Oceanic Salt...

So, I think I have a new perspective of this salt... When it first hit the market it was awesome, despite the price. Then I guess they had some element issues that ruined or even crashed some tanks, but I was out of the hobby when that happened so I completely missed it. But I bought a 90 gal. container of oceanic on clearance for like 15 bucks at a local petsmart. I used it for one water change andf my tank broke out in green cyano! Here's how I know it was the salt.
Its a 22 gallon tank
I've done water changes with instant, crystals, and the ESV brands with no negative effects. I did a 50% change with Oceanic one time and about 3 days later I have bubbly green all over everything! It comes off easily, but it's still ugly.

Anyway, I have no fish in this tank and havent added food for months! I have corals and a few snails and hermits. My RO water is still zero TDS on the out, so the only thing it could be is that salt. It sucks cause I used to LOVE that salt... Now I think I'd prefer the crystals over it.

what - green cyano - that sucks

When you put together a fresh mix of water from the salt where does it test out at?? Curiosity has me going

I kinda had a similar issue when using a free bucket of aqua vitro I won in a raffle... didn't think to test the fresh mixed water before my water change and was struggling with ALK and CA every since I started using it... things are getting more on track now that I've switch back to crystals.... but dang, I finally tested the fresh mixed water (on my last batch, lol), and CA was around 350, ALK also low.. hence my issues

Oh gosh I have no idea since I don't test fresh batches anymore... And nothing that I do test for should create cyano. I don't test for iron, iodine, or anything like that, and calcium or alk- high or low shouldn't cause any bacteria or algae growth.

Funny thIng is, when I told my hubby, he said that I said the same thing when I tried oceanic about 2 years ago. He said that I told him it caused a cyano outbreak then too...

Originally Posted by Tizzo

Oh gosh I have no idea since I don't test fresh batches anymore... And nothing that I do test for should create cyano. I don't test for iron, iodine, or anything like that, and calcium or alk- high or low shouldn't cause any bacteria or algae growth.

Funny thIng is, when I told my hubby, he said that I said the same thing when I tried oceanic about 2 years ago. He said that I told him it caused a cyano outbreak then too...

hmmmmm i have to seriously doubt his memory is better than yours

pretty sure my husband forgets everything I say to him, especially if its fish related!!! lol

You could test for nitrates, phosphates???

Not sure I've used most brands with no crazy affects, not sure. Been using reef crystals lately and seems to be working pretty well. \

I have used the oceanic salt with no problems

Omg!! Esta, we have a total role reversal here!! He remembers way better than I do, as he is more the "professional type" while I'm blue collar to the core. He shops for my clothes, can match them up better than me as well as keep track of my sizes. Like, he can pick the colors and I can paint/ hang curtains type of couple we are, lol!!

As far as trates and phates, if I have em, I'd be very surprised. Like I said, I never feed this tank and I change out 10 gallons every week or 2.

I do have a protein skimmer...

When I started a few years ago I battled cyano constantly, until I switched to IO since it was supposed to have more Ca. I then tried Crystals and my corals started dying off. I went back to regular IO and all has been well. Even survived a wifey health crisis, then a wifey/baby health crisis.

3 days with no power (in the winter) with just a circulation pump running on an inverter pretty much killed off the rest of the coral. But that is what rebuilds and redesigns are for. Needless to say, when the power goes out the first thing that gets hooked to the generator is the tanks! Bought it mostly for them haha.

Hey Tizzo,

A bit off topic but I have seen the same happen in my system when I switched to Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I use to Tropic Marin Pro but wanted to try a less expansive option. My readings are good too... need to dig in and read / learn more.

I just got all three volumes of Julian's books for xmas... just starting with Vol 3.. let you know if I run into anything.

Grumpy

Hmm, yeah I'm curious. I would like to know if it's to much of one trace element or another. I've met people at my job who had bad cyano, and after they thought they tried everything to fix it I'd recommend a salt change- it was amazing, the results.

Ditto. I've used 3 salts, oceanic, IO and IO reef crystals. Right now I only use IO because it has given me the most stable results with good calcium #'s. I still have the bucket of reef crystals and it has occurred to me to use it up... but i don't want a mess in my upgraded tank.