INSTANT OCEAN SALT

[farmerjo90]

I just found an old bucket of salt in my garage. It is unopened but dates back to the day when the buckets made 200 gallons and you got the free plastic plants. I opened the sealed bucket and the salt looks just like new. No lumps at all. So, I mixed up a gallon and tested it. I just have 3 kits. The calcium and magnesium are fine. The alkilinity is double what it should be. I tried it 5 times. The test works in my tank water fine and in the test solution that comes with the kit. I am scratching my head. Any ideas?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by farmerjo90

Any ideas?

Yup. There was a period where IO had a problem with really high alk which killed a lot of tanks. I wouldn't risk it.

[spit.fire]

What exactly were the levels?

[farmerjo90]

15

[Starry]

what about mixing in new salt when mixing it up? I do this sometimes when changing salt brands. 15 is way high!

[spit.fire]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1530419

[farmerjo90]

Hell no....it is only good for deicing the driveway. Dint wanna bother with addingacids etc

[hillegom]

If you want to get rid of it, I will take it.

[farmerjo90]

Its yours

[sirruckus]

I had this issue as well about a year ago, had talked to Albert Dao and he suggested trying to roll the bucket method I have brought up before. the next time I made water, to my surprise the alk was at the proper levels, wheras the first batch was up around 14-15 as well.

the mentality to roll the bucket is to mix the salt. Because of shipping, the containers are likely upright - and that because of normal transportation vibration, the denser properties in the salt will slither its way to the bottom.

true or not, I don't know. did it improve when I rolled the bucket, yes.