Need to hear from people who have STOPPED using Oceanic Salt

[Jus Reefin]

OK, from what my LFS tell me Oceanic has raised the prices beyond acceptable amounts. I need to switch back to IO who has done this succesfully? My tank is about 210g total volume with sump and all. I have a few SPS but mainly my prized LPS are what I worry about. ANy advise would be appreciated.

Peace

 

[redawg]

i switched from IO to Oceanic to Reef crystals. did 1 gallon water changes a day for a month.. never seen any stress at all. good luck

 

[Wiskey]

I used IO for a while and liked it,

Then I tried the "new thing" and went to oceaniac, I had problems with high CA, low ALK and low PH, this was when my tank was a softie tank.

I bought IO again after killing the bucket of oceanic and (In a 50G system) did a series of weekly 7G water changes and my tank never looked better.

I still use IO and have a bunch of LPS a derassa clam and some Monitpora, and have no problems with CA or Alk because of using kalk. CA = 430, DKH = 10, ALWAYS I still do 7G weekly W/C's on this tank, with IO, but it now has a 20 gallon Fuge.

I love IO and I am not going back.

Whiskey

 

[jimbo045]

I also switched to Coralife salt, not Inst. Ocean. JD

 

[VCoo71]

raised price beyond acceptable amounts?
is there a petsmart near by? 90 ga mix is 21$ if you print out the online page they will price match you
i just got 2 jugs this morning

charlie

 

[Worldwithin]

I am currently in the process of ditching the Oceanic bandwagon monstly due to the issues with algae and bad salt variants. Anyhow, I have yet to actually do a water change with the IO, but I would assume that so long as it isn't a major water change, you should be fine.

Andy
:fish1:

 

[Mariner]

I started with IO, then went through several jugs of Oceanic -- didn't like the low alk/high calc. Sooo, I've gone to a 50/50 mix of IO and reef crystals. So far it's working fine -- changing about 10% per week. My LFS did say that he'd been warned that an Oceanic price hike was in the pipeline.
FWIW,
Mariner

 

[Steven Pro]

I went through one bucket of Oceanic and didn't like it before switching back to Reef Crystals. No problems whatsoever.

 

[VCoo71]

i know when i mix up IO i get a DKH of 11.2 wich was too high IMO and with my reactor running it would stay way to high and think thats why i would loose a coral here or there due to RTN
oceanic has been testing out to be around 9 and thanks to my Ca reactor it stays a solid 9 ......its sure a lot easier to raise the dkh then to lower it
i have just finished the switch over to oceanic from IO and have yet to have any problems

charlie

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

A month or two ago I bought a skimmer and needed to re-do my sump. I took it offline for a day or so and added baffles, and changed some plumbing. After this I did not have enough Oceanic salt so I used some IO to fill the sump back. The sump holds around 25 gallons out of the 125 in my system.

Now I am NOT blaming the salt, but simply observing that was once change made at the time. Over the next few weeks all my sps bleached and RTNd, and my Xenia melted away. I have 2 LPS and one made it through perfectly, but one is slowly losing tissue. It very well could have been some uncured silicone or PVC cement, so do not be too worried. My point is why risk it. I am slowly switching to a mix of IO and Oceanic because of the price of oceanic. My first w/c I did 1 cup IO, the rest Oceanic. Next I did 2 cups IO.....

 

[Johnsteph10]

Oceanic has NOT raised prices on their salt. Your LFS is giving you a line.

 

[Mariner]

Oceanic has NOT raised prices on their salt. Your LFS is giving you a line.

No, he isn't. With some LFS I suspect I'm being fed a line about every other sentence they speak, but this one has no motivation to lie -- It would take too long to explain why, but lets just say that I've never found him to be anything but 100% honest. But, it is possible that he may have been fed a line from a distributer or wholesaler.
Mariner

 

[Scuba Dog]

I tried oceanic a whyle back but it had phosphate problems so I ditched the stuff......now IO is all Ill ever use.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Re: Need to hear from people who have STOPPED using Oceanic Salt

ANy advise would be appreciated.

Peace

I usually use IO, but occasionally I use Oceanic when my Ca needs a boost.
The switch from Oceanic to IO (or vice versa) should be non-eventful (monitor values).
I'd question any LFS regarding a statement about an "acceptable amount" being charged for anything, not just saltmix. (Is it cutting into their profit margin? Do they cater to what their customers want?)
If you do a search you can find places selling Oceanic cheaper (per pound) than IO.

 

[Jus Reefin]

I only have 1 or 2 LFS that sell Oceanic and with the Algea problems that started since using it and the lack of any place local to find it I see it as a good time to go back to what worked well for so many years, that's IO. I will check PetSmart but mine have never carried anything other then the 50g bucket. I read a lot of horrow stories here on RC about people losing corals after switching back. I will just take it slowly.

On a side note most LFS don't make much money on Salt so there is no need to lie about it. Salt is already priced so high there mark up is very minimal.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Switched from IO to Oceanic, then back to IO. Not a single problem, and I tend to change 10-20%.
Did mix salts for a w/c or two - but don't think that made a huge difference.

 

[Jus Reefin]

Thanks Mark, that is exactly what I did and now want to go back to IO. I have had the worse Bybropsis problem since using Oceanic

 

[MiddletonMark]

I just had terrible water chemistry/low alk. Gets old quick, huh?

Good luck

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Switched from NSW to Oceanic and had major alage outbreak. Switched to IO with no problems. I'm now back to NSW but would go to IO if need be. I did a 50% WC using IO with no issues. My tank is all LPS, Zoo's Ric's, no SPS.

 

[thrlride]

I switched from IO to Oceanic and had no issues. I continue to use oceanic with good results. I just add a little baking soda to raise the alk before I add the water to the tank.

On a side note most LFS don't make much money on Salt so there is no need to lie about it. Salt is already priced so high there mark up is very minimal.

My LFS charges $67 for a 200 gallon bucket of Oceanic, you can buy that same bucket from petsmart for $40. I'd say they are making a profit.

Maybe a LFS that orders small quantities wouldn't make much as another LFS near me said that what I pay for oceanic at petsmart is barely more than what he pays.