Salt parameter bucket challenge!

Touring · Jul 6, 2015

This test is using 1 month old reef crystals.

After noticing my tanks parameters always changing I decided to test the parameters in it. The bucket was almost done when this test was conducted and taken at 1.026

Alk 5
cal 400
mag 1100

It blew my mind! So I had a new bucket and decided to test a fresh bucket.

Alk 10.5
cal 450
mag 1350

That's more like it but what gives.

SeahorseKeeper · Jul 6, 2015

Do you mix the salt before using it? It might be possible for the salt to settle over time. I roll the bucket on the ground before using.

redfishbluefish · Jul 6, 2015

+1 on rolling the bucket before each use. You might also have some loss from calcium carbonate precipitation.

This is one of the reasons I now prefer the 200g box with the 50g bags.

Touring · Jul 6, 2015

SeahorseKeeper said:
Do you mix the salt before using it? It might be possible for the salt to settle over time. I roll the bucket on the ground before using.

When I first read this I thought you meant mix the salt in water..... never thought about rolling the bucket of salt.

From now on I will order the 200G box. Thanks guys

Chris Adams · Jul 6, 2015

I second your crazy results. Long story short did some similar testing because my params were all jacked up. Swear I got a bad mix because even the texture seemed off to me right out of the bag. Each bag was the same almost like it was pulverized not that normal salty grainy feeling.

Anyways long story short I generally check parameters with first 2 bags in the box as I mix bags together. This is 1 of those things we can easily overlook as being cause of issues

redfishbluefish · Jul 6, 2015

Chris Adams said:
........Each bag was the same almost like it was pulverized not that normal salty grainy feeling.

If there is any "clump" to the salt, it most likely is bad.....moisture pick-up.. Bad in the sense that the calcium carbonate has precipitated. I had this happen to me and continued to use the salt, and it was problematic with some corals going south. Will never do that again. I now use "bad" salt to throw down on my driveway when we get snow.