Bad batch of Instant Ocean? Alkalinity through the ROOF!!!

5 mos

5 mos

I stop useing IO 5 mos a go because it would not mix well it was a 200 gal mix with a pump in the bucket. I did not test the salt. RGibson
 
Minh Nguyen said:
Depends on how we mix the salt, Ca and Alkalinity can change. If we mix vigorously as soon as we put the salt in the water, then all the salt will dissolve. If we do not do this but use a PH or just leave the salt for a while before we stir it up, then due to the high concentration of the Ca++ and CO3-- locally where the slat dissolve, they may precipitate and will not dissolve again. This can result in lower Ca and Alkalinity.
Click to expand...

This is new to me. I always put a powerhead in and let it dissolve itself over the course of 24 hours. So you're saying that when we mix salt, we should mix it manually and vigorously at the very beginning, and then put in the powerhead and wait 24 hours?

:confused:
 
Do you use the water immediately after manual vigorous mixing? Or do you still keep a powerhead in there for 24 hours?
 
I always wait at least 24 hrs before using the newly mixed water. I am not 100% sure that this is needed. Only experience I have with newly mixed salt water was 23 years ago. I killed a pair of tank raise Ocellaris with newly mixed IO. First SW fish I had and first SW fish I killed along with the anemone. They lasted about 5 hrs after leaving the LFS.
 
I have never done anything else but put my salt in a bucket, stir the heck out of it, let it sit for 10 minutes, stir the heck out of it again, do a s.g reading and then use it. Not once have I had even the slightest problem.
 
Although I do believe that there are people using ASW shortly after mixing, I still think that unless it's an emergency situation, it's best to allow a day of mixing before use.
 
I probably posted this in the wrong thread, so to avoid double-posting, I'll just link to it here. I just checked my alkalinity and it's off the chart (I'll have to purchase one with numbers tomorrow). In fact, this thread answered pretty much all of my questions, but if anyone wants to know the "long" term effects of the bad IO, here ya go:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1892814#post1892814

By long term, I mean approx. 6-7 months of water changes. I'm near the last 1/8 of the bucket now.

-Dal
 
Sorry for your losses Dal. I understand how extremely upsetting it is. Make sure you're compensated for the purchase price of everything dead... it will be hard to come up with a figure... how do you put a price on dead micro-organisims, your hard-ship, bleaching of your LR?

Bob wouldn't have received my salt sample yet. It was returned to the post office for some reason and I have to resend it tomorrow... I think I didn't put proper postage... oops.
 
I know several people here that have had the same prob with crystal sea marine mix.I/O seems to be fine i have not heard anyone complaining about it locally
 
So after missing out on all the fun in this thread and just now catching up, what has been concluded?

Is it safe to say that IO quality assurance has declined and steps beyond looking for precipitation post mixing are advised or is this a fluke and odds of being impacted are about the same as winning the lottery?

Does the amount mixed up at any given time play a role in this, smaller batches subject to more variation based on incomplete mixing of salt blend?

I've gone through about 10 buckets of IO since June and have another 10 in the garage and at the rate I have been going through water my curiosity is peaked. I'm curious to hear from ore LFS that blow through this stuff like crazy.

I am also curious about the packaging change, I almost posted a question to on this back in the June/July timeframe but it sounded so silly I refrained (taller narrower buckets with an orange top vs. shorter wider buckets with a purple top)...has me now wondering if manufacturing facility, methodology or recipe has possibly changed.

Curious to see where this is going and I would really like to see a statement from the manufacture.

- scott -
 
uryy4me said:
So after missing out on all the fun in this thread and just now catching up, what has been concluded?
Click to expand...

It can happen sometimes and if it does it sucks big-time and you should post your experience here while mailing a sample to Bob at Aquarium Systems.

Is it safe to say that IO quality assurance has declined and steps beyond looking for precipitation post mixing are advised or is this a fluke and odds of being impacted are about the same as winning the lottery?
Click to expand...

The chances are much higher than winning the lottery by far. Several people from my area alone were affected in the last little while alone. It's safe to say quality assurance declined temporarily at one point to at least some extent in some way so as to yield a higher-than-average number of bad buckets.

Does the amount mixed up at any given time play a role in this, smaller batches subject to more variation based on incomplete mixing of salt blend?
Click to expand...

I don't know, but I would say smaller batches would be more dependable. AS would have to comment on how big they make their batches at a time.

I've gone through about 10 buckets of IO since June and have another 10 in the garage and at the rate I have been going through water my curiosity is peaked. I'm curious to hear from ore LFS that blow through this stuff like crazy.
Click to expand...

Some LFSs have come forward to say they too have blown through this stuff and have never had a problem. Of course, if they did have a problem, many probably wouldn't say so publicly so as to not loose sales on salt.

I am also curious about the packaging change, I almost posted a question to on this back in the June/July timeframe but it sounded so silly I refrained (taller narrower buckets with an orange top vs. shorter wider buckets with a purple top)...has me now wondering if manufacturing facility, methodology or recipe has possibly changed.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, all those complaining have the older style of buckets only. I know AS recently changed their recipe, but I don't know when and how so. I don't know if the new style of bucket indicates the newer recipe or not, but I do know that both style of buckets advertise the "New Improved Formula" so maybe they "improved" the formula more than once recently.

Curious to see where this is going and I would really like to see a statement from the manufacture.
Click to expand...

I would too. Bob talked to me via the phone and said sorry and offered a lot of well-thought-out rhetoric about how horrible it must have been for me and how empathetic AS is about the whole thing.

But I would like to see an actual statement right here on Reef Central from AS themselves. I think it would make them sound better if they did.

:bum:
 
I mailed my salt sample off to Bob on the morning of Oct. 10th, guaranteed six day delivery. At the latest he should have gotten it yesterday. Patiently waiting to hear from Bob @ A/S. I will keep everyone interested, posted on just how this Saga unfold's........
 
Reefmadness, my grandma Rietzel/Sabiston lives out in Sardis. I stayed with her when I worked for the Chilliwack Progress. Where do you get your fish from? Chilliwack? Do they have any good stores way out there?
 
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