Large sized rock salt - where?

[droyal1110]

Hello. In the past I've experimented with creating my own rock but have always been disappointed with the results. After doing even more research I have decided the key ingredient I need is rock salt. However the salt has to be aquarium safe so pretty much food grade (not the chemical type for icy walkways), and it has to be large pieces, something like a dime and up would be fantastic.

 

I've checked walmart, Giant foods, Harris Teeter, etc, all with no luck. If anyone has made their own rock and went through this process and found the large rock salt, please share where you got it from! Thanks.

[rocko918]

I think brk uses rock salt for their koi. Call and check to see.

[droyal1110]

Oh cool thanks, I'll shoot them a PM then.

[onux20]

What about the salt they make for your table salt grinder? Too small?

[droyal1110]

Yea too small, the idea is to make large pores and make the rock lighter, plus I will also use it as a "mold" when making the rock.

[dshnarw]

Epsom salts would work, and will readily dissolve in water after you cure the rock.

 

From a chemistry standpoint, you would probably be fine with road salt as well, since it's mostly Na, Ca, and Mg chloride salts. You definitely don't need food grade salt, especially given that you'll have to rinse and cure the rock anyway.

[droyal1110]

What if it doesn't all melt away though? I guess my question is if I used the road salt in my tank right now, what would it do to it?

[davelin315]

Silly question, perhaps, but what about the bio-degradable packing peanuts made of corn? The ones that dissolve when you hose them off with water and just mix into the soil without adding anything except some corn starch? I figure those would create some pretty interesting structures as well as putting bubbles into the rock and also creating some odd formations as it dissolves from contact with the cement and sand mixture.

[dshnarw]

What if it doesn't all melt away though? I guess my question is if I used the road salt in my tank right now, what would it do to it?

 

Since road salt is mostly NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 it would do little to your water but raise the salinity and the magnesium/calcium content a bit over a fairly long period of time. You'll have the same issue with any other product that isn't aquarium salt, but at least in the case of road salt you're using a product that is relatively close in composition to the aquarium salt which would minimize any changes, especially nutrient input, resulting from not dissolving it all.

 

Actually...even if you were to use aquarium salt, you'd raise the salinity by adding it to your tank. This might be better - free buffer.

 

As a side note, I've seen several home aquarium salt recipes that use road salt as an ingredient (apparently some are made of nearly pure MgCl2).

Edited October 28, 2009 by dshnarw

[droyal1110]

davelin I had no idea those were that biodegradable, my only issue is that I think because they are so soft and break down easily they might not survive the mixing process. Most people say they like to get bigger rock salt because when you mix it some of it melts down anyways.

 

dshnarw - That is a good point, I'd use tank salt but A) its expensive =D B) need the large granules. I suppose I could try to make a bunch of "chunks" of aquarium salt but I don't see it working out too well.

 

So when looking for the road salt is there anything I need to watch out for? I always thought there would be chemicals harmful to a reef tank in it, now that I think about it, it has to be environmentally safe since it can run off into streams etc.

 

I might try this, thanks!

[dshnarw]

davelin I had no idea those were that biodegradable, my only issue is that I think because they are so soft and break down easily they might not survive the mixing process. Most people say they like to get bigger rock salt because when you mix it some of it melts down anyways.

 

dshnarw - That is a good point, I'd use tank salt but A) its expensive =D B) need the large granules. I suppose I could try to make a bunch of "chunks" of aquarium salt but I don't see it working out too well.

 

So when looking for the road salt is there anything I need to watch out for? I always thought there would be chemicals harmful to a reef tank in it, now that I think about it, it has to be environmentally safe since it can run off into streams etc.

 

I might try this, thanks!

 

 

I can't think of anything off-hand. I'd look to get the purest looking salt I could find, but I don't think it'll be a problem. Since you'll still have to cure the rock, most of the salt will dissolve in the curing water which you can simply rinse and replace. If I were being cautious about it, I might boil the rock to remove a bit more of the salt (would also cure the rock a bit faster).

[ctenophore]

I use DowFlake to boost calcium and MagFlake to boost magnesium, both are road grade. Works for me without a problem.

[droyal1110]

Oh cool, thanks!

[jtro]

What about water softener salt? its pretty good size??

[Reefoholic]

I know you can find big pieces of salt at whole foods. lol

[droyal1110]

Yea water softner salt is large, but I know nothing about it. I didn't think they would dissolve that fast and when I say fast I mean like a month of curing and they are still there. Whereas the rock salt should break down within that time with several water changes and flow. If the softener breaks down I know exactly where to get that.

[Grav]

I saw someone was using crushed ice. Seemed to me it would melt, but they swore by it. If your cement sets up fast, and other ingredents started off cold (like do it outside on a cold day) maybe it could work. Could also have a wide range of differnet size with different ice.

[droyal1110]

Didn't think of that either, good call. But like you said I think the issue would be the whole melting and making the concrete runny or whatever. Plus I can't remember but I think theirs chemical reaction when you mix the two and it heats up the concrete which would further melt the ice and give odd results.