Reef Crystals - The results are in...

[bdare]

Ok... This stinks. The replacement bucket I recieved from Drs Foster and Smith is also low... Good thing I just placed an order with 2 Part Solutions today...

[Billybeau1]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
My concern with these sorts of screw ups is more along the lines of what else that we don't test for that they messed up. Not necessarily things that we can detect and adjust as necessary.

I hear ya. The new bucket of RC I received was also extremely low in magnesium. about 970 @ 1.0264 when RC usually runs about 1260-1290.

Its funny, it seems to only be the buckets. I picked up a bag of RC at an lfs not to long ago and it measured 420 calcium and 1290 mag.

This my take some time for Marineland to get straightened out. But first they would have to admit they had a production problem and order a recall. I believe the majority of the users with bad buckets will just supplement and use it up. Some will ask for refunds or replacements but at least they wouldn't loose loyal customers.

Its kinda strange that this happened just when RC was overtaking IO as the king of salts to the hobbyist.

[Mr. Ugly]

Originally posted by geoxman
IMHO---DFS is not responsible for testing their salt.
The manufacturer is and not the seller.

Yep, agreed. I'd only be asking DF&S because they asked for samples as part of the investigation.

Like Randy said, what if there's a problem with something that we don't test for(normally).

What if there's a contaminant that can cause problems in our tanks?

Just like the contaminated pet food last year.

[mrme]

I'm just so Glad i live in California and Buy Catalina Water.. and luckily that isn't taken from the shores.. but a few miles off the shores.
This is a great thread though, and good info.
I am Glad they are nice enough to replace the salt.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Its kinda strange that this happened just when RC was overtaking IO as the king of salts to the hobbyist.

Maybe that's why. Increasing demand can sometimes lead manufacturers to cut corners or to bring on line different systems that might not be as bullet proof.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, any recommendations on what tests and procedures would be suitable for doing a more thorough investigation of this salt?

I guess the biggies or those that might cause an issue if off by much: chloride, sulfate, potassium, bromide, lithium, strontium, fluoride, borate, etc.

What is seawater
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rhf/index.php

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Billybeau1
I hear ya. The new bucket of RC I received was also extremely low in magnesium. about 970 @ 1.0264 when RC usually runs about 1260-1290.

Its funny, it seems to only be the buckets. I picked up a bag of RC at an lfs not to long ago and it measured 420 calcium and 1290 mag.

This my take some time for Marineland to get straightened out. But first they would have to admit they had a production problem and order a recall. I believe the majority of the users with bad buckets will just supplement and use it up. Some will ask for refunds or replacements but at least they wouldn't loose loyal customers.

Its kinda strange that this happened just when RC was overtaking IO as the king of salts to the hobbyist.

That stinks, Billy, about the low mag. Just tested my bucket here yesterday and I am ok. (420cal 1280mag) but my pail is brand new (has the new free tshirt inside). I did just recalibrate my refractometer too using the 53ms solution. It was off by .002! I had been calibrating it with the pure water that came with it(it is the Sybon one that Premium Aquatics sells) I would imagine that the fact it is only being seen in pails and not bags furthers the theory that it is only one batch. I have to imagine that the batches are made seperately for each size container.

As for recall, I doubt that will happen, but who knows. Without batch numbers, that would open them up to taking back ALL the RC that is out there.

Also, as you say, RC is overtaking th regular IO as the top salt for the reef hobbyist, but it is still only a tiny tiny fraction of the sales compared to IO, barely a blip on the screen. Go into any pet supplies wholesaler, retailer, or mailorder house and just look at the inventory. I am just guessing, but overall it is probably still in the neighborhood of 1000 to 1 units sold of IO to RC. I attended the frag swap at DFS last summer and they gave tours of their warehouse to the public. There were probably 80 - 100 pallets of IO there and maybe 20 RC in the area they took us to, and they use a lot of the RC in their own coral farm.

[scubadoo2]

IS AS making the RC in Ohio, or have they sent that process overseas?

[bdare]

Made in Ohio.

[USC-fan]

Well i found my problem. It wasn;t the RC at all. My refractometer was off, I brought some pinpoint 53ms and it read 37ppt on it.

New numbers @ 35ppt and temp:78
CA++ 420
Mg 1280
alk 13

[kngfisher]

2 buckets, same low mag levels......

1050ppm

so much for Reef Crystals....switching back to plain IO and will suppliment mag as needed.....explains why mag at 1050 in display and why coral grows seemed to slow.

[GreshamH]

Originally posted by Billybeau1
That is a good bucket. I expect those numbers at 1.024

I'm sure it's a straight forward formula but how do you figure out the difference one might find in CA/MG/ALK levels at 1.024 to those at 1.026?

[bertoni]

.024/.026 = .92, so multiply the 1.026 numbers by .92 to get the 1.024 estimates.

[GreshamH]

You rock

[Billybeau1]

SPStoner, I am happy to here you got a new bucket with those numbers. Thats the RC i know. This could mean the bad buckets are short lived. (Unless your bucket sat on the shelf for awhile. )

And yes USC-fan. We've been preaching to reefers all of 2007 about calibrating refracts with distilled water. Glad you tried the 53mS solution. Makes a world of difference in cal and mag.

[mixed_reefer]

Hey now, wheres the shirt at in the bucket?
I did not even realize mine said it had a shirt in it (never opened it), so i broke it open and there is no shirt? I even dug into the salt a bit and still found nothing! Did they bury it under the salt or did fed ex rob me?

[Billybeau1]

Last time I checked, the only salt mix that gave a free t-shirt was Coralife, And they still do. But you don't have to dig. It's on the top.

[Icefire]

yep got a clown and an angel t-shirt in my coralife

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Billybeau1


Last time I checked, the only salt mix that gave a free t-shirt was Coralife, And they still do. But you don't have to dig. It's on the top.

According to a friend who works for a pet supplies wholesaler in New York, all the IO and RC they have received since late October has this free shirt in it. So, I am guessing that the bucket I'm using now is at the most 4 months old. Also, I have read somewhere before that IO puts the shirts on the very bottom of the pail at the request of retailers who were having them stolen when they were on top. Gives me a good excuse to mix the pail up anyhow


[IMG][/IMG]

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by mixed_reefer
Hey now, wheres the shirt at in the bucket?
I did not even realize mine said it had a shirt in it (never opened it), so i broke it open and there is no shirt? I even dug into the salt a bit and still found nothing! Did they bury it under the salt or did fed ex rob me?

I just noticed it actually says in fine print on the sticker that shirt is located at bottom of pail.

[SPStoner]

DP

[twon8]

my bucket of rc has the t-shirt inside and still had low levels, got it about a month ago from drfs

[Thales]

I liked when there were towels in the buckets way more than shirts. Bring back the towels!

[rbursek]

I had a batch of RC mixing for a water change yesterday, read this and tested it, Ca 320 at 1.026. Bought 3 buckets last fall from DR's F&S, very disappointed in RC after reading this, I have used there salt since I started in this hobby 18 months ago. Thanks for the home work.
Bob

[speeddemonlsr]

By last fall your talking about 10-11 of 2007 right, not 2006?