I've never rolled a bucket of salt in 12 years, it's always consistent. Settling of salt components isn't going to double the alk reading on new water. If it's 16dKh now, it's going to be ~16 after rolling it.

Wasn't that Kent? I always thought IO was in the clear but maybe not.

I second this idea.. I just cracked open a bucket (but it was bought in December) I'll try to remember to test its Alk tonight and see what I get, I'll post back in here the results.

I can't remember, does IO print batch info or dates on the buckets? I don't recall seeing anything like that.

I bought the salt at the purple seahorse here in kelowna.

I always do that.

Pretty sure it was IO. About 6 or 7 years ago.

I just recently had a bout with a bad bucket of IO...but the problem was the opposite. The alk was really low. I have always used other salts (not IO) that were consistent but with the big tank...the budget has come more into play. I started testing and found my tank alk was really low...then I tested the freshly made water from the last bit of the salt out of that bucket and it was between 4-5. The next bucket I opened went back to the 10-11 that I was expecting from IO. I've been slowing bringing my Alk back up in my tank. Now I always check every new batch and I roll every bucket (have for years).

Wow that's really weird. I don't know what i should do with this salt to lower the alk but I can't really use it anymore. What a waste of money.

Its fine just do smaller waterchanges. It has been discussed here a few times.

But sometimes the additives to the salt seperate, rolling or scooping/stirring the salt always a good idea. It does happen, and there are bad batches out there to. I recall Seachem aquavitro salt and Kent having issues like this in the past. Guess better safe than sorry, roll/mix/stir bucket and test before using!

Good lord, can u imagine the headache of doing H2O changes as usual and then ooh oh!

Sorry, I disagree. Any separation of ingredients IMO is miniscule. Like I said, I've never rolled a bucket (other than one I dropped) and I'm not about to start.
For fun, I'll make a gallon of water off the top of my new bucket, then roll it all over, make another gallon and post the differences in alk and Ca. :)