salt oceanic vs. instant ocean
- Thread starter cabin7882
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chipmaker
Active Member
What size packages of IO are you using? It may not osund like it means anythng, but smaller packs cost more per pound, and are not as readily bought as larger packs are. So its all together to get smaller packs of ANY brand of salt that has laid around for a long time stored in anyones guess as far as conditions go. During this time its possible that plastic bag allows moisture to enter.....and it makes ingredients precipitate out, which when mixed up makes cloudy water, which shoul dsettle out in a day or two or may three, but yur calcium levels will be low as well, so in a fish only tank its not a big deal as it woul dbe in a reef tank dependant on cacium and other trace elements. Yur gonna get mixed views on IO as well as Oceanic or any other salt. Nothing is wrong with any of it.........I would buy larger bags of IO if I was you. It should not make it cloudy if its mixed well and fresh. Call IO talk to Bob Stutz, and he will gladly send you replacement salt free of charge without a hassle
cabin7882
Member
Wow thanks you so much I did buy a huge bag of it though but it was at a LFS that is not really busy so maybe that is why it was old. I did test it and the levels were fine I also added a PH buffer cause my tanks alk and ph were low but I havn't checked my levels in a day or so but I will definitely check tonight. It was circulating for a few days in the ro water and it still had visible salt in it?
fishguy83
Member
Originally Posted by CGRANT
I have seen several posts that people have alot of problems w/oceanic salt.
I use coralife and have never had any issues.
I find the 150 gallon bucket on sale for around 30 bucks, it has 3-50 bags in the bucket
what are the oceanic problems? pH?
that is what I use and the only thing I've had some trouble with, is pH
I have seen several posts that people have alot of problems w/oceanic salt.
I use coralife and have never had any issues.
I find the 150 gallon bucket on sale for around 30 bucks, it has 3-50 bags in the bucket
what are the oceanic problems? pH?
that is what I use and the only thing I've had some trouble with, is pH
S
sinner's girl
Guest
whatever salt you use, test every new bag/box/bucket before you use it. Mix a gallon of ro water the to sg of your tank, airate for 24 hours, and test.
Call IO talk to Bob Stutz, and he will gladly send you replacement salt free of charge without a hassle
Really? what's the number? all they sent me was a 20gl box for the 50gl I sent them, after thier salt killed my urchins and hermit (stupid high, off the chart alk). I did my testing and know for a fact that it was a bad, evil bag of IO salt that screwed up my tank. IO people never called me back as they claimed they would. The first time I called, the guy claimed they never had a problem with the salt. The second guy, didn't attempt a problem, but sent ups to pick up what was left of my bag.
My problem with oceanic is it doesn't disolve very well. Others say they've had no problem with this. I'm only on my first jug of Oceanic salt.
Call IO talk to Bob Stutz, and he will gladly send you replacement salt free of charge without a hassle
Really? what's the number? all they sent me was a 20gl box for the 50gl I sent them, after thier salt killed my urchins and hermit (stupid high, off the chart alk). I did my testing and know for a fact that it was a bad, evil bag of IO salt that screwed up my tank. IO people never called me back as they claimed they would. The first time I called, the guy claimed they never had a problem with the salt. The second guy, didn't attempt a problem, but sent ups to pick up what was left of my bag.
My problem with oceanic is it doesn't disolve very well. Others say they've had no problem with this. I'm only on my first jug of Oceanic salt.
chipmaker
Active Member
With I/O salt as well as Oceanic, which is the only two I can speak of with personal experience if its old and there is a slight air leak in the bag the most probable tihngs that gona happen is it will appear all the salt is not dissolved, water willmost likely be a cloudy opaque look, and calcium / mag and other trace elements lkow or non existent. The residue yuu see is not uindissolved salt, its the calcium and other minute elements that precipitate dout of the salt mix......You could just about take a box of 50 gal mix IO or Oceanic salt and dump it in a container of 50 gal and in a matter of minutes it will be dissolved fully with no residue / sediment anywhere........and I would further a guess and say that virtually all manufactured salt is the same way...bujt if it gets 9ld or has a leak and it precipitates its all probbaly gonna act just the same, with residue / sediment and coundy water and low levels of minerals and elements in it......I don't care if its Tropic MArin or Mortons table salt.....all these problems with salt is certainly not allmanufact problems its vendors and retailers that add to it as well. NOTE: I am not saying you should merely dump in the salt and mix and adjust sg and use it, as its best to let it set for at least 24 hours with agitation, but in a push come to shove situation it is perfectly useable, and IO as well as some others also state this, as being perfectly fine for a tank doing water changes or new fills. The so called need to wait 24 some say is a carry over old wives tale......not necessarily the case with todays salt.
cabin7882
Member
well thanks for all the input! I have done the 24 hour heated airated water and tested and it was fine other than the fact that my tank does not clear up a day after doing water changes with the IO salt. As for the oceanic salt I would do a water change and the next day my tank was clear like some kind of miracle or something. I don't get it must be an old bag of salt like you said I think I'll go back to the oceanic since I never had a problem with it.
S
sinner's girl
Guest
I never, in 6 years, had a problem with io disloving or anything. But my tank was never cloudy, nor was the water I was mixing (and with IO I never let it sit, that's something new I'm doing). I never had a problem with IO untill the bad bag. But they ticked me off, if they had sent me 50gl bag of salt (which I what I sent them), then I might not be as mad, but they've never called back as the guy told me he would, and he only sent 20gl when I sent him close to 50gl (and he told me he was going to send me a 50gl bag). The Oceanic I'm using, is brand new, I had this problem with the first bit, but my water isn't cloudy.
However, no matter what salt you use, treat it as you would for anything else you add to your tank, test it first. Each new bag/box/bucket.
However, no matter what salt you use, treat it as you would for anything else you add to your tank, test it first. Each new bag/box/bucket.
buzzininnv
New Member
I had a problem with Oceanic salt dissolving at first but then I increased my velocity of the water when mixing and it went away instantly.
ccg24
Member
I use IO and when I used the bigger 50g bags it stayed cloudy for awhile too and so I used Oceanic It disolved a lil quicker but I had PH probs but I bought a 10g bag of IO sat. to do a partial water change it disolved really fast and had no spikes in water levels.... It worked better than using bigger bags... why is that? so my answer to your question even though you have several others is it's all preferece... try one and another till you find one that works better for you...
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by CGRANT
I have seen several posts that people have alot of problems w/oceanic salt.
I use coralife and have never had any issues.
I find the 150 gallon bucket on sale for around 30 bucks, it has 3-50 bags in the bucket
I have been using Oceanic for about two years now and I have not encountered any problems. The alkalinity is a little low, but that's nothin a little Super dkH buffer won't fix.
I think Oceanic is one of the best dissolving salts on the market.
I have seen several posts that people have alot of problems w/oceanic salt.
I use coralife and have never had any issues.
I find the 150 gallon bucket on sale for around 30 bucks, it has 3-50 bags in the bucket
I have been using Oceanic for about two years now and I have not encountered any problems. The alkalinity is a little low, but that's nothin a little Super dkH buffer won't fix.
I think Oceanic is one of the best dissolving salts on the market.
chipmaker
Active Member
Well on the good bags of IO my water is crystal clear within 15 to 20 minutes of making a batch of saltwater up. Its as clear as what it would be without the salt.......
And that stuff thats in the tank 30 or 45 minutes later is precipitated minerals not undisolved salt. Depending on how long they have beenprecipitated, its possible to get them to breakdown, but they will not hurt anything in a fish only tank since its just like aragonite sand in comparison. Yu should not have to heat the water toget the salt to dissolve either. Water out of my RODI is about 60 deg or lower, and my salt dissolves just fine. I allow it to warm to room temp overnight and if needed I add a heater, but most times the water I add is not gonna pull down the display tank any amount so I tend to use a heater for making up water change water much at all. And when I do need a heater i use a high wattage 300 watt IIRC to heat the water up quick. Its a waste of power to keep change water at a heated state all the time IMHO.
And that stuff thats in the tank 30 or 45 minutes later is precipitated minerals not undisolved salt. Depending on how long they have beenprecipitated, its possible to get them to breakdown, but they will not hurt anything in a fish only tank since its just like aragonite sand in comparison. Yu should not have to heat the water toget the salt to dissolve either. Water out of my RODI is about 60 deg or lower, and my salt dissolves just fine. I allow it to warm to room temp overnight and if needed I add a heater, but most times the water I add is not gonna pull down the display tank any amount so I tend to use a heater for making up water change water much at all. And when I do need a heater i use a high wattage 300 watt IIRC to heat the water up quick. Its a waste of power to keep change water at a heated state all the time IMHO.
omgsaltwat
Member
I like IO no problems....
