Instant Ocean Sea Salt

DGL · 09/14/2006, 07:09 PM

HAS ANYONE OUT THERE HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH INSTANT OCEAN SALT & ALKALINITY? I DID A 50 GAL WATER CHANGE ON MY 180 AND THE ALKALINITY SHOT OFF THE SCALE! THIS WATER HAD BEE MIXING WITH A POWER HEAD FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS.

I MADE UP ANOTHER 55 GAL. FROM A FRESH BUCKET OF INSTANT OCEAN, AFTER MIXING WITH A POWERHEAD FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS I CHECKED THE ALAKINITY WITH A SALIFERT TEST KIT AND IT IS SO HIGH THE TEST WON'T READ!!!!

boxfishpooalot · 09/14/2006, 07:49 PM

what are you using to measure the salt? What sg do you mix it to?

It may be a bad batch of salt too. I never had a problem with IO.

DGL · 09/14/2006, 07:56 PM

MIXING TO SG OF 1.025.

boxfishpooalot · 09/14/2006, 07:59 PM

its probably a bad batch. How old is it? what device to measure?

DGL · 09/14/2006, 08:04 PM

Using a Corallife Deep Six Hydrometer, which I have used consistantly.

boxfishpooalot · 09/14/2006, 09:29 PM

well, hydrometers are known to be a poor choice for measuring SG.

Its because they are temperature dependant. I had one(now sits in a closet) that read 1.026(nsw salt) and when I got the refractometer, it read 1.030! Thats a huge difference!

I think you need to get it checked with either a refractometer(with automatic temperature comensation) or a conductivity meter(mesures salt)

I suspect your actual sg is closer to 1.029-30 . Wich could explain the high alkalinity. But im not sure on that.

Read this:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/index.htm

Randy Holmes-Farley · 09/15/2006, 02:38 PM

Add a second syringe of titrant to get an actual alkalinity value. Instant Ocean usually comes out about 4 meq/L (11 dKH).

You sure you used the test kit correctly? Correct volume of salt water?

DGL · 09/16/2006, 11:38 AM

I did the test three times with a Salifert Test Kit. The next day I bought new test kit and re-did the test of my aquarium water it was still around 18 dKH with both kits. The new 55 gal. container of Instant Ocean water, which at this point has been continuously mixed by a MaxiJet 1200 for about 24 hours, was still off of the scale with both tests. This new batch of water appeared to be dirty, as with silt after more than 24 hours of mixing.

I bought another brand of Sea Salt Mix and made another 55 gal. container of water to a SP of 1.024. After mixing for a couple of hours the Alkalinity of the new water was about 14 dKH by both tests & PH was 8.2 by Pinpoint PH Meter.

A did a new water change with the new Sea Salt mix about 12 hours after mixing & aquarium parameters have definitely improved.

I dumped the Instant Ocean mix today and the bottom of the container was covered with brown silt & the water was still dirty.

I believe I must have come across a bad bucket of Instant Ocean. Lesson learned, I will never do another water change without running an Alkalinity & PH test on the new water.

I had mentioned on a previous post about the water I have always used for both our Fresh Water, Salt Water & Reef Aquariums. We are lucky to have perfect deep well water the PH runs 7.9 -8.0, Alkalinity around 8 dKH, Zero Nitrates, Zero Nitrites, & Zero Phosphates. I have used this water for over forty years & this is the first time I have encountered a problem of this nature.

Thanks for any input.
DGL

Randy Holmes-Farley · 09/16/2006, 02:49 PM

The alkalinity is 8 dKH in the water you used to make the salt mix?

That's the problem. Instant ocean supplies 11 dKH, and using water with additional alkalinity in it pushes it too high.

Some salt mixes will be lower than IO (down to say 7 dKH), but none will be low enough to allow you to use that well water, unfortunately.

09/14/2006, 07:09 PM	#1
DGL Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 89	Instant Ocean Sea Salt HAS ANYONE OUT THERE HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH INSTANT OCEAN SALT & ALKALINITY? I DID A 50 GAL WATER CHANGE ON MY 180 AND THE ALKALINITY SHOT OFF THE SCALE! THIS WATER HAD BEE MIXING WITH A POWER HEAD FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. I MADE UP ANOTHER 55 GAL. FROM A FRESH BUCKET OF INSTANT OCEAN, AFTER MIXING WITH A POWERHEAD FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS I CHECKED THE ALAKINITY WITH A SALIFERT TEST KIT AND IT IS SO HIGH THE TEST WON'T READ!!!!

09/14/2006, 07:49 PM	#2
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	what are you using to measure the salt? What sg do you mix it to? It may be a bad batch of salt too. I never had a problem with IO. __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

09/14/2006, 07:59 PM	#4
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	its probably a bad batch. How old is it? what device to measure? __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

09/14/2006, 09:29 PM	#6
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	well, hydrometers are known to be a poor choice for measuring SG. Its because they are temperature dependant. I had one(now sits in a closet) that read 1.026(nsw salt) and when I got the refractometer, it read 1.030! Thats a huge difference! I think you need to get it checked with either a refractometer(with automatic temperature comensation) or a conductivity meter(mesures salt) I suspect your actual sg is closer to 1.029-30 . Wich could explain the high alkalinity. But im not sure on that. Read this: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/index.htm __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

09/15/2006, 02:38 PM	#7
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Add a second syringe of titrant to get an actual alkalinity value. Instant Ocean usually comes out about 4 meq/L (11 dKH). You sure you used the test kit correctly? Correct volume of salt water? __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

09/14/2006, 07:56 PM	#3
DGL Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 89	MIXING TO SG OF 1.025.

09/14/2006, 08:04 PM	#5
DGL Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 89	Using a Corallife Deep Six Hydrometer, which I have used consistantly.

09/16/2006, 11:38 AM	#8
DGL Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 89	I did the test three times with a Salifert Test Kit. The next day I bought new test kit and re-did the test of my aquarium water it was still around 18 dKH with both kits. The new 55 gal. container of Instant Ocean water, which at this point has been continuously mixed by a MaxiJet 1200 for about 24 hours, was still off of the scale with both tests. This new batch of water appeared to be dirty, as with silt after more than 24 hours of mixing. I bought another brand of Sea Salt Mix and made another 55 gal. container of water to a SP of 1.024. After mixing for a couple of hours the Alkalinity of the new water was about 14 dKH by both tests & PH was 8.2 by Pinpoint PH Meter. A did a new water change with the new Sea Salt mix about 12 hours after mixing & aquarium parameters have definitely improved. I dumped the Instant Ocean mix today and the bottom of the container was covered with brown silt & the water was still dirty. I believe I must have come across a bad bucket of Instant Ocean. Lesson learned, I will never do another water change without running an Alkalinity & PH test on the new water. I had mentioned on a previous post about the water I have always used for both our Fresh Water, Salt Water & Reef Aquariums. We are lucky to have perfect deep well water the PH runs 7.9 -8.0, Alkalinity around 8 dKH, Zero Nitrates, Zero Nitrites, & Zero Phosphates. I have used this water for over forty years & this is the first time I have encountered a problem of this nature. Thanks for any input. DGL

09/16/2006, 02:49 PM	#9
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	The alkalinity is 8 dKH in the water you used to make the salt mix? That's the problem. Instant ocean supplies 11 dKH, and using water with additional alkalinity in it pushes it too high. Some salt mixes will be lower than IO (down to say 7 dKH), but none will be low enough to allow you to use that well water, unfortunately. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef