ARM Media

[DonW]

I recently purchased a jug of ARM that I let sit on a shelf for a month. I opened the jug this past week-end and it smelled like a aquarium water. The moisture was salt water. The last jug would'nt produce over 20dkh at 6.0 ph. I didnt think much of it and got some new online. It was 80dkh @ 6.5.
Out of all the ARM Ive used, this has never been the case (not smelly). I'm wondering if the lfs is repackaging they're used up media. I also decided to change one of my MH bulbs, thinking I should do these one at a time. There was no difference between an 8mo old bulb and a ?/new bulb. Now I'm really starting to wonder if they're repackaging the MH bulbs. I picked up a new ushio at a different lfs, huge difference between my old and this bulb. Same brand, watt and kelvin.
Am I being ripped off or could this be possible???

Don

 

[spooda420]

You would surely hope not. But I suppose in any purchase its always "buyer beware". I have heard that light have the burn in period, and there is a shift in the kelvin.

The ARM??? man dunno I guess its possible that the lid was loose and somehow water entered the container...

Can you take it back to get a fresher one?

 

[DonW]

You would surely hope not. But I suppose in any purchase its always "buyer beware". I have heard that light have the burn in period, and there is a shift in the kelvin.

The ARM??? man dunno I guess its possible that the lid was loose and somehow water entered the container...

Can you take it back to get a fresher one?

It was the color shift that I did'nt get with the first bulb. Thats what makes me wonder.
Arm is always damp but never stinky. The low dkh jug was also weird, low dkh means its time to reload the reactor. Two bad jugs from one lfs??

Don

 

[big t]

As far as the ARM goes I have no idea. I havn't ever purchased any new yet. As far as the light bulb, Hmmm sounds fishy. If you look at the bulb, look at the center glass tube where the gas is. The ends of that tube are white and and have a powdery looking coating after the bulb has been run for a while. If I remember right the ends are usually chrome when it is new. I don't know how long it takes for this white powder to occur, and I do know that most manufacturers test fire their bulbs.

 

[DonW]

The ushios are clear all the way down except they have little black (normal) at the base. Side by side the question bulb, the known new and my old bulb there was so differnce except the salt on my old one. I could deal with the bulb issue, (called it defective) if I had not noticed the stinky ARM.

Don