pic of the pail?

Dont worry only 9 of those were full... I try to buy all of my salt for the year all at once. The new Instant Ocean are the stack of three behind the old style buckets and beside the Seachem.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Picture197.jpg

I just tested another freshly mixed 27gal trash can of new IO and RO/DI today.

1.026 (refractometer)
Ca 460ppm (elos)
KH 4.5 meq/l (seachem)
Mg 1200ppm (elos)

Either Instant Ocean has really increased the calcium in their salt or my test kit is faulty. The expireation date on it says 12 - 10 so I guess its good until December of this year. I also tested twice because I didnt believe it the first time.

RC has had threads for a while about the better number of the standard I.O. now.
In fact there is a sticky with the figures posted that I.O. mixed to 1.026 generally produced calcium level of around 400, with magnesium level around 1350 and an alkalinity of about 11.
(The sticky is on the Reef Chemistry Forum of RC that lists tested results of many salts, including the new I.O.. See "Synthetic Salt Mixes" sticky)

I really can't see a 5g bucket of salt "settling out" It will compact a bit, but will not stratify and separate the elements and minerals.

And I have heard the new salt is higher too. I have a bucket but havn't tested it

all my pails test low, even the ones bought recently, did I just pick up old stock?

How does one know buying latest. Do pails look the same, lot/batch numbers?

These are the exact same readings that I got with my last 3 batches of salt. Only difference is that I bought the huge IO boxes instead of the buckets.