Efflorescence

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

Does efflorescence happen with our aquariums? Is this where all the salt creep comes from in 3 foot radius of aquarium? Surely the water cannot be splashing that much right?

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

Also if this is the case would salt creep be saltpetre?

Dburr1014 · Mar 24, 2023

Um, what??
You are from canton ct?

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

Dburr1014 said:
Um, what??
You are from canton ct?

Georgia. What is it that you're questioning exactly lol

Red_Beard · Mar 24, 2023

Had the same thought. Only way i figure it is popping bubbles getting trace amounts that build up over time.

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

Red_Beard said:
Had the same thought. Only way i figure it is popping bubbles getting trace amounts that build up over time.

I leave the lid off half the time and salt creep is everywhere. All over electronics that are atleast 6 feet away, inside them too and all over my plants around the aquarium. There ain't no way that's just from splashing water.

V A R I A N T · Mar 24, 2023

Jilly92 said:
Does efflorescence happen with our aquariums? Is this where all the salt creep comes from in 3 foot radius of aquarium? Surely the water cannot be splashing that much right?

Possibly effervescent vs efflorescence. Small bubbles potentially becoming airborne. That could explain some salt creep. Capillary action of liquid “wicking” could explain others. I have no idea on how it could travel multiple feet unless a fan is in play.

V A R I A N T · Mar 24, 2023

Jilly92 said:
Also if this is the case would salt creep be saltpetre?

Saltpeter Is potassium nitrate so not similar

Red_Beard · Mar 24, 2023

Jilly92 said:
I leave the lid off half the time and salt creep is everywhere. All over electronics that are atleast 6 feet away, inside them too and all over my plants around the aquarium. There ain't no way that's just from splashing water.

Lol, that kinda sucks. I know how much my electronics love saltwater. 6 feet? You sure you don't have any spitting fish?

CoralB · Mar 24, 2023

Jilly92 said:
Does efflorescence happen with our aquariums? Is this where all the salt creep comes from in 3 foot radius of aquarium? Surely the water cannot be splashing that much right?

Are you running air stones ?

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

V A R I A N T said:
Possibly effervescent vs efflorescence. Small bubbles potentially becoming airborne. That could explain some salt creep. Capillary action of liquid “wicking” could explain others. I have no idea on how it could travel multiple feet unless a fan is in play.

My husband needs a fan on high in every room,so makes sense. Thank you for input.

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

CoralB said:
Are you running air stones ?

No

Jilly92 · Mar 24, 2023

Red_Beard said:
Lol, that kinda sucks. I know how much my electronics love saltwater. 6 feet? You sure you don't have any spitting fish?

Definitely not haha but that puffer is so cute

Jilly92 · Mar 25, 2023

V A R I A N T said:
Saltpeter Is potassium nitrate so not similar

How do we know that they don't use niter in the salt though? If they used that as an added mineral it would create saltpeter, no?

exnisstech · Mar 25, 2023

I have 4 tanks, 180g in living room, 65g dining room, and a 40g in bedroom, and a 125g sump in basement all open top and I don't have any salt creep anywhere except stuff that is touching the tank so I'm not sure what is going on at your place. Maybe way to much surface agitation?

Jilly92 · Mar 25, 2023

exnisstech said:
I have 4 tanks, 180g in living room, 65g dining room, and a 40g in bedroom, and a 125g sump in basement all open top and I don't have any salt creep anywhere except stuff that is touching the tank so I'm not sure what is going on at your place. Maybe way to much surface agitation?

I had 5 at once all with the same issue. What salt brand do you use?

exnisstech · Mar 25, 2023

Jilly92 said:
I had 5 at once all with the same issue. What salt brand do you use?

I mix instant ocean and reef crystals

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 25, 2023

Jilly92 said:
Does efflorescence happen with our aquariums? Is this where all the salt creep comes from in 3 foot radius of aquarium? Surely the water cannot be splashing that much right?

There are several main ways that we get solids outside the aquarium.

1. Popping bubbles launch tiny droplets of water into the air. This is a well established phenomenon, and my adult daughter even worked in a lab where they studied it for the natural launching of microplastics in ocean water into the atmosphere. These droplets (small ones) can travel thousands of miles in nature. When those droplets land around the tank, they dry and leave a residue of everything in the seawater.

2. Anywhere that the liquid water touches a "dry" object, like the sides of the tank, some water will creep up the sides and or by pushed onto it by occasional ripples, and some of that water dries and leaves a residue. This can creep out an inch or two, but rarely more.

3. Water spilled down the sides of a tank can get into the plastic bands surrounding aquaria, and slowly dry out to leave a residue on the plastic and nearby glass. It soemtoems fools people into thinking they have a leak.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 25, 2023

Jilly92 said:
How do we know that they don't use niter in the salt though? If they used that as an added mineral it would create saltpeter, no?

Because they say they do not add nitrate. The whole nitrate discussion is a red herring. Nitrate is a very minor component of seawater and potassium nitrate is not even what would precipitate from drying seawater that containing nitrate.