Extremely High Alk In Instant Ocean Salt

[gregzz4]

I use RO - TDS 0

Last time I tested my RO water, it was all zeros for the Big 3

My Instant Ocean Sea Salt buckets have given me, from newest to oldest;

The 3 batches below were all tested with fresh Elos kits, and my methods were checked against both J&L, and the peeps @ Elos

Batch 12243 Mar 16
10.5 Alk
4-410 Ca
1450 Mag

Batch 12243 Nov 13
11.5
450
1400

Batch 11297 Sept 4
11
490
1300

I have 2 previous buckets that I didn't keep track of, so no matching batches to test results

There were some user errors back here, so the test results were a bit skewed and not accurate

11
460
1400

11
520
1200

[Aquaticguy11]

Originally Posted by 1eyedjyde

My batch of io tests out at 1000 mag, 350 cal and 14 dhk. I use tap water and the dhk is high around 8 or 9. Do you use tap water or rodi?

RO/DI

[Aquattro]

My IO consistently tests out at about 375 ppm Ca, 7ish dKh, and I don't test for Mg.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

My IO consistently tests out at about 375 ppm Ca, 7ish dKh, and I don't test for Mg.

And the brand(s) of your test kits are ?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

And the brand(s) of your test kits are ?

Elos. Previously Salifert, same results.

[gregzz4]

I really want to send you some of my salt
We talked about this before in fun, but I'd be interested to see what you get with my salt ...

I'm thinking it's all in the user's technique

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

I really want to send you some of my salt
We talked about this before in fun, but I'd be interested to see what you get with my salt ...

I'm thinking it's all in the user's technique

Rich should be having another meet soon, I'll come over and you can bring some salt and a kit

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Rich should be having another meet soon, I'll come over and you can bring some salt and a kit

I would be most interested in doing it

Maybe you could bring your kits too, just for reference ?
Up to you. I know they're not cheap

[jostafew]

Originally Posted by mseepman

I just recently had a bout with a bad bucket of IO...but the problem was the opposite. The alk was really low. I have always used other salts (not IO) that were consistent but with the big tank...the budget has come more into play. I started testing and found my tank alk was really low...then I tested the freshly made water from the last bit of the salt out of that bucket and it was between 4-5. The next bucket I opened went back to the 10-11 that I was expecting from IO. I've been slowing bringing my Alk back up in my tank. Now I always check every new batch and I roll every bucket (have for years).

I had the same issue. Bought my bucket from a local vendor on Boxing day of 2011. Sad to say it killed my tank. Alk was low, Mag and Calc were through the roof, who knows what else was wrong. Took me forever to figure out what wiped out ALL fish and inverts in my tank... I did notice the consistency was different than my previous buckets. Usually it's somewhat coarse, like table salt. This time it was much finer, like baking sugar almost.

I know that a lot of people have success with IO (and I did for 2 years before that too), but I've switched brands now.

[1eyedjyde]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

And the brand(s) of your test kits are ?

I use Elos.