Prepared Kent SW has a Alk of 0.6 dkh. Is this normal for SW mixes?

[Atomahawk]

I doubt that Kent will do anything about the bad salt besides try and cover their backsides the best way they can. The owners, Central Garden and Pet will do all they can to keep this issue under the table. Their will be no recall because investors don’t like recalls. To those that may not know this, Oceanic and Coralife ( Esu, Deep Ocean) are also owned by Central Garden and Pet and all 3 brands are mixed in the same facility in California I believe. So if your using these brands I suggest you test them because theirs always a possibility that more than Kent was effected.

If you want my opinion it’s always bad news when a distributor buys manufacturers, quality is bound to take a nose dive, especially when they are publicly traded.

[rammee]

so what are pepole doing i just spent 55 bucks on a bucket of salt the cal 480 490 and the dkh 1.9 mg 12.90 it was one of the new buckete with the yellow on it. you its a shame that company like kent whould lie about this how about the pepole that dont test ther premixed water then dump it in ther tanks then screws evry thing up in your tank

[DrBDC]

If they admit there is a problem, would that make them liable for damages? That may be the issue.

[umpire]

Still have not had anyone with an unopened 200 gallon Kent bucket with yellow lettering contact me about me buying or trading for their salt. I thought sherm71tank was going to let me buy his but have not heard from him. My email address is exotictropicals@sbcglobal.net. I have one bucket myself that is unopened but I will be keeping that for the future. I need someones suspected bad bucket so I can send it off for testing by someone that does not have a stake in what the truth is here. First one that will contact me to try and work out the arrangements will have a quick way to dispose of their bad Kent salt.

Sherm71tank are you still anti-Kent salt or have they smoothed it over with you? Can you let us know what they said and or what they are going to do about their blunder. Me personally, before you let them back in your good graces I hope you will contact AQUACONNECT and chat with him about what Kent has done.

Sincerely,

James Tucker

[sherm71tank]

I replied to you umpire. Must have gotten lost in cyberspace.
I am holding the unopened bucket for you. Kent has contacted me but things are far from smoothed over. I sent them a sample yesterday. I accepted your offer for the salt exchange. Please email me again and we will get it ironed out. sherm71tank@msn.com

[umpire]

Thanks sherm71tank,

I will work on that Monday to get you a bucket of Tropic Marin salt sent out and your bad 200 gallon Kent salt picked up.

I plan on trying to see what kind of expense it will be for me to have a lab test the salt. I have also got some Pre-bad Kent salt and will try and have that looked at as well. I will keep you posted on that.

Thanks, and I will get the salt switched out for you ASAP.

James Tucker

[IBASSFSH]

Go get em James!

[starseed]

OK - this is why my Alk is low at 5.8 KH even with daily additions of 20ccs of B-Ionic daily.

I'm going to see what color the lable is right now...

...Yep - 200 gallon bucket with a YELLOW lable - the older bucket I still have is white.

At least I know why my Alk was so low...I hate not knowing the cause of something like that.

New salt mix recommendations?

[starseed]

I bought it at a Local Fish Store - NO NAMES YET

I'm going to print this thread and ask them to give me a new 200 gallon bucket, but a different brand. I wonder what they will do.

What kind of new salt mix should I try?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What kind of new salt mix should I try?


There are many good brands. Tropic Marin and Instant Ocean among them. I use IO.

[Beverly]

starseed,

I have a pail of Kent with the yellow label and it mixes up at:

- 79F
- SG 1.026
- pH 8.26
- dKH 8.5

My KH is often low in my three reefs, even though drip kalk nightly and test and adjust alk, Ca and Mg every 1-3 weeks. To make sure you have a bad bucket, mix up a 5g pail with the new salt/RO water, aerate and heat it, then test it.

[umpire]

Not sure of exact dates but IO had a problem with their salt 4 or 5 years ago also. It measured 16dkh. That is why at the time I switched to using OmegaSea salt. Do not remember what it tested out at because that was a short lived salt. Instant Ocean sued OmegaSea and forced a great company to quit producing salt and for no good reason that I have been able to figure out yet! OmegaSea is still out there making quality fish foods. Once again the deeper pockets win. And to hell with the consumer. So then I had to find another salt. That is when I started using and singing the praises of Kent salt. Untill now! We just recently had 3 days of really bad weather. I used my Kent salt to get rid of the the ice and snow on the sidewalks. So here we are back in the present 5 years later. IO has fixed their salt problem. So, good luck if you want to use that. I would make sure I test EVERY new bag or bucket you open and check the salt. Because I think these two companies have proved we can't really rely on them for Quality QC. I have now started using Tropic Marin salt, it I think it is the best we have available here in the States. I have been told that the quality of salt that is used here in the states is now better that the salt that is used for de-icing northern states roads and highways. Tropic Marin is supposed to be lab-grade ingrediants. Mixed in a lab in Germany. Not sure what they have in Mentor, Ohio at IO facilities. I bet it is not a lab. And I might be singing the praises of Tropic Marin to soon. Heaven knows that IO and Kent have really screwed it up then and now. So far the lesson one should take from this is: TEST EVERY NEW BAG OR BUCKET BEFORE YOU PUT IT INTO YOUR TANK!!

I want to thank Kent Marine for their great Marine de-icing salt formula. My sidewalks where snow and ice free in no time flat. Also want to thank Kent Marine for teaching us a lesson, you can't depend on anyone but yourself. Test your salt before you put it into your tank! A huge company screws up and our tanks suffer from it. And what do they do. Until now, hide and lie about the problem. Maybe they will stand up in the future and act like a respectable company. I am not holding my breath though.

Sincerely,

James Tucker

[starseed]

I will test my new water today - but I'm sure it is the salt - everything was OK before I started using the new salt bucket.

Kent just lost all my business and a class action lawsuit should be filed

3 years I spend letting my tank mature before I started adding corals and clams. Now with my First Clam I have the worst water paramiters since the original set-up.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, there were some batches of IO that had excessive alkalinity a few years back. It was not a widespread issue, but some RC folks did receive them, and one sent a sample to me for testing. To my knowledge it has not happened since then.

[Atomahawk]

Having worked for a company were QC was a vital part of their everyday manufacturing process, I learned a lot about what to look for when buying a product, especially one that I would put in my aquarium. 1) With liquids look for manufacturing date, expiry date and batch number. They should be on the bottle and not the box if one is included unless they (the manufacturer) can tag the boxes on the line which most can’t do. 2) On dry goods like salt or carbons there should be a minimum of packaging date and batch number.

It goes without saying, testing each batch prior to actual warehousing the product would be a minimum.

This effortless process would go a long way in assuring a minimum of QC, unfortunately many manufacturers are not applying such measures, I have no clue why?

[starseed]

OK - I am very very ****ed at Kent

I made a freash batch of RO/DI water (just before I posted in this thread). I tested it with a TDS and it was at 2ppm.

Then I found this thread.

2 days ago I added the Yellow Lablew Kent salt, brought it up to 1.025 salinity, and let it cook for 2 days.

Last night I tested the "new" water - It took all of 3 drops to change the color in my Salifert text kit.

I didn't believe it so I tested again - 3 drop of agent 2 and the color changed.

That means the Kent salt has NO Alkinlinity - NONE - NADA

The exact reading was 0.3 KH

It's no wonder my Alk in the tank is at 5.8 KH Ever since I started water changes with this new salt I have been lowering my Alk little by little and my additions of B-Ionic probably kept it from crashing all together.

I tested a 3rd time this moring and Kent will be getting calls and I will be stopping by my LFS today to exchange for a different salt.

This really ****es me off - I really took my time - 3 years - to let my tank mature and for me to learn and I had the best, most stable water paramitersd in this last year. Nothing spiked or swung until this bucket of salt.

[starseed]

I called Kent and they knew the issue and I spoke to the same guy I think most of us are talking to. He wanted 1lb. of the salt and said he would send UPS to come and pick it up on them. He then said he would test the salt and get back to me.

I thought they handled it well for now.

My local fish store however, ingored me and basically didn't want to hear it and suggested that salt mixes don't contain Alk and it needs to be added.

Not a surprise since it is 6th Avenue Aquariums in San Francisco.

He was willing to sell me some Kent Baking Soda for 8 dollars - he he he

[Beverly]

Originally posted by starseed
My local fish store however, ingored me and basically didn't want to hear it and suggested that salt mixes don't contain Alk and it needs to be added.

I pity this lfs's customers on sooooooo many levels It's hard to stomach statements like that

[dave11]

FWO I had a batch of pro reef that had a ph of 7.8 last year - all 3 buckets the same - lfs swapped them for IO - trpic marin never came back with any sort of reply - dont think theres much between any of the brands - just keep checking it yourself as far as you can
Dave

[BrianPlankis]

Originally posted by Beverly
I pity this lfs's customers on sooooooo many levels It's hard to stomach statements like that

I would make sure not to give my dollars to that LFS then. That is a ridiculous statement they told you. However, you might want to talk to the SW manager or store owner first.

If that was just a new employee trying to appear knowledgable, then you can try to get the SW manager to educate that employee. However, if it was the SW manager or store owner telling you that, avoid that store and tell everyone you know to avoid that store. Completely wrong information like that is what hurts this hobby and I enjoy it when stores run by people like that go out of business.

Now I'll step off my soapbox

Brian

[starseed]

Originally posted by CirolanidHunter
I would make sure not to give my dollars to that LFS then. That is a ridiculous statement they told you. However, you might want to talk to the SW manager or store owner first.

If that was just a new employee trying to appear knowledgable, then you can try to get the SW manager to educate that employee. However, if it was the SW manager or store owner telling you that, avoid that store and tell everyone you know to avoid that store. Completely wrong information like that is what hurts this hobby and I enjoy it when stores run by people like that go out of business.

Now I'll step off my soapbox

Brian

This is the store that put Nippon out of business becuase of their cheap prices on supplies and live stock.

I never but livestock there because they are known to way overcrown their holding tanks, all the fish are diseased, and they carry animal destended to die (like Nautelus sp?).

But they do have internet prices or lower in many cases for equipment.

PS - I knew the guy telling me that bull - he isn't the owner, but he is supposed to know better.

[umpire]

STARSEED,

Truly amazing isn't it.

First Kent, then your LFS. You need to find a new LFS. You should not show them one dime of support. I am an LFS and Kent is on my radar. What good do think it is going to do to send the salt back to Kent? Really? What on earth do you think they will tell you? Maybe they will test the salt. Maybe they will even tell you what the results where. You have read this whole thread, right? Rembemer the part about them lying to one of my customers one week after I told them they had a problem. So, anything they tell you is what, the truth, not in my book. What, we can trust them. That ship sailed a long time. IMO, Kent has zero, absolute zero credibility here. And if you the buying public let them off the hook here, they will smile and go on about business like nothing happened in a few months. If you are ****ed off. Spread the anti-Kent word where ever you can. Show Kent the support you feel they deserve. And if you are like me, I will not spend another wholesale dime on KENT products.

I have made contact today with a lab and checking into what it takes to have Kent salt looked at. I will keep everyone posted.

Sincerely,

James Tucker

[Shaun120]

Knowledge is power people, and I think James has been instrumental in raising the blatant deceit the Kent Company has tried to lay on us, the consumers. The ONLY way you can try to prevent this type of negligence from companies in the future, is to NOT PURCHACE ANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS EVER AGAIN.

With the current corporate culture of different smaller companies being bought up, you have to educate yourself on who owns what. The management of the some parent companies is totally and singularly concerned with the bottom line, you have to fight back the only way they understand…with you dollars! Believe me if Kent made children toys they sure as *ell would send out a product alert, but hey, why should they care, we are just talking about Aquarium Salt…that doesn’t hurt anyone right. Oh wait I have about $11grand in equipment and livestock…it sure as heck hurts me.

James is being quite PC with his posts as I have personally seen the damage that was caused to his 700gal display tank in his store. I would have been a lot more hateful in my posts and correspondence with Kent.

I’m lucky to have a LFS with an owner that possesses the kind of customer loyalty he has. The unlucky part is I have to make a 2 hour drive to and from, yes that’s 4 hours total, to my “local� fish store. It’s worth every penny. I will not purchase any products made by Kent or any company or products put out by Central Garden and Pet. It may cost a little more but that is the only way to let companies know that POOR Quality Control procedures will not be tolerated. All the other consumers that do not, or may not know there is a problem will benefit by our actions!

Thanks James!

Shaun

[Shaun120]

For those of you who care or were interested Central Garden and Pet owns:

Oceanic – Quality went to crap after acquired
Kent Marine – Well you know what is happening
ESU – Energy Savers Unlimited make Coralife, Deep Ocean, ESU Reptile, PONDLIFE, and Birdlife products.
All-Glass Aquariums – Was the company that “bought� Oceanic

And the publication ‘Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine’ is their baby

They also make tons of different products related to lawn and garden chemicals, pet food, and even pottery. Basically there huge and make a ton of stuff.

Source: http://www.central.com/

My theory is that Kent Marine does not care about the situation nor will its parent company be to upset about our misfortune…again use your dollars to voice your opinions. Just my two cents! Oh by the way I don’t work for one of their competitors, I just hate crapy companies, and a little research gave me a little insight into why Oceanic tanks went down the tubes…Hummmm got to love cost control at the expense of quality.

[reefgeek84]

Drsfostersmith has really stepped up to the plate. I wrote to them to let them know that I am concerned about the Kent sea salt that I ordered (and have not even received yet) and using it in my tank, I asked for a call tag so that I could return it. and the e-mail I got back told me that I could discard it and they have credited my account with the cost of the salt and cost of the shipping. That is customer service at its best. I now assume Kent knows something and has talked with Drsfostersmith, because otherwise I do not think they would have done it this way.