what is the difference between sea salt and rock salt? Is all sea salt aquarium salt also?

Question

Please explain the relationships between them. I need to know where to buy these items. I have aquarium salt so if it is either rock salt or sea salt i figured i wouldn't buy it so that's why I I asked if aquarium salt is the same. Could i find it in a walmart or target?

Answer 1

Rock salt only contains sodium and chlorine as elements (except for a few impurities). This also includes aquarium salt (more expensive) and kosher, canning, pickling, and table salt (less expensive). You can use any of these in a freshwater aquarium at low concentrations (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons) provided you don't have fish that are extremely sensitive to salt in their water. If you buy something for aquarium use from the grocery (and any grocery, including WalMart and Target will have at least some of these), get one without iodine or anti-caking additives (that is to say, salt/sodium chloride should be the only ingredient).

Sea salt should be used for brackish or saltwater tanks. Besides the sodium and chloride/chlorine, it contains a lot of other elements - calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, and others that are naturally found in seawater. You can buy sea salt at groceries as well, but in small amounts as a table salt substitute. If you're planning to use sea salt for a marine or brackish organism/fish, I'd suggest getting it from a pet store - seawater is over 1/2 cup of salt per gallon, and the quantity you buy at a grocery won't last long and the price you pay per gallon of water you mix would be much higher with sea salt purified for human consumption.

Answer 2

Sea salt and Rock salt are pretty much similar.

Aquarium salt however is very different - has a different chemical composition. DO NOT PUT SEA SALT, ROCK SALT or TABLE SALT in your aquarium.

You may be able to find aquarium salt in Walmart or Target but I doubt it. Probably best off to go to a local pet store, if they dont have it they can order it in. If there is an aquiarium store local - even better chance but a decent size pet store with a good fish section should stock it.

Answer 3

Sea salt is harvested from sea water, it is the most nature form of salt. Rock Salt simply hasn't been ground into fine granules, it can be made artificially or from sea salt. No idea about aquarium salt. There are all sorts of different kinds of salt.

Answer 4

They are al different. Aquarium salt has chemicals for the saltwater tank. You can't typically get aquarium salt at Wal-mart or Target. You would need to go to your local fish store. I wouldn't even think that PetSmart or PetCo would have it. You need to go somewhere that sells saltwater fish.