Have enough of Tropic Marin Pro Salt

[this is me]

What is up with Tropic Marin? I've using TMP for years(almost 7 years now!) and it was pretty consistent from bucket to bucket(8.5dKH and 450ppm ca). Recently, I bought a bucket and it tested at 7dKH. I informed the store owner and he said bring the bucket in and he'll swap a new one for me. I brought the new bucket home and did a water change last weekend. It tested at 5dKH!! 5!!
I was like okay, I guess I will just buff the ALK up and use up the bucket til I get something new. After about 3 weeks in with the "new formula" from the first bucket and the second, my acros are getting the burn tip. Anyone having this issue with low alk with the new Tropic Marin Pro salt mix?

I'm planning on changing my salt this weekend. Any suggestion? Coralife? Oceanic? ESV?

 

[Allmost]

well I use the same salt for about the same period of time, never had Issues.

KH of 5 and you got burned tips? must be some other reason as higher KH tends tyo burn SPS tips, not lower. but lower KH can cause RTN and STN !

what are the values for MG++ and CA++ for the bucket that tests 5 DKH,.
any posibility on a change on the way you mixed it ? any precipitation ?

I have switched to KZ RBS for a while now, corals are loving it, but my wallet is hating it lloll

 

[this is me]

CA was tested at around 440ppm with the bucket of 5dKH.
Mixed it the same way I usually do. RO/DI water with a maxijet for at least 12hours(overnight). Then when I'm ready to do my waterchange, I put a heater to heat up the water but most of the time I don't need to do that since the maxijet can heat up the 5gallon water do about the same temperature as my tank. In the summer time, I would have to actually cool the water first.

 

[Sebastian J.]

Are you sure your tests are valid? With erratic results from a mass product (Did the buckets come with a batch number or something? And did you contact TMC about it?) and ALK burns after readjusting your alkalinity to fit, I'd suspect that it's the test that might be showing the wrong results. I'd counter-check with a new test kit or at least have the LFS check it to make sure.

 

[this is me]

I was surprised too when I got the result. I usually have two different ALK kit(one Elos and one Sera) and they bought tested low. I also bought another Elos kit and it tested low also. I tested the tank water right after I got the low KH result from my first bucket and it was at 9dKH which is always the level I keep my alk at.

 

[fishysteve]

Did you mix up the bucket before you scooped out what you needed? It can stratify during shipment. I don't know if that's the right word for it.

 

[RokleM]

I'm going to stop using as well. TMP always use to mix in at 8-9 dKh, but my recent buckets have all been 5-7ish. Contacting them, it appears they claim ZERO changes and that's the way it's meant to be, which isn't true becuase I also have used it for many years. Some weird explanation as to it being formulated for calcium reactor based tanks, which of course goes against most of what we all preach, pick a parameter set, use 2 part/reactor/whatever to maintain it, and do your best to have your salt match.

None the less, looking for alternatives now. I have been mixing IO and TMP to balance out, but not sure I want to bother anymore.

 

[syrinx]

Tropic marin pro reef has always been lower in kh than the other tropic marins- it has always stated that on the lable as it is designed for tanks with calcium reactors.

 

[this is me]

Tropic marin pro reef has always been lower in kh than the other tropic marins- it has always stated that on the lable as it is designed for tanks with calcium reactors.

While it is true that the Pro is lower in alk than the regular TM, calcium and other parameters are more in line hence the premium price on the Pro.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505
Having an ALK of 8.5KH, 450ppm CA, and 1380ppm MG was the appealing factor for me on the TMP. I didn't have to add anything when mixing my saltwater.

I will probably switch to Coralife....

 

[thcmusic]

Something is definately different with the newer batches. The last two buckets I have used were both hard as a rock (somehow moisture must be getting in ... or could it be something else)? This was not a problem before ...

 

[RokleM]

Tropic marin pro reef has always been lower in kh than the other tropic marins- it has always stated that on the lable as it is designed for tanks with calcium reactors.

The point we're making is, they've dropped it even further, low enough that most of us can't even use it anymore without "fixing" it first. I'll try to find the info again, but they claim zero changes, yet many of us that have been using it for years report the same. It use to be 8-9 (via elos and lamotte kits) and now is critically low, even for those crazy "I have to keep off the chart low values for my zeo"

 

[syrinx]

Ah- my bad- all I can guess is settling of ingredients- if what they say is true. I use it on one tank- have not noticed any changes. I store most of my salt in 40 gallon rubbermaid food grade cans, so its easy to keep mixed.

 

[RokleM]

Nope, this is definitely a HUGE bad batch or likely a change they don't want to admit. Over the last 3-5 months people have been reporting it, people who have used it for years. I have multiple bad buckets from different distributor shipments over an extended period. I also mix the bucket VERY well before use (I have multiple other buckets I use to mix/stir everything as soon as I open the container). I've used at least 50-100 buckets over the years with the same process and can pretty much guarantee you this is almost assuredly not a user error or settling type of situation.

I'd suggest checking your alk level on a new bucket.

 

[fancyfish]

used to use tropic marine. I have been using brightwell salt. my parameters are fabulous, my PH stays around 8.3-8.4 calcium 450. not sure on the dkh as I have not tested this. my tank is mostly lps. kind of expensive but worth it in my opinion

 

[saleen2881]

This really sucks becuse I just bought a bucket of tmp yesterday. What should I do can I return it I bought it online?

 

[njudson]

Something is definately different with the newer batches. The last two buckets I have used were both hard as a rock (somehow moisture must be getting in ... or could it be something else)? This was not a problem before ...

Recently got a bucket of Bio Actif like this. Broke it up mixed some up and it tested fine - Ca 440 Alk 8.5ish Mag 1260 at 1.026. So I'm using it but something is up with moisture im sure.

 

[Makenna]

I had the same problem with a bucket of TMPRo...Alk showed a bit over 5DKH. As the OP stated, I buffered it up and used it and I also had issues with the tips of SPS. The 'burned' certainly applied to my issues as well.

Checked with the LFS i bought it from and he reported similiar issues as he uses it in store. He returned all of his stock and I am now using the ESV product. A great salt thus far.

 

[saleen2881]

well I use the same salt for about the same period of time, never had Issues.

KH of 5 and you got burned tips? must be some other reason as higher KH tends tyo burn SPS tips, not lower. but lower KH can cause RTN and STN !

what are the values for MG++ and CA++ for the bucket that tests 5 DKH,.
any posibility on a change on the way you mixed it ? any precipitation ?

I have switched to KZ RBS for a while now, corals are loving it, but my wallet is hating it lloll

What is RNT and STN?

 

[Clemente]

RTN = rapid tissue necrosis, STN = slow tissue necrosis

 

[saleen2881]

What should i do if I just bought a bucket online and it tested at 6 KH what should I do? Can i return it?