Here is what IO should be.

IO - All based on using 41.6 grams per liter and yields 35 ppt to mirror natural sea water.

pH 8.0 to 8.3
alkalinity 3.5 to 4.5 mEq/l
calcium 370 to 420 ppm (avg is right at 400 and mirrors NSW)
mag is 1250 to 1375 ppm
non detectible is phosphate, nitrate, ammonia and nitrite

After 30+ yrs of using IO/RC I am about ready to switch. Last year I tested some and Mag was at 1000. The last bucket I got the Alk was 12.5dkh.

IO's been mixing to a high KH for me also. Wreaked havoc with my bacterial systems.

I realize this is off topic, but I'm putting this up for all to see anyway, and so I don't have to write it down somewhere

The big 3 were tested with Elos, the kits were confirmed against J&L's kits, and I've gone through so many kits that there's no concern about old ones
My kits and test procedures came into question once, so they were confirmed @ J&L, and against 2 other reefer's kits with their own water
All matched

From when I started my LR in a tub until the bucket I opened in Sept/12, I used 6 bags of IO and 1 bucket. All bought from J&L and no batch #s

From my log book

10.5
410
1300

10.5
480
1400

10.5
480
1350

My last 6 buckets have tested;

Batch 11297 Sept 4/12
J&L
11
450
1400

Batch 12243 Opened Nov 9/12
King Ed's
11.5
450
1400-1450

Batch 12243 Opened Jan 9/13
King Ed's
11.5
460
1400

Batch 12243 Opened Mar 16/13
King Ed's
10.5
410
1450

Batch 12353 Opened June 13/13
King Ed's
10.5
410
1450

Batch 12353 Opened Aug 23/13
King Ed's
11.5
440
1450

Note the batch #s/dates from KE's
Looks like they either don't sell as much as we think, or they buy a huge amount at a time

Or you bought them at the same time and opened one a year later ? :biggrin:

:pop2:

Oops
I meant to correct that short post after the edit

I buy 2 at a time and thought I had 4 the same :rolleyes:

I hear Ed the king sells salt cheap....by the sea shore.....

just picked up 2 more today on the way home.