Kent users: alk/precipitation in new SW?

[Delphinus]

After using IO for the longest time, I just switched to Kent salt a few months ago.

I get terrible precipitate out of a new batch of saltwater. Is this fairly common?

Here's how I mix my SW:
- fill 30g bucket with RO
- heater and a 802 powerhead for about 24 hours to get up to tank temp
- mix in salt
- I use a drill mixer and run the drill for a few minutes
- let sit (with heater and powerhead) a couple more days before using.

After I come back to it after about 24 hours, there is a serious calcium precipitate over everything. The heater is coated, the powerhead is coated, and the green rubbermaid container is literally white on the inside.

I switched to Kent because it I heard it mixes with a higher alk out of the box than IO. I haven't tested the alk of a fresh batch yet but it must be pretty high to rip out calcium in this quantity.

Is there something I could improve upon my methods? Could I have a bad batch of Kent? (I'll test alk of a fresh batch next time I mix some and will have a better idea at that time.) But I'd really like to hear opinions and experiences of other Kent users in the meantime.

The other theory I have is that there's something amiss with my RO water. It's not RO/DI, it's just RO and my membrane is probably a few years old. All I have tested the water for is PO4 and NO3 and of course those are zero readings. But I have no idea about TDS or any other parameter.

Thanks!

[christyf5]

Mine does that too. I only mix it in the bucket for like a half hour or so (I get the RO water up to temp before I add the salt). I still have precipitate all over the heater and, to a lesser extent, the bottom of the bucket. Weird I haven't measured the alk either but the ca was about 440ppm. I'll check it this afternoon when I get home from work.

Christy

[Canadian Man]

Tony,
I never had that problem with Kent. Recently I switched to IO again as the bucket's were on sale at xmas.

I found that this happens when the water get's too hot. I was mixing up a batch with a mag 7 (VERY OLD) and it put's alot of heat into the water. I forgot to unplug the powerhead and a few days later when I went to use the saltwater I opened the garbage container to find the same thing you describe.

I attribute that to excessivly hight temps.
The water felt like bath water to me.

[christyf5]

Yeh I did get the water too hot once. Maybe that did it. I'll clean everything and start over with lower temps and see what happens.

Christy

[Aquattro]

Sounds similar to the bad IO buckets a few months ago. I'd check the alk of the new batch.

[Lofus]

High pH will cause precipitation of calcium and phosphate.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Lofus

High pH will cause precipitation of calcium and phosphate.

What are you considering "high" pH?

[BCOrchidGuy]

I've never had that problem with my Kent salt but guess what, Kent Marine was bought out and it looks like the company that bought Kent is going to discontinue the salt.
Kent salt is IO salt with some additives (this is directly from one of the Kent Scientists) IO makes a top notch salt but to go into a Kent bucket they add some stuff to raise Ca, Mg, and some other things (lost the email).
Central Garden who owns oceanic and all glass among other companies bought Kent Marine. I'll be able to find out more today but the rep told me last week that they were probably going to drop the Salt.
BTW, I'm NOT trying to start a rumour... lol.. just incase someone wants to run with this.

Doug

[Delphinus]

Thanks for the thoughts.

The important question is, what's causing the precipitation? I.e., if it was a pH issue (or whatever), what's causing the pH spike? Ultimately, it's either something in the water, or it's something in the salt. Or it's an artifact of the mixing process itself. The behaviour is EXACTLY like what was reported with the bad batches of IO last year. Ironically I never had this problem with IO (and I had been using IO for many many years up until now). I thought I'd better pose the question here to see if anyone else is noticing something, or if someone sees something in my methods that obviously not optimal (or something like that).

I haven't checked the temp of the mixing water but the heater is set to 26 (high 70's in F). I'll throw a thermometer in there and see what it's really at. FWIW, it feels the same as tank water to me, it's not noticeably warmer (like bathtub temperature or something like that).

It's a big heater though, probably way overkill for a 30g mixing bucket, but it was just one I had lying around. Offhand I'm not sure of the exact wattage but it won't be smaller than 150W.

[EmilyB]

Only had a problem like that once with Kent Tony, over the five years I've used it. And it was around the time people were having the trouble with IO. (maybe that is a coincidence). The pictures on the bucket were slighty different after that batch I recall. Otherwise it has always been crystal clear within minutes.