"Salinity" salt mixing problems!!

[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

[btuck887]

Originally Posted by craigwmiller

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

So bring the water up to temp, remove the heater, add half the salt, mix for an hr then add the rest. How long do u leg it mix after that?

I have heard anywhere from a few hrs to 48

[jamescyr]

Do more research!! Mix your salt as normal, put it in the tank and deal with the cloudiness for a short time. It states on the pale itself that it will be cloudy, as this is one of the only salt types that does not have a chemical in it to make it disolve faster! Instant ocean etc use a disolving agent to get rid of the cloudiness.

Speaking from experience and emails to the manufacturer directly.

Sucks. Bit outcome is much better.