Anyone using Tropic Marin Bio-Actif salt?

Victor_C3 · Mar 7, 2020

If possible, could someone who is using this salt test a fresh made batch fresh of saltwater for ammonia and post the result?

I’m short, I’m getting off-the-chart reading for ammonia with fresh made saltwater using this salt. Is this normal?

Testing my source RO/DI water in the storage container that I usually use I get 0 ppm.

I’m starting a new system using this salt mix. I put live rock in the system around February 1st and just let things go. Yesterday, I tested ammonia for the first time using a Hanna Instruments handheld tester (pictured below)

and ammonia is off the chart. I’ve tested the tank water three times, and got the same result. I had some fresh mixed saltwater that had been sitting in a closed container since Tuesday (4 days old) that I also tested with the same tester and it too is off the charts and totally saturated the ammonia tester. My source RO/DI water has 0ppm ammonia according to the same tester.

Any thoughts? Is this normal for Tropic Marin Bio-Actif salt? Did I maybe get a bad batch?

I’ve used Tropic Marin Pro salt for years and never had any issues with any sort of detectable ammonia.

Victor_C3 · Mar 7, 2020

I mixed a small batch of saltwater using the same Bio-Actif salt this morning and got the result pictured below:

The “3.00” on the Ammonia tester was flashing, indicating ammonia is too high for the tester to be read.

I’m not sure if this is normal, but I’m a little peeved that I’m getting detectable waste products in freshly made saltwater.

Tony Thompson · Mar 7, 2020

The Hanna Ammonia tester can not be used for saltwater (its freshwater only, thats why it is reading off scale.

Victor_C3 · Mar 7, 2020

Tony Thompson said:
The Hanna Ammonia tester can not be used for saltwater (its freshwater only, thats why it is reading off scale.

Woah! That explains a lot!

I’m looking over the entire package, outside label, instructions, everything that it came with and I don’t see anywhere where it mentions anything along the lines that it is not suitable for saltwater.

Thanks for the heads-up. It would have been nice if Hanna Instruments would have posted that somewhere on their packaging so that I would see it before I bought it....

I’ll m going to try a different test and see what I get.

Awesome Dennis · Mar 7, 2020

I’ve recently switched to TM from fritz and I’m 100% happy I did, can’t say I’ve tested fresh batch of SW other than SG though.

Tony Thompson · Mar 9, 2020

Victor_C3 said:
Woah! That explains a lot!

I’m looking over the entire package, outside label, instructions, everything that it came with and I don’t see anywhere where it mentions anything along the lines that it is not suitable for saltwater.

Thanks for the heads-up. It would have been nice if Hanna Instruments would have posted that somewhere on their packaging so that I would see it before I bought it....

I’ll m going to try a different test and see what I get.

Easy mistake to make, best bet is to check out Hanna website before you purchase, or just drop them an email, I have always found them to be very helpfull. States on the website "For Freshwater" (The HI-700 Ammonia Low Range Checker is a simple, accurate and cost effective way to measure low ranges of ammonia in fresh water) . They do also have a Marine version of the Nitrite tester ( HI-764 Nitrite (Marine ULR) , but I believe the HI-707 and HI-708 are suitable for both fresh and marine water. In my opinion not really interested in Nitrite as only very high levels would be detrimental to marine animals due to the elevated Chloride in the water competeing with the Nitrite
.