Instant Ocean

[pdiehm]

15 gallons today. My box is definitely high. New bag.

10.8
Calcium: 465

Did not test magnesium.

What I am finding is that instant ocean while successful is wildly inconsistent from one batch to the next.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

15 gallons today. My box is definitely high. New bag.

10.8
Calcium: 465

Did not test magnesium.

What I am finding is that instant ocean while successful is wildly inconsistent from one batch to the next.

FWIW, I actually doubt that very strongly, and do not think that assertion reflects the reality of the mix itself as much as testing errors and perhaps inhomogeneity within a bucket/box.

 

[pdiehm]

You may very well be right. I tested calcium with salifert and had 480. It definitely isn’t mixing up low in calcium though

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You may very well be right. I tested calcium with salifert and had 480. It definitely isn’t mixing up low in calcium though

Unless the salinity is higher than you assume based on your testing. [emoji3]

 

[pdiehm]

1.025 per Milwaukee digital and 1.024 per BRS hand held. I am not all that concerned at this point. No corals at this point yet.

There is a testing margin of error, but the Milwaukee did read 1.025 when I used their 1.025 calibration fluid.

 

[pdiehm]

Another week and test. 15g at 1.026. 11.6 dkh/500 calcium

There is debating this is mixing up high, especially in calcium.

I am anxious to finish this bag and clean out the bucket before adding a new bag in.

 

[Mrx7899]

I just tested my mix s.g 1.026 alk was 9.7 calcium 375 magnesium 1140.

 

[pdiehm]

I wonder if the salt on the sides is corrupting my numbers. There isn’t much left. Will dump it out and clean the bucket with hot water and pour a new bag in there and make 5g

 

[pdiehm]

dupe

 

[SeaDweller]

Well I'm in the process of performing 120 gallon water changes over the course of 2-3 weeks. In under a week I changed out 240 gallons using fritz RPM. Thought it was going to be promising but I got wacky numbers so I'm happy to be done with fritz. I bought two 200 gallon boxes of IO for the next few water changes and was worried about the Alk. So I bought some acid buffer to lower the Alk.

It seems pretty consistent that IO has higher Alk, thanks for your logs of your parameters.

 

[rockskimmerflow]

FWIW, I actually doubt that very strongly, and do not think that assertion reflects the reality of the mix itself as much as testing errors and perhaps inhomogeneity within a bucket/box.

I agree. I believe a large batch must be mixed at one time to really test a salt's consistency. Tipping a bucket or bag just doesn't seem to be enough to really mix the stratified particles IMO. I mix full 200 gallon boxes worth at a time, at least 2 or 3 times per week. When done this way with an iwaki 100rlt stirring the batch for 3 hours, I find the mixes are quite consistent. My testing may not be 100 percent accurate but the numbers I get are largely stable between 200 gallon cases. At 1.025 I see about 10dkh, 400 Ca, and 1150mg

 

[pdiehm]

15g:

New bag.
Clean bucket.

1.025
11.0
490 calcium.

Salt was very fine, no clumps no nothing.

One of 2 things is occurring. My testing is out of whack or IO changed their parameters. The regular instant ocean that I have been using is most definitely not short in calcium.

 

[SeaDweller]

15g:

New bag.
Clean bucket.

1.025
11.0
490 calcium.

Salt was very fine, no clumps no nothing.

One of 2 things is occurring. My testing is out of whack or IO changed their parameters. The regular instant ocean that I have been using is most definitely not short in calcium.

Nice to know. I mixed up 80 gallons of it the other day and found Alk to be 10.x-11.0 as well. I used some acid buffer to drop it.

 

[rockskimmerflow]

15g:

New bag.
Clean bucket.

1.025
11.0
490 calcium.

Salt was very fine, no clumps no nothing.

One of 2 things is occurring. My testing is out of whack or IO changed their parameters. The regular instant ocean that I have been using is most definitely not short in calcium.

It was a 15 gallon bag? I've never seen IO with Calcium that high. Granted I only mix 200 gallon batches. What was your Mg level? If it's over 1200 at 1.025 I'd guess maybe the salinity reading is off in some way. Perhaps it's actually higher salinity than you're reading. That would explain the overall elevated params if Mg is also up there. I do get high alk in the 9.5 to 10.5 range at 1.025 sg when I do full 200 gallon mixes. I make multiple 200g batches a week so maybe I'll test one of the new cases I just got. I have 11, 200 gal cases left from this order so we'll see if any of them have overall elevated params. If they did I wouldn't mind the higher calcium so long as the Mg was also up from the usual sub 1200 readings I get at 1.025.

 

[Richard Hercher]

Pretty sure the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago uses IO as well.

My wife keeps pointing out that we must be using the right salt, because she sees pallets of it at Shedd, Georgia Aquarium, and Aquarium of the Pacific when we do their behind the scenes tours. (Which surprised me, because i figured AoP just pumped sea water in and out)

 

[rockskimmerflow]

My wife keeps pointing out that we must be using the right salt, because she sees pallets of it at Shedd, Georgia Aquarium, and Aquarium of the Pacific when we do their behind the scenes tours. (Which surprised me, because i figured AoP just pumped sea water in and out)

Interestingly the Aquarium of the Pacific used to ship in sea water since they were barred from pumping in and out of the local waters by the Coastal Commission. I believe they got permitting approved and are able to pump natural sea water from local sources, but I would not be surprised if they mixed IO for use with specific exhibits and life support systems.

 

[pdiehm]

Yesterday's tests:

15g made at 1.025.

10.8 alk
460 Calcium (finishing up the new bag of salt). This is the last bag in this box, which I wonder if it was just high in calcium.

On a side note, tested alk after my water change. 15g raised my alkalinity by 0.3 dkh from 7.9 to 8.2. Tested about 2-2.5 hours after water change.

 

[pdiehm]

My wife keeps pointing out that we must be using the right salt, because she sees pallets of it at Shedd, Georgia Aquarium, and Aquarium of the Pacific when we do their behind the scenes tours. (Which surprised me, because i figured AoP just pumped sea water in and out)

I know the big Reef tank at Sea World Orlando uses IO, the one next to a rollercoaster (Manta?) near the entrance. I hope everyone knows, I'm not bashing IO. I'm doing a test more for myself about the consistency based on my testing. Since I coach baseball, I tell my kids, I don't care if the umpire is good or bad, as long as he's consistent. I feel the same way about salt. While I care if it's high or not, there is human testing error, and if my tests are consistent, that leads me to believe the salt is consistent.

My tank tests yesterday were 1.026/8.2 ph/7.9 alk/420-425 Calcium/1ppm Nitrate (Misleading as there is algae).

 

[Mike1995]

Probably not the best way to do this.

Prepared 5G yesterday. Let it mix for about 30 hours.

Tests were 11.2/480/1480

Bucket was mixed the same way, turned upside down multiple times rolled around on the floor.

I use IO too. Last time I tested my parameters they were almost exactly what yours are

 

[pdiehm]

I wonder...if this box was actually reef crystals salt, and was packaged as regular Instant Ocean?

The reason I am curious is, not only are the parameters what I always tested with IORC, but I now have brown residue over my powerhead, and my mixing container that I never had previously before I started with this box. The parameters I'm testing at are almost identical to what I was testing using Reef Crystals.