and important trace minerals -- sodium chloride is much less expensive than other components! One manufacturer claims that sea salts don`t have to be expensive. His expertise is in making lobster salt. He may be right, if you are going to eat the animal within a week, but marine aquariums need a quality salt. At Kent, we design our products for Sustained Long Term Results. Quality costs money. If you are buying cheap salt, you are not getting the quality of Kent.
Conclusion
Manufacturers` claims, even ours, are always biased. So called technical evaluations and "government reports" are advertisements with data always slanted to suit the advertiser. Many will have questionable, at best, circumstances of evaluation, such as no control over how samples were collected. We understand that one manufacturer collected his own samples and sent them, mixed with water, to the test lab! No matter how accurate the lab test, it is worthless without impartial sample collection.
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Customer Reviews
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Write a review
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
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Excellent!
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A salt that has everything
by Montana Reefer
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Comments: I've tried just about every brand of salt out there. Cost is not an issue. I just want the best. And the Kent salt seems to be that. It has all the proper ingredients including Magnesium.
Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
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Great
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Salt needs better Shipping
by Bert
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Experience Level: Intermediate
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Posted on 9/20/2007
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Comments: The product is good, but you need to find a better way to ship. The first box was destroyed by the shipper and you were kind enough to send a replacement. Many thanks! This replacement box arrived, but was damaged with packing material falling out and the seal tape loose. If you are going to ship salt, I suggest you get some heavy duty boxes for this material. I do very much like the product and most important, my little fish friends seem to be happy with the Kent Salt.
Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.
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