There are as many sources of marine chemicals as there are hairs on our heads ( knowing how to use them and in what concentration is the trick). Many of these chemicals are used in the formulation of artificial marine
salts (knowing the proper proportions is the trick). Here are just a few sources: the expected beneficial ion is in bold type.
Marine Chemical Substitutes
Buffer Calcium Hydroxide CaOH2
Epsom Salts Magnesium Sulfate Mg SO4 . 7 H20
Povidone Iodine polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-I) + I2
Potassium Iodide K I
Tincture of Iodine 2% iodine/2.4% sodium iodide/50% ethanol
Red Slime Algae Potassium Permanganate KMnO4
Potassium peroxymonosulfate (4.3% O2)
Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2 Kills some bacteria and some fungid
pH Add (up) Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash) Na2CO3 . H2O pool
pH Decrease (down) Sodium Bisulfate NaH SO4 . H2O pool ph down
Alkalinity Plus Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate pool supply
Bicarbonate of Soda NaHCO3
Calcium Carbonate C CaCO3
Kalk Calcium Hydroxide Ca(OH)2
Potassium persulphate K2S2O8
Potassium Sulphite K2SO3
Potassium hydrogen sulphate KHSO4
Potassium hydrogen carbonate KHCO3
Potassium Iodate KIO3
Sodium Hydroxide NaOH
Sources of various ions:
Magnesium Sup Magnesium Chloride MgCl2
Strontium Sup Strontium Chloride SrCl2 . 6H2O
Buffer Sodium Carbonate
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium Borate
Calcium Chloride CaCl2. 2H2O
Potassium Chloride KCl
Hope this will give you something to think about. All of these substance are easily available without license, advertising, cost of liability (biggest
cost in the marine industry and general retail markup. These substances are generally as pure if not purer than the supplements that we add to our tanks and we are probably adding to much of those (Simek, Borneman, et al.