Red Sea Coral Salt question

[polarbear]

I dont have a refractometer yet. I need to get one. I use a hydrometer. I havent checked it since I mixed the salt on Sunday. I was waiting for it to clear up. Ill check it when I get home to see what the reading is.

[350gt]

that still doesnt explain the brown sludge that was over everything i was using...

that just seems like too much to mix your salt.....

I have never had to do any special steps to mix IO or reef crystals.....

or try that kent salt someone else recommended.... I might try it one day too, its has good reviews...

[kkiel02]

Is this the Red Sea Coral Pro? This is my favorite salt to date. I dump in all my salt at once with just a little rio powerhead in the bottom for mixing in my large brute. Never had any issues like you described. I do 40g changes every two weeks on my system. The only thing I have run into was a little low on alk but now I throw in a couple spoon fulls of kalk in my top off every so often and the numbers have evened out. Well now Im rambling but just trying to give you the most info on my system as possible. Hope you figure it out though.

[polarbear]

Yes it's the red sea coral pro salt. Home many cups do you use for the 40 gallon water change?

I checked the salinity and it was over 1.032. I took out 5 gallons of water and added 5 gallons of RO water and it brought the salinity down to 1.028. I took out 3 more gallons and am making some more water to add back in there.

If I get the salinity back down to 1.025 should the cloudiness go away?

[Big_Pun]

do you all having sludge problems wash all your gear after using it. I used to not care and notice the same brown stuff in my mixing tank. now I wash everything with fresh water after each use

also polar bear are you running any carbon, filter floss or socks?? my tank goes cloudy for few hours after i do a water change

[polarbear]

Yes I run carbon, GFO and a mesh filter sock. I'll have to check tomorrow to see if the cloudiness goes away

[LuckySingh]

Salinity is the best salt that I hve ever used but kinda expensive for me now with my current system .... I use reef crystals now that is also not to bad..
So some reason I never likes red sea salt mainly because of low alk after use.. However I only briefly used it

[Thawk7464]

IMO the snow storm you get from mixing red sea are any salt is from the salt not being mixed the correct way so in the end you get cloudy water meaning all of the elements did not mix.

[polarbear]

Ya I talked to Louis at elegant reefs today and he advised me that when the cal, etc precipitates out it won't mix back up again. So I'm going to get some new DI resin and make new water. Hopefully the water will be ready by this weekend.

[Big_Pun]

mix salt slow, I do about half what is needed let it clear up then add rest slow