2) "Consider the possibility that Oceanic has extra nutrients and chemicals which other salts do not. "
That would pretty much be the definition of "bad batch of salt" wouldn't it?
Possibly, but not necessarily. Extra growth with Oceanic salt could very well mean that it is a better salt that's providing a superior growing environment for the inhabitants of the tank. A negative side effect of this could be the brown growth, which a tank that had previously used a lesser salt has no natural defense against. This is speculation of course, but so is most of this thread, and it's certainly a possible answer.
I found that mine contains phosphates. But that was just a phosphate test kit. Also, see the test results posted earlier.
Even test kists are on the bandwagon!
This may be true, but many other people have not detected any silicates or phosphates yet claim to have had the brown growth. Because of this it seems that there is a good chance that the cause is something completely different that we aren't or can't test for and that's why I'm so skeptical about so many people claiming it's the salt. Tanks get algae blooms and other problems that seemingly appear out of nowhere for no reason, even well kept tanks sometimes, and since we don't really know what this brown growth is or what's causing it I just don't think it's as simple as putting 2 and 2 together.
3) "have absolutely no backing or evidence except coincidental timing at best"
Photos of mixing vats, test results... If you hadn't posted earlier in the thread I would think you haven't read it.
Photos of mixing vats unprotected from multiple sources of contamination without any control to ensure an accurate comparison? What good is that? Over a few days with the right conditions I could put a glass of RO/DI water on my kitchen table and get it to grow something. The only thing a 'test' like this does is give us enough reason do an actual valid test, but by itself it is rather useless, as I mentioned in a previous post.
Test results are far more useful but in a different way. At least a few people who have had the brown growth seem to have tested negative for silicates or phosphates which to me indicates that this isn't the cause. This just raises more doubt about what the true cause is, and while it's certainly possible it's the salt it's also possible that it isn't.
Which leads me to the message you posted earlier in the thread......
4) "I don't have a saltwater tank and have never purchased any brand of salt ever"
Ah. How lucky we are to have someone of your immense qualifications to tell us that we don't know what we are talking about.
I pointed that out to indicate that I'm not biased towards or against any salt. As the closest thing to a neutral observer I was and still am trying to point out that many of the 'tests' and 'evidence' aren't really valid or useful, and they aren't, and I don't need 10 years or 10 minutes in the hobby to know this and neither should anyone else. Without any REAL undisputable evidence all anyone has is timing and speculation.
As I've said before what we need here is a real properly done test to really isolate the salt as the cause. The mixing bucket comes close but needs a control test with at least one other salt tested under the same conditions at the same time.
I don't see this as a bandwagon affect. No one benefits from it and I think all experienced reefers know their tanks in and out.
I think there is at least some. There most certainly is a benefit though. If you've spent a lot of time and money on your tank and are having problems with it which you can't really identify, it's pretty easy and satisfying to start blaming something because other people have blamed the same thing. It justifies your hard work by transferring the cause of the problems to something outside your control. I don't think people are doing it intentionally or knowingly but I do think it's happening with at least some people.
Out of all the complaints how many people have done, well, anything at all, in order to really see that it's the salt causing it? With the amount of complaints you would think there would be tons of tests that prove it's the salt but there aren't, and why not? It's because people have a problem, they use Oceanic and they see a thread like this and put 2 and 2 together without any sort of test at all. Everybody else is having the same problem so it must be the salt. I mean really, the main argument for most people is the very fact that "so many other people" have the same problem it MUST be the cause. While it's certainly possible they are right, that sure sounds like a bandwagon to me
It's just a issue I feel very strongly about since I still don't have my reef set back up due to a issue I had with Oceanic. Yes most are right, I can't blame it but it's the one thing I changed and from then on had the problem. 
