Frustrated with salt mixes

[Biff0rz]

I can't seem to win. My goal is to mix fresh salt water with ideal params and no brown sludge. I'm not finding much luck doing so with various salts. My goal is 400+ ca, 1400mag, and 9 alk

Instant ocean-
Mixes brown(-), 10alk(-)

Fritz rpm-
Mixes more brown than IO(2x-), 8.5-9alk(+)

Tropic Marin pro
Mixes clean(+), low alk of 7(-)

Tropic Marin classic
Mixes clean (+), 9alk(+), lower ca and mag (2x-)

I really want to keep alk swings low as I do awc at night so I don't want to drop alk suddenly. I also want to have salt ready for large changes that won't swing alk. Lastly I'm not really fond of the idea of mixing tm pro and dosing baking soda to hit the right alk because that means I'm testing my stored water frequently AND it has to gas off for 24 hours.

I'd use fritz if it didn't produce so much brown sludge.... How big of a deal is that?

 

[Peace River]

I run the water in my mixing container through a filter sock which removes a surprising amount of brown sludge. BRS has a video comparing the various salts including a comparison of how clean they are.

 

[Biff0rz]

I run the water in my mixing container through a filter sock which removes a surprising amount of brown sludge. BRS has a video comparing the various salts including a comparison of how clean they are.

Yea I watched that video before. Got any pics of how you have the sock hooked up? I was considering adding a closed loop and an rodi canister with Micron filter but wanted to see if there is a cleaner option..

 

[Bryknicks]

I've used Fritz blue for two years in a mixing station and I never get any brown sludge. It always mixes clean for me. I switched from IO reef crystals and that was really bad with brown crud. I'm sure you cleaned your mixing container/tools before switching?

 

[Biff0rz]

I've used Fritz blue for two years in a mixing station and I never get any brown sludge. It always mixes clean for me. I switched from IO reef crystals and that was really bad with brown crud. I'm sure you cleaned your mixing container/tools before switching?

I didn't, but, it was clean before switching to fritz

 

[Peace River]

Yea I watched that video before. Got any pics of how you have the sock hooked up? I was considering adding a closed loop and an rodi canister with Micron filter but wanted to see if there is a cleaner option..

I got the filter sock tip from Jake at Reef Builders. Although I hung the sock slightly differently than he did, you can see his set up in his YT video about his mixing station.

 

[rtparty]

ESV checks all your boxes

 

[Nick Steele]

I use brightwells neomarine.
mixed to 10.26 I get
8.4 alk
1300 mag
420 calc

 

[arking_mark]

So a couple of thoughts on salt mixes.
1. Your target parameters
2. Consider you're dosing regime
3. Consider you're water change regime

For many years, I used IO Reef Salt as my main salt due to its elevated parameters. I did a bi-weekly small 5-10% water change to keep my tank at more normal seawater parameters. Basically, the elevated IO Reef salt parameters were replenishing my tank...no dosing.

In my current build, I'm dosing and doing incremental AWC. In this case, I needed to switch to a salt that mimics natural sea parameters so that my dosing regime maintains my target parameters. I went with Brightwell Neomarine Salt which has a 7-ish dKH and will allow me to target a slightly higher 8-ish dKH and other parameters to be maintained by my dosing method.

So when picking a salt mix, you need to make sure it works with your target parameters and tank maintenance plan.

FYI, Brightwell Neomarine is a salt that mixes clean.

 

[tsw3030]

Is use esv it's got your parameters and mixes great I bought a cheap digital scale to measure amounts when mixing

 

[arking_mark]

I use brightwells neomarine.
mixed to 10.26 I get
8.4 alk
1300 mag
420 calc

Check your Alk tester. Per Brightwell, "134 g per 1 US-gallon (3.785 L) of purified water yields a specific gravity of ~1.025 g/cm3, with a pH of ~8.30 and alkalinity of ~7.5 dKH."

My GHL testing usually come in the low 7-ish as does my Hanna tester.

 

[SPS2020]

ESV checks all your boxes

Yep, ESV B-Ionic is my recommendation as well.

 

[Steve Erekson]

I recently switched to HW Marinemix after deciding to branch out beyond Red Sea Blue Bucket. The parameters are pretty close to what you're looking for. I've only mixed 2 buckets and haven't seen the normal brown powder I had with Red Sea, but it's too soon to tell if I'll stick with this or not.

 

[Nick Steele]

Check your Alk tester. Per Brightwell, "134 g per 1 US-gallon (3.785 L) of purified water yields a specific gravity of ~1.025 g/cm3, with a pH of ~8.30 and alkalinity of ~7.5 dKH."

My GHL testing usually come in the low 7-ish as does my Hanna tester.

I’ve tested with both Hannah and salifert. Sometimes will mix at 8.1 but usually 8.4 alk is what I get. I don’t take exact measurements when mixing so who knows. Also I mix at 1.026 not 1.025

 

[ReeferLou]

Just curious, what is that brown sludge made of? I had quite a bit in the bottom of my mixing bucket after a few weeks. Is this trace minerals precipitating out?

 

[Uncle99]

I didn't, but, it was clean before switching to fritz

Fritz Blue, done about 15 boxes now, it’s the fastest and cleanest mix I used so far. Bucket stays clean, batch after batch.

I doubt its coming from the salt itself, maybe some other factor.

I don’t heat mine if that helps.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can't seem to win. My goal is to mix fresh salt water with ideal params and no brown sludge. I'm not finding much luck doing so with various salts. My goal is 400+ ca, 1400mag, and 9 alk

Instant ocean-
Mixes brown(-), 10alk(-)

Fritz rpm-
Mixes more brown than IO(2x-), 8.5-9alk(+)

Tropic Marin pro
Mixes clean(+), low alk of 7(-)

Tropic Marin classic
Mixes clean (+), 9alk(+), lower ca and mag (2x-)

I really want to keep alk swings low as I do awc at night so I don't want to drop alk suddenly. I also want to have salt ready for large changes that won't swing alk. Lastly I'm not really fond of the idea of mixing tm pro and dosing baking soda to hit the right alk because that means I'm testing my stored water frequently AND it has to gas off for 24 hours.

I'd use fritz if it didn't produce so much brown sludge.... How big of a deal is that?

Your "ideal" is apparently not the ideal of others. lol

That said, if you do AWC at night, why do you worry about alk swings?

If you do an AWC every night (say, 1%), there will be no concerning alk swing no matter what the new salt water alk is at. 9 dKH changes with 1% 12 dKH water will only become 9.03 dKH.

 

[melanotaenia]

To add to other comments, much depends also on your choice of livestock.

Once you have a tank dialed in with dosing the water changes should have little influence on parameters so long as the salt mix is close to the tank parameters.

That said I would use TM Pro and dose your tank to achieve the desired Alk/Ca+ levels; NSW is close to 7DKH so not sure why you would want it to be significantly higher unless you are trying to encourage stony coral growth. TM Pro in my experience mixes clean, quick, and has always been consistent for me with respect to the levels specified by TM.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Give the Live Aquaria salt a try. Many people seem to think its likely made by Fritz for LA since the packaging and wording on the labels is so similar. It mixes fast, clear, and I haven't had any sludge or precip issues using it yet.
I mix my salt cold, and its clear in about 10 minutes.

Parameters
Salinity: 35 ppt (1.026 sg)
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1,350-1,450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8.0-9.5dKH
Strontium: 9 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

 

[Biff0rz]

Fritz Blue, done about 15 boxes now, it’s the fastest and cleanest mix I used so far. Bucket stays clean, batch after batch.

I doubt its coming from the salt itself, maybe some other factor.

I don’t heat mine if that helps.

Hmm, not sure what else could cause it? I just changed rodi filters before it browned up so it's not that. I don't heat it either but my pump gets warm and heats it slowly over time.