shelf life of sea Chem products?

[Scottsquatch]

Before I took my 10+ year break from the hobby I had purchased some sea Chem supplements which I ended up never opening. They were stored in a cool dry place since then. I just found them the other day when I was doing inventory of all my aquarium equipment and supplies. There are some dry supplements and some liquid. I can get the product names if needed. As I stated, they are all sealed and never opened. What do you think? Any chance they can still be used?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, product names would be needed. Many will be fine, and a few maybe not.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Reef complete, reef calcium, reef builder, and reef plus. They were all purchased per Sally Joe Headlee's instructions for Garf's "bullet proof reef" from back in the day.

 

[Cory]

Reef complete, reef calcium, reef builder, and reef plus.

I think all of them should be okay to use. But im not Randy who would know better. Alk supplements should never expire.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thee Reef Builder will be fine until the plastic container falls apart.

The organic vitamins and amino acids in the Reef Plus will degrade over time. It may still be beneficial, but won't be the same as it ages.

Reef Calcium is a complicated question, not just whether it is too old, but whether there is ever a situation to use it.

Reef Calcium is an organic bound calcium. It's the only one on the market I have seen that is not clearly both a calcium and alkalinity additive (like calcium acetate), and it adds both calcium and some unknown amount of alkalinity (unknown meaning not known by anyone, including Seachem), because the amount of alk added depends on whether the polygluconate is metabolized by bacteria before it is otherwise removed from the system (as by skimming, precipitation, etc.).

I generally recommend not using it for that reason

As to its age, I doubt degradation of the organic in it will make it any worse.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Ok, I won't be using that stuff then. Thanks for the info.

 

[Scottsquatch]

What about the reef complete?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Oops, forgot that one. It too is stable forever (except it may evaporate the water out slowly)

 

[Scottsquatch]

Thanks a lot for the info Randy. its much appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.