Mixing and storing Blue Bucket salt

[amps]

Hey hey,

I'm wondering if it's ok to mix and then store regular Red Sea Salt (blue bucket) for 1-2 weeks? I've heard a lot of stories about precipitation and brown residue when people have over mixed or stored Red Sea Coral Pro salt for longer than a few days.

The blue bucket salt has the perfect parameters for my tank and I'd like to use it in my automatic water change setup. I keep my salt water stored in a 55g barrel (with a heater) and change 4g a day.

 

[cmcoker]

I have stored it in a brute for a week or 2 regularly. No issues with precipitation or anything , but I didn't heat or circulate.

 

[authentic]

Keep mine for 3-4 weeks no problems,no heat or circulation either .I have had the brown stuff but I pressure wash the container 2x a year if necessary

 

[NeverlosT]

I cant comment on Red Sea but I use IO and if I store it for over a week I run into issues with precipitate and ALK down around 7.

Constant circulation doesnt seem to help and it is usually 70 degrees where I live, so cold isnt either. Unsure what leads to the precipitation, other than perhaps quality of the salt mix.

Maybe Red Sea is better

 

[JamesP]

I have been doing this exact same thing for a year or so now in a 55 gallon sealed plastic container with a vacuum release vented cap. I change 1% daily with a DoS programmed to auto water change 24x7. I store it in this container for 30 days at a time and mix it using red sea blue bucket salt mixed to 35ppt. I sometimes do bulk water changes from this vessel as well, but a low level sensor prevents it from removing the last 5 gallons via the apex. After over a year and not completely emptying and scrubbing it at all there is just a small brown powder thick layer at the bottom. This looks more like impurities than precipitation to me. I just happen to be low on water now so i can take a pic.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the stuff. Mixes great and the blue bucket is closer to nsw levels. The black bucket has crazy high alk. I carbon dose so the alk in this is more in line with what I need to be running.