white powdery look in my tank

[Reef Swimmer]

i just did a water change and readings were from 1.024 to 1.027 no my tank look like some one put white powder in my tank. I used my circulation pum p from my dt to mix the salt, 1 hr per bucket and all had a white powder at the bottom after setteling. This is using Kents salt which had clumped up more than 3 months ago. Right now tank reads 1.023.

[Zack]

Did you pour the white stuff in the bucket in the tank?

[Dean]

Make sure you blow it off of any corals in may have landed on in case it is undissolved salt. It will burn them.

[Reef Swimmer]

yep i mixed it all up

[FireWater]

Precipitate. The salt didn't mix properly.

[Reef Swimmer]

I had a pump in each bucket for an hr if not more.

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[FireWater]

There are lots of variables to mixing salt. Temp of water when when mixed. The amount and how quick you add salt to the given amount of water.

[polarbear]

Switch to Instant Ocean's Reef Crystals. I have never had an issue with it and I don’t use a heater when mixing. Also I just add a cup of salt at a time letting it mix together slightly in between each cup. One night of mixing and it’s good to go.

[350gt]

Switch to Reef Crystals. I have never had an issue with it and I don’t use a heater when mixing. Also I just add a cup of salt at a time letting it mix together slightly in between each cup. One night of mixing and it’s good to go.

+1

Set it and forget it... Ready the next day.. I only use a heater in the winter..

[Reef Swimmer]

I'm going to red sea pro after this bucket of salt.

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[350gt]

I'm going to red sea pro after this bucket of salt.

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Asking for more problems, that salt is a little more difficult to mix...

[Southern Flame]

I use Kent's reef crystals I mix in a brute trash can with a heater and use 2 power heads to mix it. I leave it mixing over night before I use it never had any problems


90 gal reef <3 250 build<3

[FireWater]

It can be done though, Tony. It just takes patience and technique. I've used Red Sea for years with no issue. Key with Red Sea is to start with cool water(below tank temp) at room temp and the amount of salt you need in small increments with a lot of agitation in the water. For instance, I use a 30 gallon Brute and add salt in 4 intervals. I will add 1/4 of what I need and let the water get clear before adding the next 1/4 amount and so on. I use 4 Koralia power heads to mix water. Once I add enough salt to be at salinity I need I then check water temp. If temp is low for tank then I put a heater in to bring it up to proper temp. Once at proper temp I then recheck salinity and make any final adjustments.

[Scutterborn]

It can be done though, Tony. It just takes patience and technique. I've used Red Sea for years with no issue. Key with Red Sea is to start with cool water(below tank temp) at room temp and the amount of salt you need in small increments with a lot of agitation in the water. For instance, I use a 30 gallon Brute and add salt in 4 intervals. I will add 1/4 of what I need and let the water get clear before adding the next 1/4 amount and so on. I use 4 Koralia power heads to mix water. Once I add enough salt to be at salinity I need I then check water temp. If temp is low for tank then I put a heater in to bring it up to proper temp. Once at proper temp I then recheck salinity and make any final adjustments.

That sounds exhausting.


-Ben-

[jcnkt_ellis]

I mix a batch of Kent in a 5 gallon bucket with a smallish maxijet pump and a nano heater with an unadjustable thermostat set at 77.5. I leave it mixing for several hours in order to get clear water with almost no precipitate on the bottom.

[Reef Swimmer]

Too much work.

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[350gt]

That sounds exhausting.


-Ben-

You all know me by now......

[350gt]

Too much work.

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Cmon, didnt you say you wanted a happier tank?......

You have to do things the right way or settle with subpar results.

[polarbear]

To be honest I wouldnt wait. If your having these issues now and continue to use the salt theres no telling what could go wrong. You dont want to crash your tank over a $50 bucket of salt.


I'm going to red sea pro after this bucket of salt.

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[polarbear]

Same thought here. I use a 30 gallon brute, rio 3100 pump and it doesnt matter what the temp is. I add my salt a cup at a time and have no problems. Theres no waiting hours to add salt to the water here.


That sounds exhausting.


-Ben-

[Flyride95]

Add the salt in sections. I do 20gal water changes. I used a pump and a heater and a brute container. I get rodi water and mix in under what I will need. Leave it there until night time then go back and add the little bit that I will need to get it to .025. Then I leave it there circulating over night and it is good to go the next morning. You can not put in what you believe you need and it actually come out at that salinity. Most of the time you will be off by .002-.003. And you will have some unmixed salt still at the bottom.

[FireWater]

Nothing exhausting about doing things right and what works for me. If I do a 20 gallon change it takes jut under 10cups of salt. So I pour about a 1/4 of that amount in and let water become clear then repeat. Once the final part is poured in I let water go clear again. Takes about 2 hours total to get ready for a water change. So, I usually set it up Friday night and do the change first thing Saturday morning.

Not saying you have to follow my routine, just adding my advice. A nice and thriving tank tanks work. It ain't throw salt in a bucket and hope everything comes out ok.

[Scutterborn]

I can certainly agree that when you become used to a routine, everything becomes easier.


-Ben-

[Reef Swimmer]

Yeah I don't have a brute can or a ph to mix my salt but with the salt I got now it's all clumpy and the bucket lid don't seal right. I like what red sea has but if I could afford it I'd go with salinity or tropic marin

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[Zack]

Don't mix with the clumps, they won't mix right. When that happened to my bucket, I just cracked the first layer off, and used the layer beneath it. No problems since.

[Reef Swimmer]

I'm down to the bottom.

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[mkengr45]

Aquavitro Salinity salt user here. I make sure I have the full freshwater volume I want first, then add salt and mix with pump to dial in 51.5 mS/s...(1.026 SG). Try NOT to start high a crazy high salinity then bring down with fresh....THIS will often cause precipitation issues.

[Reef Swimmer]

I'm getting to my limit with this tank

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[Zack]

Just don't mix up the precipate with the water. I had this in my second to last bucket of kent and it was useable, albeit I used maybe 10% more, and jus let the precipate settle to the bottom and syphon out the water.