Batch of bad salt, foreign objects in salt -- 1.026 = 5.8 dKH

[Rakie]

So got a batch of salt, everything about it seemed wonderful including the reaction my corals gave me -- at first. Then I noticed I was having trouble keeping my dKH up, and 2 days later my corals began getting a little pale.. in a nano things move quick.. So as I was setting up for a water change I decided to check out the Alk in fresh mix... THis is something I do every time I get a bucket of salt.. But not this time.

The one freaking time I didn't test first, of course :facepalm: And before you ask -- I thoroughly mixed the salt, before mixing the salt.

Additionally... I found what looks like used sandpaper in my mix, and it looks almost like it was used on some type of metal... As it glistens in light, and leaves a residue if you touch it.


Dry glisteny sand paper

Batch Information

 

[Rakie]

Update: AquaForest reached out immediately and offered to send me a replacement for my Reef Salt.

They could have posted here which would have looked good to customers, but they decided to directly message me to solve my problem.

Very prompt customer service!

 

[Mr.Fishtank]

My last two buckets have been crap. (regular reef salt)
Both buckets were bought at the same time and both had the same parameters per paper in bucket. I mix the dry salt very well before every wc and never get the numbers they say that it is supposed to have.

AF cal 440
My testing 470-500+ on first bucket 380-410 on the bucket i'm using now

AF mg 1410
My testing 1500+ on first bucket 1480 on the current bucket

AF ALK 7.7
My testing 7.9-8.2 on first bucket 7.0-7.2 on the current bucket

I really don't care if the alk is low. I can buffer that to the level I want. But for **** sake why the **** is the mag over 1500 when your paper said it would be 1410 which is still higher then some of us run it. I have had nothing but bad experiences with most of the AF products. From comp 1 not fully dissolving to broken bottle cap on my supplements and two buckets of salt with wacked parameters. Now i'm dealing with trying to get my mag down to a better level. Lost so much color and corals turning colors that they shouldn't. Very disappointing.

 

[BB215]

I have the same test results Mg 1500+, Kh 7.9 and Ca 425.
Even went and purchased other test kits to confirm
I think I will go down the beach and use NSW from now on

 

[Aquaforest]

Hello,
As author of this Thread wrote: we will replace new bucket of salt.
Dear customers - If you will have any problems with your salts. Please contact with us at: info@aquaforest.eu

Best regards,
Aquaforest

 

[GoVols]

I posted this on Dr Foster's back in June 2016.

Contacted "Deep Water" about these #'s. Said AF must have put sea salt in reef salt buckets (on two different batch #'s). Never asked me for a sample or bucket replacement.

I've been using AF Reef Salt since it came available in the US.
After apox. 9 months of use I'm saddened. I've received two buckets of Reef Salt that came in close to their Sea Salt params. I always thoroughly roll the salt in the bags before use. I mix to 1.025 SG. Both batches came in about the same calcium / alk levels.
Calium came to apox. 350. Alk came in at aprox. 6-dkh. I use 3 different test kit brands to triple check if something seems off. (AP / Red Sea and Elos). The other batches I received were spot on!
The 3 kits came to the same #'s on both batches. I had hoped I could get I could get Tropic Marin / Brightwell consistency at Aquaforest pricing. I noticed another reporting the same #'s to AF online and AF says their certificate #'s are correct. Well after running against 3 different test kits and seeing someone post my exact numbers, well I'll let you be the judge.
This will be the first and last time that I'll step in and be a guinea pig for a new brand in the US over my reef.

 

[Yonp11]

I posted here a few months ago about my batch of probiotic salt not mixing to the QC certificate parameters, not even close. I rolled the buckets, RODI, uses 2 refractometers with 2 different refractometer calibration fluids. I used 2 different brands of test kits bought at 2 different times.

I was told here that I must have been mixing the salt to the wrong SG. Glad to see it wasn't just me.

 

[kainic]

Replacement is like "shhh you've not seen this"
I think it would be better an explanation on why we can't trust your parameter sheet or a better consistency on salt parameters.

 

[Rakie]

Replacement is like "shhh you've not seen this"
I think it would be better an explanation on why we can't trust your parameter sheet or a better consistency on salt parameters.

The retailer who sold to me had told me a few of the boxes of Reef Salt appeared to have been accidentally filled with "Sea Salt" which is their FOWLR formula.

That retailer was really cool, he said when he heard this he confirmed it himself by checking their salts against each other, and asking customers with a bad batch to double check all the params on freshly mixed salt and send him the results for science. He also specifically asked for these exact photos from me so he could trace the batch and alert the company.. I don't wanna potentially make AF upset by this retailer being knowledgable and doing a kick *** job, so I wont name him in the thread.

I got this off Amazon 'cause everyone was out when I wanted to order it -- I was extremely surprised by this retailer being knowledgable, understanding, and thorough.

I think the biggest thing being swept under the rug is the foreign object. What the heck is that thing? It looks like used sandpaper that was used on some type of metal.

 

[GoVols]

AF's certificate #'s are my problem.

I used Seachem's "Salinity Salt" for about a year. Their certificate #'s always came in very close to my mixed #'s. I changed because "Salinity" had PH drop issues, which has been highly reported by others including the Atlanta reef forum.

I wasn't paying AF to dose up while mixing. If I wanted to do that I would have kept using regular "Instant Ocean".

Wen't back to go ole Reef Crystal and very happy.

I was happy with Component 1+ 2+ 3+ (Very Stable) but will only work with AF or Tropic Marin salts to stabilize ions.

Not here to totally dog out AF but if the certificate #'s are off what's the use in "promoting" as a guarantied analysis like "Salinity Salt" mix?

AF can throw this problem under the rug or "Grow as a company" and fix the issue.

 

[Rakie]

It's a shame it happens, but getting a new salt so I'll test that out and see what happens. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I like AF products, but it seems their salts leave something to be desired.

My other Go To used to be Tropic Marin, but many people too claimed the QC wasn't up to par, and that Alk was often misrepresented. If either of these fail to pan out I'll probably go to IO purple or Red Sea blue.

 

[kainic]

I was happy with Component 1+ 2+ 3+ (Very Stable) but will only work with AF or Tropic Marin salts to stabilize ions.

I'm interested in an extended version of this statement. I'm dosing Component 1+ 2+ 3+ and I'm wondering changing to blue bucket Red Sea salt.

 

[GoVols]

Sure,

AF and Tropic Marin are the only (NaCl free salt) sold here in the USA. (As far as I know)

If the salt is not (NaCl free salt) then your ions wont balance out and you will start chasing Component 1+ 2+ 3+.

Component 1-3 is made to work with (NaCl free salt) to stabilize and even out for the same dose per each of the 3 part.

This is my understanding.

If AF debunks me on this then they need to educate Deep Water Aquatics, which is the US distrib. who explained to me how all AF products worked when AF first hit the US market. They are the ones who said it had to be (NaCl free salt) to make Component 1-3 ions stabilize.

Back then I could only get AF from Salty Supply and Amazon. I was told by Deep Water that there would be no price hikes coming too. Well, since those early days Amazon went up $20.00 a bucket and everyone else has gone up $10.00 a bucket.

 

[kainic]

Sure,

AF and Tropic Marin are the only (NaCl free salt) sold here in the USA. (As far as I know)

If the salt is not (NaCl free salt) then your ions wont balance out and you will start chasing Component 1+ 2+ 3+.

Component 1-3 is made to work with (NaCl free salt) to stabilize and even out for the same dose per each of the 3 part.

This is my understanding.

If AF debunks me on this then they need to educate Deep Water Aquatics, which is the US distrib. who explained to me how all AF products worked when AF first hit the US market. They are the ones who said it had to be (NaCl free salt) to make Component 1-3 ions stabilize.

Back then I could only get AF from Salty Supply and Amazon. I was told by Deep Water that there would be no price hikes coming too. Well, since those early days Amazon went up $20.00 a bucket and everyone else has gone up $10.00 a bucket.

Much appreciated.

 

[GoVols]

Same back at ya!

I've been waiting along time for someone to post mixed #'s not matching certificate #'s. Not to mention the hunk of garbage that was in your bucket. (lol)

It's not good enough to be told AF must have put in sea salt into reef salt buckets.

Fellow reefer's need to be aware and AF needs to own up and fix the consistency of their salt to match the certificates. It's that simple.

 

[GoVols]

Sorry, I mean Rakie's bucket.

 

[GoVols]

Kianic, Your right on one thing. It's like "Shhhhh" from AF. Don't post, just email us.

 

[2dawghouse]

Kianic, Your right on one thing. It's like "Shhhhh" from AF. Don't post, just email us.

So I had a similar issue with a new bucket of Probiotic with Mg being WAY high and Alk being way low. As well the salt was rock hard and in block form. When I mixed it up it turned the water dirty brown. So I threw out my first mixed batch thinking it was something I did, then made another 10 gals...nope water was still dirty.

I contacted AF about this issue asking them what was up with this bucket (Ive gone through easily 7 buckets of salt alone and who knows how many liters of 123). Their response to me was send them a sample of 5L of mixed water and they will test it...I wonder what it would cost me to send 5L of water to Europe will cost me?

Numbers I can adjust but the dirty, cloudy water is my concern.

 

[BB215]

So I had a similar issue with a new bucket of Probiotic with Mg being WAY high and Alk being way low. As well the salt was rock hard and in block form. When I mixed it up it turned the water dirty brown. So I threw out my first mixed batch thinking it was something I did, then made another 10 gals...nope water was still dirty.

I contacted AF about this issue asking them what was up with this bucket (Ive gone through easily 7 buckets of salt alone and who knows how many liters of 123). Their response to me was send them a sample of 5L of mixed water and they will test it...I wonder what it would cost me to send 5L of water to Europe will cost me?

Numbers I can adjust but the dirty, cloudy water is my concern.

I thought it was something I did wrong with dirty cloudy water plus Mg levels 1500 plus. I've stopped all dosing, added more GAC, changing filter sock daily and 40 liter water changes with IO salt.
I was going to start dosing comp 123+ when levels are in check but did not know anything about the Naci free salt thing. Glad I read this thread right through.

Would natural salt water be ok to use with comp 123+ ??

 

[Aquaforest]

STheir response to me was send them a sample of 5L of mixed water and they will test it...I wonder what it would cost me to send 5L of water to Europe will cost me?

We need minimum 25ml for tests - but we recommend to dissolved 5L saltmix and take from that minimum 25ml.

Aquaforest