Neomarine salt problems... Low Ca @ 300ppm

TheLost · Jul 1, 2019

I picked up a 150 gal bucket of Brightwell Aquatics Neomarine salt when I was setting up my new tank a few months ago.

Since it was a new tank and I was going to do a long cycle I mixed it up to a 1.025ppm salinity and didn't test anything else. I just made 91g and dumped it in my new Reefer 350.

Flash forward 2.5 months and three 15% water changes later and I finally got around to testing Ca, KH and MG (Red Sea test kit)

Ca... 300 ppm
Mg... 1520
KH... 7.6

I thought it was weird that the calcium was so low... so I ordered a Salifert kit and got the same results.

I verified both kits work by testing my 35g tank that has been using Red Sea blue bucket salt, both kids gave 410 ppm.

I had been using the new Hanna salinity checker so I dug out my old refractometer and verified the Neomarine salt in my reefer 350 was 1.026.

As the last test... I mixed up a quick 5 gallon batch of the Neomarine and sure enough... only 300ppm Calcium.

I sent a support request to Brightwell Aquatics but haven't heard back.

Has anybody had this issue with Brightwell salt before?

I'm going to ditch the last of the Neomarine and start using Tropic Marin. But it kind of sucks I wasted ~$80 on crappy salt.

jsker · Jul 2, 2019

On a newer system your parameters are going to jump around, I would suggest dosing the Ca back up to 420 t0 450 when you do your next water change and balance thing out.

TheLost · Jul 2, 2019

jsker said:
On a newer system your parameters are going to jump around, I would suggest dosing the Ca back up to 420 t0 450 when you do your next water change and balance thing out.

I've got the tank in my preferred range now.

My issue is freshly mixed salt only having 300 ppm calcium @ 1.025.
300 is a far cry from the listed 413.

I thoroughly mix all the salt in the bucket before I use it.
It was 2 years under the listed expiration date on the bucket.

It wasn't just one batch... it was the full ~150 gallons.

My question is:
Is it normal for salt to be so far out of specification? I normally stick to one salt with my tanks, and I can't remember the last time I tested freshly made salt for Ca, MG & KH. I'm just glad I didn't use it when I did a 30% water change in my 35g tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 4, 2019

The salt might be low in calcium, the salinity may be off, or the calcium kit may be off. All happen.

TheLost · Jul 4, 2019

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The salt might be low in calcium, the salinity may be off, or the calcium kit may be off. All happen.

In the years of using IO, Reef Crystals or Red Sea Pro it has never been off 100 ppm.

H2Ocooled · Jul 4, 2019

I have had the same issue with the Neo Marine salt, I used it to start my tank and when I tested I was getting around 310 on CA, everything else was good. I thought it was my tank so I just ignored it because it was new. Fast forward a couple of months and it was still low, so I tested my new mixed salt and found it to by at 310 CA. I contacted Brightwell and spoke with the guy who is in charge of the salt mixes and he swears that they are all at around 400, but he sent me a replacement 150g bucket and it tested the same level at around 310. I never contacted them on this I just added some CA supplement to get it up to the 440 I try to keep my tank at. I've used a lot of different salts this is the first one I have ever notice this on.

TheLost · Jul 4, 2019

Rich Gross said:
I have had the same issue with the Neo Marine salt, I used it to start my tank and when I tested I was getting around 310 on CA, everything else was good. I thought it was my tank so I just ignored it because it was new. Fast forward a couple of months and it was still low, so I tested my new mixed salt and found it to by at 310 CA. I contacted Brightwell and spoke with the guy who is in charge of the salt mixes and he swears that they are all at around 400, but he sent me a replacement 150g bucket and it tested the same level at around 310. I never contacted them on this I just added some CA supplement to get it up to the 440 I try to keep my tank at. I've used a lot of different salts this is the first one I have ever notice this on.

I've tried to contact them for a few weeks. No reply...

I've ordered a different brand and will just stay away from Brightwell.