Instant ocean salt mix reveals ammonia

[Aznxgqboyx]

Hello I recently ordered 200 gal instant ocean salt mix off amazon and im on the second bag out of the four. The first bag i did not test it after mixing i just went ahead and did a water change. Now this second bag something in my mind told me to test the new mix and I did and the result i got was shocking(saltwater test). I tested the ro water and tap water(fresh water test kit for the ro) and all read zero. Im not sure what to do now. Should I dump the water (about 10 gal) and start again or buy new salt?
I also searched online and looks like other people had the same problem im having now.

 

[rizorido]

Had a fish die in a quarantine tank coz the water was mixed with RC salts, tested water and found high ammonia !!!

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Had a fish die in a quarantine tank coz the water was mixed with RC salts, tested water and found high ammonia !!!

Yeah im not sure what to do at this point.

 

[rizorido]

Buy new salt

 

[rizorido]

That's what I did

 

[TheEngineer]

Have you tested RODI water in your mixing bin? The bins can leach stuff. I used to have phosphate issues and found it was my mixing bucket that was the problem.

I don't know if ammonia can leach the same way but might be worth a test before buying more salt.

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Have you tested RODI water in your mixing bin? The bins can leach stuff. I used to have phosphate issues and found it was my mixing bucket that was the problem.

I don't know if ammonia can leach the same way but might be worth a test before buying more salt.

Yes i tested everything, it is the salt

 

[redfishbluefish]

It is not just Instant Ocean.....all salt mixes have ammonia as a "contaminant." In an established tank, with dilution, it is quickly converted eventually to nitrate. The issue might be more of a problem if doing a very large water change. Otherwise, it's "normal."

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

that test for am is so low id doubt it highly.

fwiw fresh rodi has no oxygen in it. depending on the pressure applied to the di the ph may be very low. I wouldn't drop a fish into that unless it was checked and buffered.

I could be wrong. Lets check shall we?
#reefsquad

 

[redfishbluefish]

..........fwiw fresh rodi has no oxygen in it. depending on the pressure applied to the di the ph may be very low. ........

Salty, I'm scratching my head on this one. Could you supply a source for this statement. I'm not sure what oxygen or pressure has on pure water production pH.


Otherwise, pure water has a pH or 7.0....but here's the important part, it has absolutely no buffering capability. So as soon as you start to mix this pure water with something (such as a salt mix), the buffering components in that mix will dictate the pH.

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Also, the last two bags i have one air tight vaccumed and the other is loose like its been opened, but it hasnt it just air in it, could that ruin the salt?

 

[redfishbluefish]

If the salt is still free flowing, it's just fine. If it has turned into a brick, it's bad.....but only to the point that calcium carbonate has precipitated and you'll need to supplement alk and calc.

 

[Sabellafella]

Hello I recently ordered 200 gal instant ocean salt mix off amazon and im on the second bag out of the four. The first bag i did not test it after mixing i just went ahead and did a water change. Now this second bag something in my mind told me to test the new mix and I did and the result i got was shocking(saltwater test). I tested the ro water and tap water(fresh water test kit for the ro) and all read zero. Im not sure what to do now. Should I dump the water (about 10 gal) and start again or buy new salt?
I also searched online and looks like other people had the same problem im having now.

Just tested both io and rc and came up 0 for ammonia on both salifert and elos. I would get another opinion from an lfs with another test kit before you toss the salt mix. As of now imo i wouldnt use it

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Just tested both io and rc and came up 0 for ammonia on both salifert and elos. I would get another opinion from an lfs with another test kit before you toss the salt mix. As of now imo i wouldnt use it

Yeah im thinking the salt was a bad batch

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Salty, I'm scratching my head on this one. Could you supply a source for this statement. I'm not sure what oxygen or pressure has on pure water production pH.


Otherwise, pure water has a pH or 7.0....but here's the important part, it has absolutely no buffering capability. So as soon as you start to mix this pure water with something (such as a salt mix), the buffering components in that mix will dictate the pH.

Sure..
While at the orchid society meeting a couple months ago, some of the mebers were Ph bragging on their Di water, and citing their sources as "best". Di ph in plants being extremely important as ph's too low will immediately "burn" a plant root and why drinking rodi may not be so good for us. Once the ladies had left, my wifes good friend and I continued the conversation as I had just gotten our rodi kit. He is a scientist working in a lab and they produce di water ao different Ph as required in some testing . I believe he said around 5.6 at the lowest. they do this with more densely packed di resins to achieve this. one caution he gave us was to make sure we used the correct water pressure as the higher pressure on the resin replicated the dense packing of their di and can lower the ph, but really just make sure you shake the bottle or just let it set around and its likely fine. As I usually do let it set anyway it's not really a problem, and most who buy it have it poured into the bucket and drive it home its not a problem. But in several instances here in r2r ive seen who have quickly set up a hospital tank make fresh rodi and mix salt into it. Once the fish went in went down hill quick. weater that was the lack of oxygen in fresh rodi or PH I cant be sure, I usually just suggest shaking up the bucket or making sure there's an air stone.
with the number of occasions Ive seen this happen Im going for low oxygen. Low oxygen, low ph, despite chemical buffering as I would assume salt mixes are aiming at a 7ph nominally.

I kinda put it out of my head as he said I couldn't have any of his high test low ph stuff anyway unless I wanted to grow Himalayan orchids and I usually let my rodi set around and I have salt water mixed incase of emergency as well. Ill google it.

edit, yea here it is.. as it sets and get gassed it drops to 7.
http://puretecwater.com/downloads/relationship-between-ph-and-deionized-water.pdf

 

[jason2459]

Hello I recently ordered 200 gal instant ocean salt mix off amazon and im on the second bag out of the four. The first bag i did not test it after mixing i just went ahead and did a water change. Now this second bag something in my mind told me to test the new mix and I did and the result i got was shocking(saltwater test). I tested the ro water and tap water(fresh water test kit for the ro) and all read zero. Im not sure what to do now. Should I dump the water (about 10 gal) and start again or buy new salt?
I also searched online and looks like other people had the same problem im having now.

Do you have a cat?

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Do you have a cat?

No animals in the house

 

[shoelaceike]

All saltwater will test slightly positive with the API test.

 

[Sabellafella]

Yeah im thinking the salt was a bad batch

Could be. Theres times where i would test regular io and it would come up with like 1ppm nitrate and .02 phos. But never ammonia until now. ammonia compounds deffinitly could be present.

 

[FDAWG]

I wouldnt jump the gun with an API test...