Ocean Pure Salt Mix

[Blue Ram]

I'm looking for some feedback from members who use this brand of salt. I purchased this brand on the recommendations of two local retailers who said it was "the best" and being a novice salt keeper, I relied on this recommendation. The issue I'm having is that my water is testing 10.6 for dKH (using Salifert test kit). I mixed up a new batch of replacement water (using RO) and adjusted to 1.024 sp. This too is testing at 10.6. I'm not aware of any other reason why the dKH would be so high other than the actual salt mix. Any advice and/or suggestions??

[michika]

That is a perfectly fine value for dKH! Most people want to run between 7-11 dKH.

I'm sorry I don't have any direct feedback to offer you about that particular brand, as I've never used it. I do have to say it has pretty packaging!

[Jason McK]

The biggest problem I had with that salt is one bag will have a ALK reading of 10.6 and the next will have a reading of 2. never had a problem with Mag or CA but Alk was all over the place.

J

[Chowder]

I had the same problem as Jay did.

[fishface]

also found it to be very inconsistent.

[MikeP]

I also switched on the recommendation of the LFS. I bought Ocean Pure Pro. I started with IO so I've only done water changes with the Ocean Pure Pro. Did you buy Pro regular Ocean pure? And has anyone noticed inconsistent Alk readings with Pro?

[fishface]

i was using pro.

[Finaddict]

I was using ocean pure pro as well.

switched back to instant ocean... more consistant for me.

[Blue Ram]

So it may be money down the drain - I'll just monitor it closely over the next few batches I make up and if too inconsistent - in the garbage.
I was concerned the high dKH may be causing some of my new softies to keep their polyps retracted but I guess it may also be just an acclimatization period. My tank is stocked with new SPS frags and some softies.

[michika]

You can always bump up the parameters for your water.

Do you know what your dKH was before? You may be right in regards the poylps being retracted due to shock.

[Blue Ram]

What specific parameters are you referring to? I don't have a comparison to use for dKH since tank is new. Live sand & cured rock was transferred from another tank. Have not had any ammonia or nitrites issues.

[michika]

Do you know what the dKH was before you opened and started this pail?

[untamed]

I have also experienced the Alk level inconsistancy with Ocean Pure Pro.

[Blue Ram]

Do you know what the dKH was before you opened and started this pail?

No - I started the tank with this brand.

[michika]

Well then I would say if you are comfortable finishing the pail you have, that you should make a different choice next time.

[Crumm]

Not sure if this is the issue, but there's a problem with a bunch of different batches of Salifert ALK tests giving artificially high results. There's a thread in the Salifert forum on RC that lists the affected lots.

[danny zubot]

I use OPP and find that my ALK levels are too low, around 7 dkh, at least with this bucket. Mg is very high though which might affect the reading for the other levels. I usually dose ALK anyway so I've never worried about it.

[MikeP]

It seems that no salt is perfect right? You will always have to dose for something. So far with the OPP the mag and cal is higher than IO and it seems to mix better. If all I gotta do is dose for Alk that's not so bad. That's just my opinion so far. But I haven't been through that many buckets of salt yet.