QC at Instant Ocean

[WVfishguy]

Just got a new box of Instant Ocean, a 200 gallon box. Regular, purple box.

Freshly made up salt water had calcium at 330. Other parameters were okay. The box I purchased prior to this was 400 ca.

Instant Oceans' lack of quality control is driving me nuts. This is the second time in the past six months I had IO with low calcium levels. Everything else was fine, except a possible magnesium level, which was a bit high.

It took longer to bring the calcium up to acceptable levels and do the testing than it did to do the water changes.

After using Instant Ocean for longer than I can remember, I guess I'll have to change brands. Any suggestions?

 

[Uncle99]

Just got a new box of Instant Ocean, a 200 gallon box. Regular, purple box.

Freshly made up salt water had calcium at 330. Other parameters were okay. The box I purchased prior to this was 400 ca.

Instant Oceans' lack of quality control is driving me nuts. This is the second time in the past six months I had IO with low calcium levels. Everything else was fine, except a possible magnesium level, which was a bit high.

It took longer to bring the calcium up to acceptable levels and do the testing than it did to do the water changes.

After using Instant Ocean for longer than I can remember, I guess I'll have to change brands. Any suggestions?

Used RED SEA PRO forever, mixes up on point all the time, just not the cheapest.

 

[lolgranny]

QC at Instant Ocean

I've never had that. I've use IO or RC for 20 years.

Is the temp correct and your refractometer calibrated?

Get ahold of them they will ask for batch info and all and make it right. Maybe there is a recall

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[tomreefer]

I would check refractometer or maybe u got a bad batch..

 

[WVfishguy]

My equipment is calibrated. The last batch of IO I made up had a Ca. of 400. The batch before that was also low - 300-330. Of the three last 200 gal. boxes I purchased, two had low Ca. Everything else was fine.

I've been using Instant Ocean for more than 30 years, never had problems until lately. Even if there's a recall, I'm not able to lug around heavy bags of salt.

It's a hassle having to bring up the Ca. to do water changes, so I think I'll have to change brands. Sure is disappointing. I thought I'd be using IO the rest of my life.

 

[WVfishguy]

Weird i found instant oceon well reef crystals to have too much calcium lol.. The purple stuff seems too low to me.. Alk is like 9 and calcium maybe 430.

reef crustals alk is about 12. And Calcium is near 500

The "purple stuff," i.e. regular Instant Ocean, I have has a calcium reading of less than 330. Alk was about 9.5, but the calcium was way too low. I'd be happy with 430 calcium.

I'm afraid Instant Ocean quality control has disappeared. Like I said, this is the second 200 gal. box which had low calcium.

 

[Uncle99]

By cheap get cheap!

 

[WVfishguy]

By cheap get cheap!

I simply bought what I've used for 30 years. Price was not the reason I was using it.

 

[Uncle99]

I simply bought what I've used for 30 years. Price was not the reason I was using it.

In the end, salt is salt. My point is that IO mixes lower in the ranges, thus lower cost, and granted, I have seen beautiful tanks run off IO but may require more dosing to maintain levels in the higher ranges, which then, adds to the cost.

Ever since moving to REDSEA Coral Pro, my Stoneys and clams are extending structure way, way faster. This change occurred after moving to this expensive salt, but with thousands of dollars in corals....Worth every penny!

 

[lolgranny]

I mix io and rc. Mixes up happily


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[pscheel]

Just mixed some over the weekend. Same parameters as always.

 

[rffanat1c]

I've had a bad box before. Contacted them and they sent out a free one. Been mostly spot on with numbers in my experience.


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[mcgyvr]

Out of curiosity have you tried mixing the dry salt mix around?
There are some claims of potential settling causing different parameters..

But there are also quite a few seemed inaccuracies with IO salt products in the last year or so based on posts I've seen around here.. Now that may all be from "settling" or it may not be.. If IO is replacing boxes with no questions asked that to me may imply a QC problem..

 

[marinelife]

Fritz will replace your salt no questions asked, they also usually send extra.

I use Instant Ocean and have been for years. I have no plans to change over a bad box or 2.

That is why testing is important.

 

[WVfishguy]

Out of curiosity have you tried mixing the dry salt mix around?
There are some claims of potential settling causing different parameters..

But there are also quite a few seemed inaccuracies with IO salt products in the last year or so based on posts I've seen around here.. Now that may all be from "settling" or it may not be.. If IO is replacing boxes with no questions asked that to me may imply a QC problem..

I continuously run a strong water pump and heater in a 55 gallon drum. There is never "settling," it's simply 80 degree salt water. If you mean "settling" while it's a powder, can't happen as I use the entire 50 gallon bag when I mix up batches.

 

[mcgyvr]

I continuously run a strong water pump and heater in a 55 gallon drum. There is never "settling," it's simply 80 degree salt water. If you mean "settling" while it's a powder, can't happen as I use the entire 50 gallon bag when I mix up batches.

Yes I meant powder..
So yeah.. Seems you have avoided that potential there mixing it all up..

Any word from IO?

 

[WVfishguy]

Yes I meant powder..
So yeah.. Seems you have avoided that potential there mixing it all up..

Any word from IO?

I haven't contacted them, but I will. I thought the bad batch I got before was a fluke, but it seems to be becoming commonplace. I'm going to calibrate my equipment, again, but since one batch is fine and the next is bad, I doubt that's the problem.

 

[homer1475]

In the end, salt is salt. My point is that IO mixes lower in the ranges, thus lower cost, and granted, I have seen beautiful tanks run off IO but may require more dosing to maintain levels in the higher ranges, which then, adds to the cost.

Ever since moving to REDSEA Coral Pro, my Stoneys and clams are extending structure way, way faster. This change occurred after moving to this expensive salt, but with thousands of dollars in corals....Worth every penny!

You said it yourself(the bolded part).



The "extending structure way way faster" because of the salt brand your using is simply a placebo effect or perhaps you finally hit your stride and you would be seeing this growth regardless of the salt brand you use. Its called marketing, and your buying into it hook line and sinker.



In the 20 years I have been in and out of this hobby I have never had more then 2 odd box/pail of IO(I actually think one was RC. When I recently got back in I started using that), But never to the extremes your posting. I find IO to be one of the most consistent brands out there, and to be so cheap is a bonus.



Only thing I ever due to regular old IO is add some muriatic acid to bring the alk down. Cal and Mag are usually pretty darn close(420ish, and 1300 respectively) to where I keep my tanks so no other additions are needed. I will say that every once in a while I may have to add a little CAL to bring it up to where I like it, but it's never more then a few ML and still does not negate the cheap price compared to say red sea which would mix up to the exact parameters I am looking for.


OP also remember IO is not designed to be a reef salt, so when they are making it the ALK, CAL, and MAG are probably not super adhered to as fish only do not need these elements as much as corals do. So if they mix up a batch and its 330ish its fine for fish only. Then again if the next batch is 400, it's also fine as the salt is designed for fish only systems. This is of course not to say IORC does not have it's own QC problems and what it mixes up to, but thats for another thread.

 

[Uncle99]

Actually I credit RED SEA with the growth as their salt mix is on point each and every time. This was not the case in iO, different outcomes which leads to inconsistency in desired ranges and my auto dosing was forever having to be adjusted.

IMO IO was great for Fish only and softies, but I am much happier with the results I am getting in the mix.