buyer beware

[RiverReefer]

A while back i bought a bottle of "oceanic" brand salt for in case of emergency use, or when i ran out. So I finally ran out of the other salt that I had and did just a 5 gallon water change last night....bringing the water to only 1.021, I did my testing before adding the water to the tank....calcium-500! mg-1100 alk-11 .....this is all way off from my usual water changes and tanks params....so beware if you are using this salt or are thinking about buying it...that it is high in calcium, low in mg, and high in alk...

I was really suprised how far off it was...apparently it is natural salt that is taken from salt flats in china, but from what jeremy at CRA told me a while back that its params are all over the place because of millions of years of stuff leaching into it in the ground...

 

[Jeff.:P]

Hmmm have you checked your refractometer?

 

[Miller]

I have to ask...why would you buy some different type of salt to have for emergency use or when you ran out? That doesn't make to much since, why not just keep a backup of the salt you use on a regular basis?

 

[afboundguy]

Hmmm have you checked your refractometer?

What does that have to do with mag, calc, and alk If it's way off and you added too much salt then I could see how that might lead to these higher numbers... Basically I just wanted to rag on you a little

I have to ask...why would you buy some different type of salt to have for emergency use or when you ran out? That doesn't make to much since, why not just keep a backup of the salt you use on a regular basis?

I agree unless it's cheaper to have this stuff on back up... But Nate is a little weird

 

[Jeff.:P]

What does that have to do with mag, calc, and alk If it's way off and you added too much salt then I could see how that might lead to these higher numbers... Basically I just wanted to rag on you a little

What I'm saying is the refractometer could be out of calibration ... just a thought

 

[stingythingy45]

Actually,those numbers aint all that bad.
I'd just boost the Mg. level.

Hmmmmmmm...made in China...huh?

 

[Jeff.:P]

Actually,those numbers aint all that bad.
I'd just boost the Mg. level.

Hmmmmmmm...made in China...huh?

agreed.

 

[afboundguy]

Hmmmmmmm...made in China...huh?

What's wrong with that? They make some great stuff!!! I think I remember something about a great big wall...

 

[jbishop]

I have heard the same about that salt.

 

[RiverReefer]

constant idiocy...

constant idiocy....didn't your moms teach you that if you had nothing good to say don't say it at all...

i bought it because they were out of my regular salt...and 500 at 1.021 is high calcium....

the refracto was in line last time i had it checked....

figured i'd post so some of the newer people that maybe don't check their params on water change water and were thinking about using this salt in the future that it could throw off the params in a tank quickly...stop passing judgement on peoples posts and get back to work.

 

[Jeff.:P]

Simmah Down NaH!

 

[PerfectDark]

I would just consider that a bad batch of salt, if what you say is accurate. I have been using Oceanic for over 2 years and never had any issues like that. However I do find that the Alk level in Oceanic is consistently low. JMO

 

[RiverReefer]

maybe? from what jeremy said is that he's had people make up new water and the calc be as high has 570....

 

[afboundguy]

I would just consider that a bad batch of salt, if what you say is accurate. I have been using Oceanic for over 2 years and never had any issues like that. However I do find that the Alk level in Oceanic is consistently low. JMO

+1 on Oceanic... I've only used this since I've set up my tank 5+ years ago... I rarely have to add any mag as it's always above 1300 and usually closer to 1400

 

[dz6t]

Reef Crystal has better consistancy, IO is meant for fish.