"Salinity" salt mixing problems!!

[btuck887]

I purchased a large bucket of "salinity" salt from big als on Boxing Day. Does anyone use this and how do u mix it? Does it stay cloudy?

I have mixed up a few batches and not matter how long I keep it mixing for it stays cloudy, anyone else have this problem? After removing the power head for mixing the water becomes clear but I get a lot of sediment at the bottom of the bucket? Anyone know the reason for this or what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks

[Coral Hoarder]

i ahve never used that salt but you may be adding to much or is the watter cold so it cant disolve ?

[btuck887]

Originally Posted by scott tang

i ahve never used that salt but you may be adding to much or is the watter cold so it cant disolve ?

Not adding to much because the salinity is 1.025 and I warm the water up when mixing

[pinkreef]

I checked on another site and others had the same problems
not mixing clear, residue on the side and bottom
one suggestion there was add a little at a time rather than the whole
measure at once.

[MitchM]

I've used it in the past and the cloudiness is normal.
It can occur from mixing it too long, actually.
Bottom line, it's not a problem.
I don't use it anymore because it was not easy to find.
I switch now between H2O and Reefers best - whichever one is available at the time.
I also never heat my water change water.

[btuck887]

Originally Posted by pinkreef

I checked on another site and others had the same problems
not mixing clear, residue on the side and bottom
one suggestion there was add a little at a time rather than the whole
measure at once.

Ya I have done a little reading, every page says something a little different. Was just looking to see if someone around here had found a solution to the problem ha

Thanks for the suggestion!!

[craigwmiller]

To avoid cloudiness (and precipitation), I've had the best luck with:

- no heater before mixing
- constant circulation during mixing
- not adding entire amount of salt at once (I mix ~40 gallons at a time, and I do it in about 3-4 chunks of adding salt, spacing the addition of salt by several hours)
- if your make-up water is still cloudy after 24 hours of mixing, and your salinity is good (I mix to 35ppt), it might just be cloudy and is likely okay to use.

[btuck887]

Originally Posted by craigwmiller

To avoid cloudiness (and precipitation), I've had the best luck with:

- no heater before mixing
- constant circulation during mixing
- not adding entire amount of salt at once (I mix ~40 gallons at a time, and I do it in about 3-4 chunks of adding salt, spacing the addition of salt by several hours)
- if your make-up water is still cloudy after 24 hours of mixing, and your salinity is good (I mix to 35ppt), it might just be cloudy and is likely okay to use.

I'm starting to think my problem is adding the salt to fast.

After ur salt is mixed do u get a precipitate on the bottom?

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by btuck887

I'm starting to think my problem is adding the salt to fast.

After ur salt is mixed do u get a precipitate on the bottom?

Heat up the water first. Then add 1/2 + 1/2 amount 30mins to 1 hour apart and mix. No heater during mixing. And the residue it quite common, probably some binding agent or something, I get that even with H2ocean.

[craigwmiller]

Originally Posted by btuck887

I'm starting to think my problem is adding the salt to fast.

After ur salt is mixed do u get a precipitate on the bottom?

No precipitation/film for most salts. Reef Crystals and Fluval leave behind some form of 'scum' after a few water changes, which I only attribute to being 'dirt' in the salt. Never caused me any issues though.


And mrhasan is correct, the heater in the bucket is the problem, not the water temperature while mixing