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

[Rakie]

Is it possible that the salt is still in the mail or something? I am blown away at the level of CS they are showing. I was considering some of their products.....
Corey

Well they contacted me in PM about it over a month ago.. I suppose it may still be in the mail, but 1 1/2 months is quite awhile. Even worse, their products that have shown themselves to be of quality for me aren't even reliably filled.

I'm not sure what the heck is going on with this company. It seems like it's run by children.

Did you notice how they refused to even outright acknowledge the foreign objects in my container? They didn't ask about them, comment about them, or respond to questions about them.. I had no problems from this company until i tried to contact them.

 

[GoVols]

FYI,

My goal was to get Tropic Marin Pro Reef quality for AF pricing, about a little over a year ago. It just didn't work out for me.

I think you said TMPR had QC issues. From my memory that was around 2012 (low alk).

This happened after TM charged the TMPR formula and was fixed. They also don't put QC sheets in their buckets.

 

[GoVols]

Is it possible that the salt is still in the mail or something? I am blown away at the level of CS they are showing. I was considering some of their products.....
Corey

Their only level of customers service on this thread has been to send AF a sample to Poland.

So their #'s are good for the batch that was made but your bucket might not mix up to what the entire batch measured?

Maybe they need to roll their BATCH around before putting in buckets? (lol)

 

[Rakie]

FYI,

My goal was to get Tropic Marin Pro Reef quality for AF pricing, about a little over a year ago. It just didn't work out for me.

I think you said TMPR had QC issues. From my memory that was around 2012 (low alk).

This happened after TM charged the TMPR formula and was fixed. They also don't put QC sheets in their buckets.

I liked my TM, but a lot of other people said they had iffy QC, so I didn't go for it.

Truthfully now I'm using Fritz -- It's pretty amazing. Since walking away from Red Sea and trying TM Probio, AF Reef, IO, and finally Fritz -- My Journey is done for awhile. Fritz hasn't let me down one bit, and all those I know whove tried it have nothing but stellar results. My club had a group buy recently, my only complaint is I bought 1 box instead of 5 or 6.

 

[GoVols]

I liked my TM, but a lot of other people said they had iffy QC, so I didn't go for it.

Truthfully now I'm using Fritz -- It's pretty amazing. Since walking away from Red Sea and trying TM Probio, AF Reef, IO, and finally Fritz -- My Journey is done for awhile. Fritz hasn't let me down one bit, and all those I know whove tried it have nothing but stellar results. My club had a group buy recently, my only complaint is I bought 1 box instead of 5 or 6.

I read up on Randy Holmes-Farley and he only uses IO purple but has stated Fritz is very good. I've seen their web site.

Since AF went to Brightwell / Finishing up the last of my Reef Crystals and going to settle back into Tropic Marin Pro Reef again for the long haul.

 

[plyle02]

@Rakie,
Hi it is Perry, I think we may have interacted in the past? Anyway, I support AF, but am only here to provide that support to help guide AF users, I apologize for the inconvenience and lack of communication. Hopefully you will get a response soon. I have sent a message concerning this thread to the AF directly. If I can assist any further please reach out to me

 

[Rakie]

@Rakie,
Hi it is Perry, I think we may have interacted in the past? Anyway, I support AF, but am only here to provide that support to help guide AF users, I apologize for the inconvenience and lack of communication. Hopefully you will get a response soon. I have sent a message concerning this thread to the AF directly. If I can assist any further please reach out to me

Yes we have, Thank you very much Perry! You've actually given me some great advice about AF products -- And as I stated, their products haven't let me down one bit until this salt came in.

Even with a dKH of 5.8, I did a water change (without checking params) and my corals all liked it at first. Which tells me there's other goodies in the mix which my corals did appreciate -- But after testing params, I knew my Alk would start dropping if I kept up WC's with this particular product.

 

[GoVols]

Hi Perry,
I'm thankful that your here to help us "USE" AF products on Reef Central!

As far as "Customer Service" goes on these QC issues, AF (Poland) should have came on here and addressed any of these post.

If you have a bad bucket: Send Sample to Poland. That's just cra cra...
This is just PITA for customers, it's not USA Customer Service!

Rakies new bucket: Seems like all AF (Poland) needed to do is call/email Deep Water Aquatics with his info and he'd have a new bucket in like 3 days.

Now it's like email us and we not going to follow threw.

Maybe AF (Poland), Truly doesn't understand what Customer Service means in the USA?

 

[Aquaforest]

Hello,
To respond to some of the issues that have been discussed here on this thread, Aquaforest would like to apologize for any concerns regarding our salt.

Rakie, Deepwater will be sending you a bucket of Reef Salt for your troubles, hopefully your refund for the original salt has reached you. The issue was found to be in fact sandpaper that is used to clean the machine that mixes the salt. We apologize that this object was found in your salt container, we have discussed this with Quality Control to ensure this does not happen again. Thank you very much for you patience regarding this matter.

Hardened salt does happen from time to time, the salt comes from Poland to the United States, from there it is air freighted to various parts of the US. Sometimes with high altitude and/or extreme temperature changes, this can happen. Should this happen, please email us, and Deepwater will quickly replace.

With Quality Control the salts are tested using our ICP machine, but it is possible for them to vary from batch to batch. Please realize we are working with our Quality team to make sure that these statistics found in each of our buckets or boxes is better represented by the stat sheet.

Thank you to all US customers, we are trying to add more support people to our team and hope to improve the customer experience. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,
Team Aquaforest

 

[GoVols]

Hello,
To respond to some of the issues that have been discussed here on this thread, Aquaforest would like to apologize for any concerns regarding our salt.

Rakie, Deepwater will be sending you a bucket of Reef Salt for your troubles, hopefully your refund for the original salt has reached you. The issue was found to be in fact sandpaper that is used to clean the machine that mixes the salt. We apologize that this object was found in your salt container, we have discussed this with Quality Control to ensure this does not happen again. Thank you very much for you patience regarding this matter.

Hardened salt does happen from time to time, the salt comes from Poland to the United States, from there it is air freighted to various parts of the US. Sometimes with high altitude and/or extreme temperature changes, this can happen. Should this happen, please email us, and Deepwater will quickly replace.

With Quality Control the salts are tested using our ICP machine, but it is possible for them to vary from batch to batch. Please realize we are working with our Quality team to make sure that these statistics found in each of our buckets or boxes is better represented by the stat sheet.

Thank you to all US customers, we are trying to add more support people to our team and hope to improve the customer experience. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,
Team Aquaforest

Hello AF,

This is a "Stand up" response and better QC action's being taken to these issues within AF.

If I come to the conclusion (over time) that the reef salt has consist parameters from bucket to bucket or box to box to the QC sheets then I be going back to your "Reef Salt".

It takes a big person/corporation to say I have some issues but how do I go from here it and improve.

Regards, GoVols

 

[Rakie]

This thread basically faded away until someone asked a question, a bit later it sparked back to life.

So first and Foremost, I contacted the company I purchased it from right away for a refund. I originally wasn't planning to use this salt again -- When I was first contacted by AF, I truly believed either in direct message or in this thread I had mentioned getting the refund right away. *Then* I was offered a new bucket of salt after the fact. I have deleted my messages with AF so I genuinely can't make sure if I had or had not specified this. Due to the order of these events I was under the impression the new bucket of salt was offered in addition to the refund, as mine had the previously disclosed items within it.

I was contacted yesterday by AF as this thread has come back to life and Perry had been kind enough to bring it to their attention. They asked if I had received a refund, and that is when I realized there was a communication error..

AF graciously offered to send me a new bucket after I had explained my misinterpretation, and they have disclosed what the paper was, and that the paper had indeed been used on metals. The replacement bucket was unnecessary, but I will absolutely accept and fully test it, posting the results here (or possibly in a new thread). Additionally, I will make sure to sift the product as well.

Aqua Forest stepping in to say definitively that the foreign objects in my salt were indeed sandpaper scraps that were used on metals makes me quite happy. It makes me happy not only because I'm apparently a garbage detective, but because we finally got the answer to "what the heck IS that thing?". In my message to them, I had said our biggest concern was that the paper hadn't been explained or even acknowledged. They absolutely heard me, and responded for all of us.


So again, thank you VERY much for getting back in touch with us Aqua Forest, and thank you for telling us what the paper was. I will absolutely test your new salt when it's received, and will gladly post the results. Stay tuned

 

[GoVols]

Time to bump this thread, again!

It saddens me that AF says their fixing the QC issues on 12/9 and totally ignored this thread until that day.

Today, I'm poking around the BRS website and hit the AF reef salt.

Look at the reviews on the AF salt. The QC sheet is still garbage and dirty water????

Nothing has changed!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[120reefer]

Time to bump this thread, again!

It saddens me that AF says their fixing the QC issues on 12/9 and totally ignored this thread until that day.

Today, I'm poking around the BRS website and hit the AF reef salt.

Look at the reviews on the AF salt. The QC sheet is still garbage and dirty water????

Nothing has changed!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you still using AF Reef salt?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GoVols]

With Quality Control the salts are tested using our ICP machine, but it is possible for them to vary from batch to batch. Please realize we are working with our Quality team to make sure that these statistics found in each of our buckets or boxes is better represented by the stat sheet.

Hello AF Poland,
You said you were fixing the issue in the above statement and I stated that if you resolved this problem that I would come back.

I'm still seeing #'s not matching to your QC sheets on forums and Bulk Reef Supply reviews on your "Reef Salt".

This has nothing to do with the US support on these forums. They are wonderful and this is not in their control.

Can you help me understand why the problem still exist?

Regards, GoVols

 

[Debora]

Hello AF Poland,
You said you were fixing the issue in the above statement and I stated that if you resolved this problem that I would come back.

I'm still seeing #'s not matching to your QC sheets on forums and Bulk Reef Supply reviews on your "Reef Salt".

This has nothing to do with the US support on these forums. They are wonderful and this is not in their control.

Can you help me understand why the problem still exist?

Regards, GoVols

Hello GoVols,
Are you using Aquaforest Salt? Parameters of your salt mix do not match to quality certificate? Can you please contact me via PM and send me photo of batch number? I am sure that I can help you.

 

[Piper27]

I think he is saying he wants the issue fixed so that he can rely on the salt so he can switch back to using it.

I am not even going to test my salt.... My parameters stay in range when I test and that's all I care about. The salt mixes so well I don't want to find out it's numbers of off. As long as all is not off I can live with some higher levels.

 

[GoVols]

Hello GoVols,
Are you using Aquaforest Salt? Parameters of your salt mix do not match to quality certificate? Can you please contact me via PM and send me photo of batch number? I am sure that I can help you.

Hello Debora,
Piper27 is spot on.
When is AF Poland going to state starting with certain new batch #'s the issue is resolved.

If I get another bucket and the parameters are through the roof what do I do at that one moment? If I use it then Comp 1-3 is not locked in anymore.

I deeply feel that the batch matches the AF QC sheet but the salt varies from
bucket to bucket.

Rakie's batch an the BRS batch was 4 day apart last summer.

We had this thread going last Oct. and AF Poland knew there's a problem way before BRS was stocked with the reef salt.

So AF Poland had time to make a decision. They decided to let those summer batches reach BRS.

I was one of the first that began using the AF salt in the US in 2015. Then I went with Comp 1-3 that came to the US later.

Over the long time period that I used the reef salt, I bought 6 buckets. Some from Amazon and some from Salty Supply. I could not get it anywhere else back then.

Out of the 6 buckets, 4 were spot on and 2 mixed up to your sea salt mix parameters as stated on this thread, so I have not bought any reef salt since May of 2016 when my bucket #6 matched my bucket #2. I dosed up those buckets while mixing.

I'm back on regular IO that I used for most time over the past 2 decades. Some batches I do dose up from them but they do not put in QC sheets.

I truly hoped that this thread was the end of it and I would like to come back to the your reef salt but then the same thing hits the BRS buckets.

I used Seachem "Salinity" for over a year and it always mixed within a very tight margin to the QC sticker on their buckets but I did not like the fact that if I stored it and did not use it ASAP then the alk would precipt. down but Seachem states that it will do that.

I want to come back to the AF reef salt but since 2015 until now the salt varies too much from the QC sheet for me to trust to what my next bucket may mix up to. A PM or replacement does nothing to help me at that moment when I'm ready to make a water change.

Regards, GoVols

 

[basser1]

Now you all have me wondering what salt mix I should use. I used to use Red Sea Coral Pro, but I got tired of messing with the high Alk it has. So I switched to a bucket of AF pro-biotic salt. I'm due for another bucket soon, but after reading this thread, I'm not too sure.

 

[120reefer]

Thought I'd share this with all of you.[emoji4]

https://reefhub.pl/sol-akwarystyczna-test-porownawczy/


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[GoVols]

Thought I'd share this with all of you.[emoji4]

https://reefhub.pl/sol-akwarystyczna-test-porownawczy/

Lol,
I can not read polock...

Can somebody translate?

I see a lot of salts brands in the picture except Tropic Marin??????????

If is not stating that the consistency issues from bucket to bucket on this thread has been fixed, then it means nothing to myself as a customer.

I'm waiting AF Poland's response to my post #77

Thanks, GoVols