Has Instant Ocean's magnesium level changed?
 

I haven't checked freshly mixed IO for a while, it was traditionally low in Mg. Now I'm getting a reading of 1400. Is this new, or is my test kit hooped?

Ca is still a little low at 350.

I've never tested magnesium over 1200 ppm...usually closer to 1100 ppm. Some people have reported a higher magnesium level though. Hard to say!

Make sure you mix the bucket as the chemicals will stratify during transport due to vibrations.

Its been over a year since I've tested, and that is the readings I used to get. Have you tested recently? I may need a new test kit. I want to ditch the goofy Elos test kit anyway.

my IO has high Mg reading too about 1500pm. I mixed the bucket by rolling it around on the ground, My kh Is about 11 to 12. = less dosing

I have a problem with instant ocean too.. They say there is more calcium, but I still struggle to get mine above 320-340 at best! I think my next batch of salt I buy will be a different type.

Where did you get your io from, JL?

I have some io mixing in the container, I'll give a quick test when I get home and see what the readings are at.

From my experience, IO settles terribly. Water changes at the top half of the bucket were 1100ppm, and I was topping up to 1500. DId this a couple times, was the same, So I kept the same MgCl amount every other water change, then tested my tank awhile ago and it was 1650? didn't make sense, so I tested the IO mix next water change, and it was back at 1500ppm. seems the bottom half of the bucket had higher Mg than the top. Mg tests are sketchy at best though, I use what I measure as a ballpark at best.

thats why you should always roll your bucket of salt before you use it, no matter what salt you use..... there is probably only one salt on the market that you can actually trust the values on the back of the bucket and that is "Aqua Vittro" made by seachem....its the only salt I am aware of that individually tests each batch of salt and posts the values on the back

Nanomano, you should be adding some calcium to the freshly mixed saltwater to get it up to 400-420 ppm before you use it. Technically, you should do the same with Mg. Alkalinity is fine in IO.

If a person is trying to keep parameters within reason without dosing then IO is not the best choice as the parameters are low to begin with so waterchanges won't fix anything. You're better off using Reef Crystals or H2Ocean or many of the other higher priced salts.

Really? I didn't know that, that's cool. Isn't it like $95 a bucket though? :eek:

yup, they print a sticker for each batch.....and yes it is a fairly pricey salt

I checked the params with salinity at 1.026, temp at 26'C, using red sea and salifert kits and came up with 420ca, 10dkh, and 1350 mag. I know it sounds too good but that's what I got from both kits, well close enough. Last batch I checked was a few months ago and it was low in calcium, it was around 380 and the only thing I changed was instead of buying buckets I started to buy 200 gallon boxes. Weird?! I guess I better start to testing every batch again.

Anybody else recently test a bucket of IO?

I tried it once, I gave the bucket away. It mixed terrible, and my corals freaked out.
Crap, I'm hijacking, sorry...

From what I was told a while back that the buckets of Reef Crystals is better then the boxes for there levels of Calcium & Mag. The boxes are more intended for store use but it seems they are starting to produce more boxes rather then the boxes, I personally think that it might be simply because the buckets are more expensive to produce & harder to get rid of.

I have not tested mine lately but I really should, when I do I will post my results.

How can you trust values on salt that has been documented to drop KH IN 3 hrs if you dont dump it into the tank? How does that even make sense?

IO is still some of the best if you dose chemicals.

the bags in teh 200 gallons boxes make for easy mixing instead of looking like donkey kong tossing barrels.

why go to all the work of adjusting each batch of IO when you can spend a few bucks more and get RC thats already pretty much where you need it. you have to consider the time saved not to mention a 200 gallon box of RC is $40-45 around Christmas.

I found the same thing brad. When I talked to Seachem they said to slowly add salt over an hour or 2 to properly mix salt.

My IO mixes in 30 minutes with a K4 in a 5 gal pail. At $40 a pail its hard to beat.

Because they are way over charging you for those extra elements.

Documented where?.....in an actual article by someone who knows something, or on a forum somewhere?:mrgreen:........every salt ever made will have its share of bad reviews/experiences if you dig deep enough and the fact is I know of a lot of salts that have had "bad batches" (and even garbage in them).....for most brands life goes on.......for others it doesnt.......seachem is one of those brands that have been around long enough to not be crap.......

and just for the record .....H2Ocean .....over a year without dosing a thing:wink:

2 years io no dosing dint kno i should...other than my random dump this or that in for good measure days

SPS?

yes a couple pieces supreman digita i keep breaking onei cant remember the name and a green fuzzy stick lol
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_0638.jpg

big green hunk top of rock
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...100_0013-1.jpg

and my 50 no real dosing water changes once a month the green cap was loonie size a year ago pink milli i just added so i didnt grow it
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_0603.jpg

the greenhydropora or whatever was 1/5 the size due to my mis handleing and breakage at first

I'll see your hydnophora, montipora, and millipora and raise you a


http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...2/IMGP6030.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...2/IMGP6056.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...2/IMGP6057.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...2/IMGP6061.jpg



:mrgreen::mrgreen:

lol i know i know you have more thus have to dose more it will change in the 180 i have a calcium reactor sitting right beside me and hopefully get some beter corals in future this is why im selling off most my corals im still impressed with the growth i have for an sps beginner oneday ill have i half sps half softy set up to call you on lol

I use IO reef crystals, it mixes at 1200ppm

I have used all the major brands of salt over the years and this is by far my favorite (Aqua Vittro).

I periodically test new buckets and I think the last time I checked IO it gave me 1300ppm Magnesium with an Elos kit. My written log is at home so I don't remember for certain.

Ok being a newbie to salt water we are saying to roll the new bucket of IO I got from J&L boxing day around on the floor before I use it? And for how long? Simple question but I want to do it right. Cheers Laurie
Sorry Rob I didn't mean to hi-jack your thread.

Not a hijack Laurie, thats a good question.

Personal experience, then when i had Problems I asked locally, when I found other people were having the same problem I went to Reef Central and found alot of people had the same issue.

See, now that's a hijack :razz:

It would be nice to get some peoples readings from IO salt recently.