Instant Ocean - New bags, salt caked to a brick

[SaltISlife]

well its been a year lol. I got them at my LFS. so might be using it for a quarantine system for fish maybe? and i will label it as QT salt

might work for that if you try to dissolve it for a long butt time lol.. but my experience is if its hard as rock, its worthless. Itll leave floating white particles in the water and never go away unless mechanically filtered. But thats just me. The salt is cheapo $11 a bag right atm, id toss it and buy new stuff, and open the bag and put it into a instant ocean bucket

 

[madlos123]

might work for that if you try to dissolve it for a long butt time lol.. but my experience is if its hard as rock, its worthless. Itll leave floating white particles in the water and never go away unless mechanically filtered. But thats just me. The salt is cheapo $11 a bag right atm, id toss it and buy new stuff, and open the bag and put it into a instant ocean bucket

Yeah I mixed one last month and even after 2 weeks it was still there lol. Yeah got them for $30 for the 200 gallon. so yeah might be buying one new tomorrow and will put it in a low humidity room with somewhat sealed cabinet.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Follow up to my rock salt boxes. I received two new boxes today from Spectrum. They were nice sturdy boxes with padding and the salt boxes inside. Arrived in perfect condition. I really can't say enough how great they were about replacing the bad salt.

Regarding the rock salt, it's garbage. It wouldn't hold Alk for me and kept dipping. I dumped it all. I don't recommend trying to use the rock salt.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Mine did this and it’s only been in my bedroom. I guess I have to go out and buy another bag. I had half a bag left and it bricked… it’s a pain to break apart.

 

[EricR]

Mine did this and it’s only been in my bedroom. I guess I have to go out and buy another bag. I had half a bag left and it bricked… it’s a pain to break apart.

As someone posted earlier (old thread), I'd suspect that moisture must've gotten in.

*I found a half full bag that had been sitting in my garage for 1-2 years, opened but then rolled and clipped to kind of reseal it -- it was fine and I used it with no issues

 

[Tamberav]

Mine did this and it’s only been in my bedroom. I guess I have to go out and buy another bag. I had half a bag left and it bricked… it’s a pain to break apart.

I take the bags and tape them shut and put them inside a bucket and seal it. I found the bucket was key to them not bricking. I think too much moisture form the air gets in the bag just by rolling it up and taping it alone.

I started doing this as I realized my buckets of instant ocean never bricked but the bags did. Sometime even unopened bags (pinhole somewhere?). I now just place all bags in a bucket opened or not and put the lid on.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

As someone posted earlier (old thread), I'd suspect that moisture must've gotten in.

*I found a half full bag that had been sitting in my garage for 1-2 years, opened but then rolled and clipped to kind of reseal it -- it was fine and I used it with no issues

Only way possible is from changing the thermostat because my apartment has been on AC most of the time.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

I take the bags and tape them shut and put them inside a bucket and seal it. I found the bucket was key to them not bricking. I think too much moisture form the air gets in the bag just by rolling it up and taping it alone.

I started doing this as I realized my buckets of instant ocean never bricked but the bags did. Sometime even unopened bags (pinhole somewhere?). I now just place all bags in a bucket opened or not and put the lid on.

I’m planning to actually invest in a bucket. Too expensive to keep spending all that money only to toss out. I read someone used a cheese cloth filled with rice and added it to the salt in a bucket and had success. Might be worth investigating.

 

[EricR]

Only way possible is from changing the thermostat because my apartment has been on AC most of the time.

If you store near your tank or sump (and bag isn't tightly sealed), that MIGHT be more likely to collect moisture. My garage is not insulated and I live in a dry environment. ...just babbling

At any rate, regular Instant Ocean 15 lb. bags are usually only about $10 on Amazon.

 

[nereefpat]

If the salt becomes a brick, you don't have to throw it out. The only problem should be decreased alk and Ca from them combining. Just dissolve the salt and test/adjust alk and Ca.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

If the salt becomes a brick, you don't have to throw it out. The only problem should be decreased alk and Ca from them combining. Just dissolve the salt and test/adjust alk and Ca.

Would that entirely matter if I don’t have corals?

 

[nereefpat]

Would that entirely matter if I don’t have corals?

Within reason, no.
You might check it with a cheap API alk kit, and add a little baking soda if it mixes up below 6 dKH alk or so.

 

[Celestion]

Get salt fresh as possible , I got 6 clearance buckets 160 gallon from Walmart. , lids COVERED in thick dust , ( hot long term hot warehouse ) . not caked at all , Salt tasted like plastic lol. scary lol , Yes not kidding , all went down the drain

 

[LeftyReefer]

Easy solution.

Buckets of IO are on sale for $21.83 each right now at Petsmart. (when buying 3)
3 buckets comes to $65.48 plus tax, with free shipping.

So why buy bags that brick when you can get the buckets for so cheap?

 

[Celestion]

PetSmart should be safer , possible more turn over , no bags in this container

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I also use Instant Ocean, but I haven't noticed the "bricking" in unopened bags with the new plastic material.

However, I do hate the new plastic that the bags are made from. The bags are very difficult to reseal tightly to prevent additional moisture intrusion after opening.

I haven't had any bricking from the bags. I open a bag at a time and store it sealed in a previously used IO bucket container. The only time it has bricked on me is when I don't close the lid.