Instant oceans reef Crystal's

[mckennamichael407]

I've been using this salt mix since I started this tank roughly a year ago. The past 3 batches though have all been completely off. They say to use a 1/2 cup of salt per gallon and i have been using 1 cup per 4 gallons to get to 1.26 and 35 pp by adding in a 1/4 of a cup at a time an letting it desolve. I just ordered the aqua forest reef salt to give that a try but wanted to see what everyone is using and their reasoning.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m a little confused. You are saying it is taking only 1/4 cup per gallon to get to 35 ppt, which is about half the usual amount?

I think there is some sort of testing issue. There’s no way a salt mix can be twice as potent as usual.

 

[Ooh fiddlesticks]

Sounds like your refractometer is way off, or you’re starting with brackish water.

 

[mckennamichael407]

Yes to the 1/4 cup in place of the 1/2 cyp and no it is not brackish have a 5 stage bulk reef supply rodi filter with tds meter that the water comes from. This is a new bag that has the same label as always but everything is way off and this is now the 3rd batch this has happened to. I have calibrated my refractometer before every use with ro/di water as well as calibration solution to confirm the readings are correct as well as using my instant oceans hydrometer for these batches. I usually buy the 16 lb bag because I don't need a huge supply so I'm not to worried about it an have ordered a different brand but I cannot be the only person in history of reef keep that gas gotten a bad batch of salt mix can I?

I run my filter to the 4 gallon line on my bucket, then I put the heater in the bucket until the water gets to roughly 78 degrees, i add the salt (b4 i use to just add the 2 cups of salt but since getting this bag I did that and it came out astronomically high right around 70 pp and have been cautious figuring i could always add more to it) so i added my cup of salt mix and swirled it around and then tossed my sicce syncra nano in the bucket and put a lid on it and went back about an hour later and checked and it was on the money with only half the salt mix for the 2nd straight time

 

[JTP424]

Are you using the same bucket and mixing pump etc or are you cleaning it out in between?

 

[Johnd651]

That is strange. Have a buddy in the hobby that can mix and test your salt independently? I used it by the pallet in grad school, and just switched back to it from Aqua forest.

 

[mckennamichael407]

Are you using the same bucket and mixing pump etc or are you cleaning it out in between?

I rinse it before and after each use. I bought it from my local petco but it's not the only think I've had issues with buy from them. A couple of my nano heaters and filters from them have not worked as well as I have noticed some items were expired after purchasing and getting home from rushing inside the store.

My nano pump I rinse out and I even thought maybe a build up and completely broke it down and there wasn't anything built up that I could visibly see. I don't honestly know anyone else in the hobby besides store employees. There was this guy justin that use to work there I would give him water samples from time to time when I was out of test waiting for more to get delivered. He actually was the one that told me about the ro/di filter from bulk reef supply but he was recently "let go" for giving employee discounts to customers and the entire aquarium/fish section has gone to ****. The tanks are empty and and the ones with fish as sadly dead or covered in ick or velvet. I didnt thoroughly look over the bag for any indication of damage or anything. Could it be maybe the mixture in the bag just wasn't mixed fully or somehow separated somehow from production?


I honestly made this post to get ideas of what mixes others are using and if they have any particular reasoning behind it. I've been watching a lot of bulk reef supply TV and kinda the reason I've decided to give their salts a try be ause it seems it is a high quality product. It was between that and waterboxes reef salt mix because I have some store credit.

 

[mckennamichael407]

I rinse it before and after each use. I bought it from my local petco but it's not the only think I've had issues with buy from them. A couple of my nano heaters and filters from them have not worked as well as I have noticed some items were expired after purchasing and getting home from rushing inside the store.

My nano pump I rinse out and I even thought maybe a build up and completely broke it down and there wasn't anything built up that I could visibly see. I don't honestly know anyone else in the hobby besides store employees. There was this guy justin that use to work there I would give him water samples from time to time when I was out of test waiting for more to get delivered. He actually was the one that told me about the ro/di filter from bulk reef supply but he was recently "let go" for giving employee discounts to customers and the entire aquarium/fish section has gone to ****. The tanks are empty and and the ones with fish as sadly dead or covered in ick or velvet. I didnt thoroughly look over the bag for any indication of damage or anything. Could it be maybe the mixture in the bag just wasn't mixed fully or somehow separated somehow from production?


I honestly made this post to get ideas of what mixes others are using and if they have any particular reasoning behind it. I've been watching a lot of bulk reef supply TV and kinda the reason I've decided to give their salts a try be ause it seems it is a high quality product. It was between that and waterboxes reef salt mix because I have some store credit.

Ive also noticed a bunch of white plastic straps in this batch too "like an 1/16th of an inch thick by inch to inch and a half long that I've never gotten before either

 

[rtparty]

NYOS, Tropic Marin Pro Reef, HW Reefer, and ESV are all great!

I’ve also got AquaForest salt in my storage that I’ll use when my NYOS runs out

 

[Pridedcloth3]

Switch brands, of they're being sloppy qc just don't care and that's how you get a sprocket with your salt.

 

[mckennamichael407]

NYOS, Tropic Marin Pro Reef, HW Reefer, and ESV are all great!

I’ve also got AquaForest salt in my storage that I’ll use when my NYOS runs out

I was looking at nyos and was thinking about it but chose the aqua forest this time. When my waterbox aquarium comes and gets set up I was thinking about starting it with nyos or tropic marin if I didn't like the aqua forest. Is ESV an abbreviation or the brand name?

 

[rtparty]

I was looking at nyos and was thinking about it but chose the aqua forest this time. When my waterbox aquarium comes and gets set up I was thinking about starting it with nyos or tropic marin if I didn't like the aqua forest. Is ESV an abbreviation or the brand name?

Brand name

 

[rishma]

I am using reef crystals because I got bunch for free. I used tropic Marin for ages, good salt. Will probably buy NYOS next time I need salt.

I really cannot think of a likely explanation for your salt being that much potent than normal. But I’d buy a different salt just based on the plastic contamination. That is very odd.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I honestly made this post to get ideas of what mixes others are using and if they have any particular reasoning behind it. I've been watching a lot of bulk reef supply TV and kinda the reason I've decided to give their salts a try be ause it seems it is a high quality product. It was between that and waterboxes reef salt mix because I have some store credit.

Nearly all mixes work well, as long as you understand it’s alk levels and plan accordingly.

I seriously think you need to understand what is causing this observation since I consider it a big sign of a possible testing error.

 

[DexterKarin]

A year ago I switched to Red Sea coral pro because I was getting inconsistent alk readings from a bucket of reef crystals. I don't know why but using same test equipment I don't get that variation any more.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have been using rc for years and have never run into this. I use the 200g box that has 4 bags in it. If you mix the entire box into 200g you get 1.023. At the old house years ago I had 2 200g storage tanks, on the salt mix one I had a line marked to fill the water to so if I added a whole box of salt it would/should be 1.025 about 175g and that was typically spot on I would get some slight variation of alk from batch to batch but not enough to worry about The new house I use a 55g brute trash can (the price of those big water storage containers is more than 4x higher now) I have the new can marked to fill to and with 1 bag I get 1.025. My alk is all over the board here though but I am sure this is somehow related to the well water having co2 trapped not the salt. I have done the aeration test outside with little change to ph but I burn through anion resin. I am not a chemist nor do I have great test equipment so I just run lower alk and stopped worrying about it.

 

[Ooh fiddlesticks]

I’m with Randy on this. I don’t see how it’s possible to make a salt mix that’s double strength, if it didn’t defy the laws of physics every salt manufacturer would do it to save costs on shipping.
What method are you using to test your salt?
You said refractometer earlier, it looks kinda like a telescope right? And not just a swing arm hydrometer?
I’m thinking your refractometer is broken.

 

[keithw283]

I’m with Randy on this. I don’t see how it’s possible to make a salt mix that’s double strength, if it didn’t defy the laws of physics every salt manufacturer would do it to save costs on shipping.
What method are you using to test your salt?
You said refractometer earlier, it looks kinda like a telescope right? And not just a swing arm hydrometer?
I’m thinking your refractometer is broken.

He said he is using the instant ocean hydrometer. Likely what is causing the issue. They work great when they are brand new. I found that mine use to always be off after awhile.

 

[Ooh fiddlesticks]

He said he is using the instant ocean hydrometer. Likely what is causing the issue. They work great when they are brand new. I found that mine use to always be off after awhile.

Wellp, that’ll do it.

 

[twentyleagues]

He said he is using the instant ocean hydrometer. Likely what is causing the issue. They work great when they are brand new. I found that mine use to always be off after awhile.

Oh yeah I missed this. Those are notoriously inaccurate. Bubbles on the swing arm or the inside surface can interfere with an accurate measurement along with the fact they just seem to wear out quickly.