Does Instant Ocean have a new formula?
 

I just began using a new bucket of Instant Ocean with the new label. I had heard rumor somewhere that they were changing their formula for increased calcium and magnesium so I tested the newly mixed up saltwater to see.

At a salinity of 1.024 that had been mixing for 5 hours with RO/DI water and a powerhead I measured the Calcium to be 400 with a salifert kit, Alkalinity was 11.5dkh with elos and Magnesium was 1275ppm with elos as well.

In the past I've tested the 'old' Instant Ocean with 'old' test kits and at Salinity 1.025 I received Ca 340 with salifert, Alk 12dkh with elos and Mg 1200 with elos.

It seems like they may have increased their levels but then again there is a lot of room for error with how I mixed and tested. Has anyone else tried this?

Have found each pail varies a bit but always on the low side, Ca 275-325 and Mg 900-1100 ppm (Alk steady around 11 dKH). Been probably a year though since I last stocked up on salt.

Slightly off topic. I just bought my first bucket of IO as I have been using the smaller bags until now. Is it necessary to roll the bucket or otherwise mix the salt up before first use? I.E - does the bucket "settle out" if it has been sitting at the LFS for an extended period of time?

I never have.

I'll usually test the pail when I first open it (and mark on the lid the Ca/Mg so I know how much to supplement) then midway through and it always seems the same.

it wouldn't hurt.. all salts will settle if they are joccled around as there are different weights of particles.. this is also why people get different readings from the same salt.

I used to mix mine befor using it all the time.

Steve

Yep, saw two different pails at one LFS in Vernon last week. I think the new formula is called IO reef crystals and is indeed designed to provide better levels of mag, calcium etc for reef tanks. Costs substantially more too.

Reef Crystals has been around for a while. Is the OP simply referring to Reef Crystals or a whole new formulation for plain old IO?

There is no information on the IO website about new formula or new product but it can be seen new purple branding.

http://www.instantocean.com/sites/in...d=1294&cid=964

I was only refering to regular Instant Ocean (not Reef Crystals) in the first post. I just thought that with the new branding that maybe they changed something about the product. I had checked their website too and saw nothing. I even did a Reef Central search but all I found was one thread that was a few months old with someone asking the same question as me.

Oh well I guess I'll just carry on supplementing like before.

I may have gotten the nomenclature wrong but it was something along the 'reef' line and the bucket had a different colour as mentioned above. There were two pails stacked on top of each other, unmistakeably IO and the 'new' one had the additional information on it regarding being more suitable for reef tanks with the elevated ca, mag levels.

pic of the pail?

Dont worry only 9 of those were full... I try to buy all of my salt for the year all at once. The new Instant Ocean are the stack of three behind the old style buckets and beside the Seachem.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Picture197.jpg

I just tested another freshly mixed 27gal trash can of new IO and RO/DI today.

1.026 (refractometer)
Ca 460ppm (elos)
KH 4.5 meq/l (seachem)
Mg 1200ppm (elos)

Either Instant Ocean has really increased the calcium in their salt or my test kit is faulty. The expireation date on it says 12 - 10 so I guess its good until December of this year. I also tested twice because I didnt believe it the first time.

RC has had threads for a while about the better number of the standard I.O. now.
In fact there is a sticky with the figures posted that I.O. mixed to 1.026 generally produced calcium level of around 400, with magnesium level around 1350 and an alkalinity of about 11.
(The sticky is on the Reef Chemistry Forum of RC that lists tested results of many salts, including the new I.O.. See "Synthetic Salt Mixes" sticky)

I really can't see a 5g bucket of salt "settling out" It will compact a bit, but will not stratify and separate the elements and minerals.

And I have heard the new salt is higher too. I have a bucket but havn't tested it

all my pails test low, even the ones bought recently, did I just pick up old stock?

How does one know buying latest. Do pails look the same, lot/batch numbers?

These are the exact same readings that I got with my last 3 batches of salt. Only difference is that I bought the huge IO boxes instead of the buckets.