Redsea coral salt

[mike007]

I have been in contact with a noted author of reef and aquarium books. He has been in contact with a Redsea scientist and got us some answers about how to properly mix the salt. You mix it like any other salt beforehand and agitate with powerhead or pump untill all salt disolves. I also checked this out on there website. I don't know where that guy got that video he posted showing adding the salt to ro water and not agitating it. Also he stated that in no way there salt causes algae outbreaks. There are other issues causing one to have algae problems.

 

[joeyhatch11]

What about the part in the book that comes with the salt that says not to mix for more than 4hrs? What's that about? So many mixed options on how long a salt should be mixed for. I start mine in the morning to mid afternoon and let it go over night till the next morning when I do my change. What's bad about having it mix for more than 4hrs?

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[mike007]

I don't think there is anything wrong with mixing it beforehand. They do say to test ph untill it reaches 8.3 and then it should be fine. They say nothing about mixing four hours before on there website.

 

[REEF911]

Mixing Times

My thoughts to your question on mixing is this. From what I have read, and I would hope someone else with more knowledge would comment, the longer you mix the salt after it has fully dissolved in the ro water the greater chance you have of losing your calcium and alk due to parcipatation. Thus the calc and alk forming calcium carbonate and parcipitating out of the mixture. The magnesium in your salt mix should act to eleminate these two elements from doing so , but then again I am not 100 percent sure. I know not all or even the majority would parcipitate but I know a little would. Someone with greater knowledge please post. Thanks

 

[jgraz]

Might I ask what type of problems people were having?

I recently switch to this when I couldn't find RC locally believe it or not. I mix in a 20gal tank with a mag 5 and heater. I just dump in and mix. I also keep it mixing all the time. When I get to about 5 gal left of make up water I add and mix some more. I've been mixing24/7 for a long time with RC and now RS and all is well.

 

[Decalf]

My thoughts to your question on mixing is this. From what I have read, and I would hope someone else with more knowledge would comment, the longer you mix the salt after it has fully dissolved in the ro water the greater chance you have of losing your calcium and alk due to parcipatation. Thus the calc and alk forming calcium carbonate and parcipitating out of the mixture. The magnesium in your salt mix should act to eleminate these two elements from doing so , but then again I am not 100 percent sure. I know not all or even the majority would parcipitate but I know a little would. Someone with greater knowledge please post. Thanks

precipitate

I just don't see how you can lose your calcium or your alk due to precipitation. That would mean your salt was out of balance before you even put it in the tank. But I can see some trace elements possibly going to the bottom over time if the salt just sits in the barrel.

 

[mike007]

According to rs ca and alk will bind together if mixed too long. It can still be used but will not as effective. So i will follow there instructions because i figure they are alot smarter than me.

 

[Dana]

I would like to know what the heck I am doing with this stuff as well.


I mix the day before, but I noticed it gets cloudy overnight, and I don't agitate it all night. I stir until salt is dissolved then leave it. I thought I saw somewhere not to agitate it too long. Go figure. RS seems too complicated to mix lol

 

[CoryC]

If you do a calc and alk test on your water immidiately after first mixing, and again after mixing for a few hours you will see a drop i will almost gaurantee. in not just rscp but about any reef salt. youre making a saturated solution guys, basic chemistry. you can only hold those parameters so long. mixing forces it out of solution, as well as a number of other variables. that's the white residue you see. or the cloudiness. your reef tank is not a saturated solution typically.

 

[Dana]

Well
Do I do water change soon after mixing or wait overnight? I'm still confused

 

[Planedoc]

This is from an earlier post.

The video clearly explains that red sea salt mixes very quickly in cold water. He explains that if mixed longer than 4 hours especially at a warmer temperature the high levels of calcium and carbonate will bond together (participate), and make the water cloudy. It is still safe to use the water and it will clear up rather quickly when added to the tank. He is just clearing up the fact that you don't need to mix and aerate the water for hours and hours. (this a myth passed on from years ago)
I've been using coral pro salt for a year with no problems. I mix mine for about 2 hours. That's how long it takes the heater to warm it up. I've never had it get cloudy. Also I have never rolled a bucket of salt in my life and I've never noticed different levels of anything from the top to the bottom of the bucket. I've only used red sea and IO products. I've had algae but I have never blamed it on anything other than over feeding and/or lack of maintenance, either not changing filter socks or doing enough water changes.

 

[bkoppes]

I have been in contact with a noted author of reef and aquarium books. He has been in contact with a Redsea scientist and got us some answers about how to properly mix the salt. You mix it like any other salt beforehand and agitate with powerhead or pump untill all salt disolves. I also checked this out on there website. I don't know where that guy got that video he posted showing adding the salt to ro water and not agitating it. Also he stated that in no way there salt causes algae outbreaks. There are other issues causing one to have algae problems.

So they never have a bad batch? I highly doubt that he would say their salt causes outbreaks..think about it.

 

[Dana]

Ok so mix in cold water until dissolved. Put in heater until to temp, then into my tank to get the most out of it

 

[REEF911]

I would wait till your sAlt is fully dissolved in to wAter and the temp is about the same as your tank then change your water. I have done it this way many years and have never had an issue

 

[Dana]

I would wait till your sAlt is fully dissolved in to wAter and the temp is about the same as your tank then change your water. I have done it this way many years and have never had an issue

this directed at me?

 

[CoryC]

why would a salt cause an out break? more than likely its your water. something nearly untestable or other variables. not saying there arent bad batvhes but its rare.

 

[mike007]

Thanks Planedoc excellent response i hope everyone will watch video and learn how to mix this salt. We do not work for Redsea but we have used there products with great success and we are just sharing. In no way i do not believe that you will have algae problems with this salt. Many people want to blame additives ,salt mixes, ect when most of the time there water parameters are not correct.

 

[bct15]

I discussed this in detail in another thread

Here is the video you mentioned earlier, posted by red sea themselves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlIHJ02NaKk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

And a technical post by one of the red sea scientists

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea/82441-mixing-red-sea-coral-pro-salt.html

The cloudy water thing is replicated in the video, along with an explanation. To break it down real quickly, there is a limit that anything can be dissolved in water at a given temperature, ph, and concentration of other dissolved items. If one of the conditions changes, the limit of solubility changes as well. The concentrations of various minerals are at or near there maximum in red sea coral pro salt for lightly agitated mixing conditions at room temperature. Slight changes in the conditions (elevation in temp or ph) may cause your minerals to precipitate out.

As far as algae outbreaks, I personally haven't seen any valid evidence that the salt is the cause. The only tests I have seen with somebody having algae problems was indicative that a faulty RO was the cause, as the RO water was testing high in phosphates and there was no measurable change in phosphates when the salt was mixed.


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[skinz78]

Who is the book author?

And I doubt that the manufacturer of the salt is not going to admit that they may potentially have an issue with their product...

 

[mike007]

It doesn't matter who the author of these books is. What we are trying to convey here is the proper way to mix rss. Us people tht use rss salt have had excellent results and we are trying to help those who want to use it. If you think that a salt mix is causing algae issues you are wrong and need to do your reseach. But if thats your believe there are alot of salt brands out there and every one seems to have there favorite. I totaly believe in Redsea products as many others do.