Hey everybody. Here is what has happened. I poured my salt into my mix container and let it set a few days. Now I have came back and the sides of my container is white. My salinity is through the roof as well. Is what I'm seeing just all the salt or is there something else that could have went wrong? .thanks for your help!
Opinion on mixing salt
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twilliard
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@Randy Holmes-Farley can give a quick insight on this scenario
I had the same experience. Almost seems my plastic container had oxidation issues with the salt. Your salinity spike could be from too much salt or evaporation. I had the heat on, with a pump moving the water after mixing, the white residue seems to be calcium from the salt. I left it running for a few days. This water will not hurt anything in your DT
I now heat the water for a day or so(30 gal. Container), add my salt, but a little less salt, run the pump and heat until the next day, then change water. If I mixed the water perfect the day I added salt, the following day my salinity was higher, and adding more water to correct. Oh, I use a hydrometer for measuring and temp.
Remember, less, can be more, always re-test to be sure!
I now heat the water for a day or so(30 gal. Container), add my salt, but a little less salt, run the pump and heat until the next day, then change water. If I mixed the water perfect the day I added salt, the following day my salinity was higher, and adding more water to correct. Oh, I use a hydrometer for measuring and temp.
Remember, less, can be more, always re-test to be sure!
cjd
Well-Known Member
how do you add salt to the water? do you make "X" number of gallons and know that" X" number of gallons needs "Y" of cups of salt ? or do you add salt , then test , I need a little more ...test.... almost there ...little more ....test ... too much/ add water, test . need more salt , test . perfect 1.026 ! I f you added salt the first way - did you change salt brands because 3 cups of one might be two cups of another. did the water salinity test out ok at first then skyrocketed when you checked again? when you tested first there may have been a pile at the bottom not mixed up yet . that milky residue happened to me when I tried red sea coral pro. even when it mixed to my levels it left that residue on my containers.
No i just always eye ball it. But try to make it alittle low then start testing. But I poured to much this time and the salinity measures off the gage. I'm going to have to try to bring it down. I just didn't know if it would be fine in my DT. Or did I need to pour it out.
dbrewsky
Active Member
the precipitation is due to adding too much salt for the volume of water, as you said salinity was off the charts. i would soak your mixing container in freshwater and vinegar to remove the deposits and use a more measured, gradual approach to adding your salt mix to ensure it mixes to the correct specific gravity.
Ok, let's make it simple!
I use a 3 cup measure, but any container that you can fill to the top for the salt will due. Don't use metal, use hard plastic or glass, leave it in the pail? USE THE SAME CUP, EVERYTIME!!!
I use Reef Crystals, 4 full my cups(12 cups total) to make 30 gallons.
Your cup(container) needs salt, and add to heated(up to temp.76) water, and mix with stick(NO paint, just wood, NOT treated).
TEST Salinity
Add salt as needed, count how many cups of salt you use to get to your target salinity at 1.24-1.26.
Read the instructions of the salt your using, they will give you a amount, salt to water ratio, it's an estimate!
Please spend the time once to measure. You will be happy you did!
Sure, I have degrees in Enviromental Chemistry, but I'm a baker by trade, and in bakeries, everything must be idiot proof.
*** Always stir and test, after adding salt!
*** WAIT TILL TOMORROW, Test, then your water change!
*** Test Salinity, it will change over night and get salty, add more water!
*** R/O ONLY. Tap water sucks................But I drink it. Lol
I use a 3 cup measure, but any container that you can fill to the top for the salt will due. Don't use metal, use hard plastic or glass, leave it in the pail? USE THE SAME CUP, EVERYTIME!!!
I use Reef Crystals, 4 full my cups(12 cups total) to make 30 gallons.
Your cup(container) needs salt, and add to heated(up to temp.76) water, and mix with stick(NO paint, just wood, NOT treated).
TEST Salinity
Add salt as needed, count how many cups of salt you use to get to your target salinity at 1.24-1.26.
Read the instructions of the salt your using, they will give you a amount, salt to water ratio, it's an estimate!
Please spend the time once to measure. You will be happy you did!
Sure, I have degrees in Enviromental Chemistry, but I'm a baker by trade, and in bakeries, everything must be idiot proof.
*** Always stir and test, after adding salt!
*** WAIT TILL TOMORROW, Test, then your water change!
*** Test Salinity, it will change over night and get salty, add more water!
*** R/O ONLY. Tap water sucks................But I drink it. Lol
ckozma
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I have used the 2.5 measuring cups of salt for every 5 gallons method for years without fail. I always test the salinity before changing the water just in case, but that method has always worked for me. I use AquaVitro Salinity and have not tried other salts in that time period though.
