Reef Crystals Salt Mixing Cloudy - Very concerned please help

[that Reef Guy]

Mixing may help, if you are sure you are actually mixing and not encouraging separation. It can be difficult to know.

I use most or all of a bag at once, so I don't have that issue.

Calcium and magnesium solids may also dissolve in their respective tests, although that is not quite so guaranteed. In any case, I don't think those values are high enough to worry about.

At what Value would you not use a Salt do to High Alkalinity, Calcium, or Magnesium?

When does it start affect the tank negatively?

I know the numbers you are supposed to keep but have never heard anybody say don't let it reach this level or your Corals will Die, etc.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I'd use it after it settles if alk is OK.

So if it is always Cloudy you should just throw it out then right?

Some people say it was ok but I have heard others say that they crashed their tank from cloudy water (But maybe it was something else and they just blamed the cloudy water? Tough to say for sure).

A local Reefer once gave away his salt bucket for free because it mixed cloudy.

He stated that it was free to a Fish Only system because it would possibly kill coral but would be safe for fish (Hence why he would not use it on his Reef Tank).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

At what Value would you not use a Salt do to High Alkalinity, Calcium, or Magnesium?

When does it start affect the tank negatively?

I know the numbers you are supposed to keep but have never heard anybody say don't let it reach this level or your Corals will Die, etc.

I primarily would be concerned about low alkalinity after a precipitation event, since that is what drops most. I would be more careful about how I did water changes if the alk was above about 12 dKH.

As to calcium, there seems no big risk to elevated calcium aside from excessive precipitation, at least up to maybe 650 ppm.

Magneisum isn't apparently a big issue until above 1800 ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So if it is always Cloudy you should just throw it out then right?

Some people say it was ok but I have heard others say that they crashed their tank from cloudy water (But maybe it was something else and they just blamed the cloudy water? Tough to say for sure).

A local Reefer once gave away his salt bucket for free because it mixed cloudy.

He stated that it was free to a Fish Only system because it would possibly kill coral but would be safe for fish (Hence why he would not use it on his Reef Tank).

Seems excessive to me. There have been salts in the past that I wouldn't use even when given free to me, but not my regular brand due to cloudiness.

I'd just stop stirring and let it settle clear.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I primarily would be concerned about low alkalinity after a precipitation event, since that is what drops most. I would be more careful about how I did water changes if the alk was above about 12 dKH.

As to calcium, there seems no big risk to elevated calcium aside from excessive precipitation, at least up to maybe 650 ppm.

Magneisum isn't apparently a big issue until above 1800 ppm.

Thanks.

When you say above 650 and 1800 are you referring to the Newly Made Water Change Water?

Or does your entire Tank need to above those numbers to get any problems?

Because the newly made salt water is close to those numbers.

But my tank on a whole is nowhere near those 2 numbers so doing a 15-20 percent water change is not going to raise my overall numbers that much.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Seems excessive to me. There have been salts in the past that I wouldn't use even when given free to me, but not my regular brand due to cloudiness.

I'd just stop stirring and let it settle clear.

What Brand do you use Randy?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use regular Instant Ocean.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I use regular Instant Ocean.

OK.

Why do you use that over Reef Crystals?

You keep Coral right?

 

[RalphsReef]

I used to keep a spare 5G bucket to hold the Reef Crystals salt (that came in bags). As long as it didn't get hard and clumpy, I would roll the bucket around for a minute before removing salt to add to water. That way, any settling would be rectified.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK.

Why do you use that over Reef Crystals?

You keep Coral right?

Yes. I don't prefer to have organic matter in my salt mix (RC has vitamins).

I don't really see what is in RC that I'd want to pay for over IO.

 

[NanaReefer]

Yes. I don't prefer to have organic matter in my salt mix (RC has vitamins).

I don't really see what is in RC that I'd want to pay for over IO.

Nice to know. Maybe I'll switch

 

[that Reef Guy]

Yes. I don't prefer to have organic matter in my salt mix (RC has vitamins).

I don't really see what is in RC that I'd want to pay for over IO.

Arn't the Vitamins beneficial?

Why would you not want them?

I always thought that Reef Crystals was just Higher amounts of Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium (For Corals).

I didn't know that the actual recipe was made up of different things.

I thought it was just more of what was already in regular Instant Ocean.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Arn't the Vitamins beneficial?

Why would you not want them?

I always thought that Reef Crystals was just Higher amounts of Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium (For Corals).

I didn't know that the actual recipe was made up of different things.

I thought it was just more of what was already in regular Instant Ocean.

It is a slightly different recipe. I've never seen any evidence that vitamins in a salt mix are beneficial, and IMO, it makes it less desirable to leave salt water unstirred (as I do). People working for them don't know if it is useful either, but purchasers like the claim, apparently.

For that matter, if you think you want them, you'd want to use the water rapidly after mixing or bacteria will just eat them or they will simply degrade. I keep my new salt water for a few weeks.

 

[NanaReefer]

It is a slightly different recipe. I've never seen any evidence that vitamins in a salt mix are beneficial, and IMO, it makes it less desirable to leave salt water unstirred (as I do). People working for them don't know if it is useful either, but purchasers like the claim, apparently.

For that matter, if you think you want them, you'd want to use the water rapidly after mixing or bacteria will just eat them or they will simply degrade. I keep my new salt water for a few weeks.

Very interesting info, thanks Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I've had cloudy water, I thought it was the anti caking clay. I used some poly filter tied it around the tube connected to the pump I use to get water out of my brute trash and the next day my water was clean. Worked fine for me.

I absolutely always use a 1.5 sicce pump converted to 1/2" r.o tube into a r.o sediment filter into my d.t it makes the water crystal clear ..never put water in d.t un filtered! Good call I like ur style!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I absolutely always use a 1.5 sicce pump converted to 1/2" r.o tube into a r.o sediment filter into my d.t it makes the water crystal clear ..never put water in d.t un filtered! Good call I like ur style!

I just made 40 gallons ill run the sediment set up for a few hrs with this i.o reef crystals this filter is 5 micron it will be completely brown and nasty but they are cheap enough I buy in bulk thanks brs

 

[Bill in Florida]

I have been using Reef Crystals Salt for over 5 Years with no problems.

I mixed up a couple of buckets and was about to do one of my weekly water changes on my tanks.

When I took the lid off the bucket I was shocked to see that the water was cloudy.

I am concerned that this could kill fish and coral.

Has anybody else experienced this with Reef Crystals or any other Salt?

I tested the Newly Made Water too.

Temperature - 78
Salinity - 1.025
PH - 8.1
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Alkalinity 11.7 (Low for Reef Crystals - Usually I measure it at over 13)
Calcium - 580
Magnesium - 1725

I use RO Water too.

I mixed three five gallon buckets and all are cloudy.

If it was one bucket cloudy I would probably blame the heater but this is three cloudy buckets with three different heaters and all are cloudy.

They were made 2 days ago so this is not normal.

Every Bucket I have ever mixed (a Zillion over the last 5 Years) has always been Crystal Clear in like 5 to 10 Minutes.

I have half a bucket mixed up from the last box of reef crystals and it is clear with a slightly higher PH than the cloudy ones at 8.3

Also, the Salt feels odd.

It feel and looks like Powdered Sugar and sticks to my hand like Powdered Sugar too.

In the past Reef Crystals has always felt heavier and more "crystallized" like table salt than the "powdered" way it feels now.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

I just switched back to Instant Ocean reef crystals because the Red Sea salt I was using gets cloudy and leaves residue all over the inside of the bucket and eventually all over the bottom of my sump area to where I literally had to scrape it off. Now I see that Instant Ocean seems to have the same issue.

 

[Bill in Florida]

I absolutely always use a 1.5 sicce pump converted to 1/2" r.o tube into a r.o sediment filter into my d.t it makes the water crystal clear ..never put water in d.t un filtered! Good call I like ur style!

I just switched back to Instant Ocean reef crystals because the Red Sea salt I was using gets cloudy and leaves residue all over the inside of the bucket and eventually all over the bottom of my sump area to where I literally had to scrape it off. Now I see that Instant Ocean seems to have the same issue.

 

[Bill in Florida]

If you only mixed up a portion of a salt bucket, it may have settled in shipping and you may have gotten a larger than usual amount of alkalinity and/or calcium in the salt you used, which could have led to the precipitation.

IMO, I'd let it settle, and if alkalinity is not outside of your desired range, I'd use it.

FWIW, you cannot test cloudy water for alkalinity as the solids will get detected as if it were dissolved.

I just switched back to Instant Ocean reef crystals because the Red Sea salt I was using gets cloudy and leaves residue all over the inside of the bucket and eventually all over the bottom of my sump area to where I literally had to scrape it off. Now I see that Instant Ocean seems to have the same issue.