2 threads in one :-(

[partobe]

Hi everyone
just an update on my tank. Bonnie and Clyde are doing great! Swimming all around eating like little pigs. My leathers are all open and happy as can be. The color is even back! Unfortunately my clam is dieing :-(. Not sure if the coral beauty killed it or if th active carbon did it. I've tried catching the coral beauty but no luck. It's all open and turning brown.

Second Thread:
I'm getting my water ready for a water change tomorrow. I put the salt in the power head is on as well as the heater. When I put the power head on I also took a long plastic cook spoon and stirred up the btm of the barrel. The funny thing is it looks like a snow storm in my barrel. Maybe I just haven't noticed this before. Does anyone know what would cause this? Is it just salt residue?
Patrick

[abigtroutt]

Oh no this sounds like the start of another salt thread....LOL..!! I think your coral beauty is to blame......and here it goes what salt are you using......??

[partobe]

I was using Oceanic but switched a cpl of months ago to reef crystals.

[abigtroutt]

I use reef crystals too and no problem...Maybe it just didnt mix all the way this time.

[partobe]

I plan on doing a water change tomorrow do you think it's ok to use this water? Maybe it will mix with the power head running?
I have to run to the gym will be back in a few

[Geoff]

give us the exact order you used to mix the new water.

it should be get water. start pump. start heater. wait 5 mins. start adding salt slowly. if you add it to quickly you can precipitate the Ca out of solution. this will also occur if you add the salt first to the container.

G~

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by partobe

...funny thing is it looks like a snow storm in my barrel. Maybe I just haven't noticed this before. Does anyone know what would cause this? Is it just salt residue?

Hi Patrick, the insoluble residue is calcium carbonate, usually appears when the salt is mixed either incorrectly or stored so that atmosheric water can react with the salt mix. This allows for the formation of calcium carbonate from the sodium carbonate/bicrbonate and calcium chloride or related calcium source in the dry mix to form the very low solubile carbonate salt. High calcium high lkalinity salts MUST be stored in a tight container and only left open long enough to get the necessary amount of the dry salt mix out for the amount of ASW you want to make. If left open, the salt mix is so hygroscopic that it will gain enough water to start reacting within 15 minutes of opening the container (especially true in the summer and in the indoor environment of most aquarium rooms). This is often witnessed by the formation of a crust on the surface of the salt mass in open containers. Once this calcium reacts with the bicarb, the calcium and alkalinity is locked out of the reactive phase of mixing while the salt mix is being dissolved in the water column. CaCO3 is so insoluble that it will almost completely precipitate to the bottom of the mixing tub.

Just curious, does your salt have clumps?

[partobe]

I had 90% of the water already made so I hooked up my ro unit to Finnish it off. I noticed it looked like some salt had settled to the btm of the barrel so I took a long plastic spoon and stirred it up. I turned on the power head and the heater. I started putting salt in the barrel. I went back a few min later to see if I needed to add more salt. At that point it looked like a snow storm in the barrel. It's been about an hour or so now since I started. Most of the water is clear but there are still white flakes floating at the top of the water.

[partobe]

Yes it was very hard and your right I didn't close it all the way. Does this mean my salt is no longer of any use? I just ordered new salt but it won't be in until next fri. What should I do?

[partobe]

Hi everyone
I'm hoping someone can help me out with this. I have the salt ready t do a change tomorrow but after posting this thread I'm not sure if I should or not? Most of the white stuff has settled on the btm. If the water is no good should I just toss this batch of salt as well? How do I prevent doing the same thing to the next batch?
Patrick

[LISound]

Well, like Tom said, sounds like the CA precipated out of solution.
You can use the water for now, it may not contain all the trace elements from the salt but I don't see it doing much harm.
Just do another BIG water change at the end of the week when you get the new salt.
In the future, store the salt in a dry place with the bag sealed.
If you can, by the oceanic 5 gallon bucket, and then once you use it all-switch back to the other salt but store it in the Oceanic bucket.

Those buckets have gaskets on them to keep the salt fresh.

[partobe]

Thanks LIsound I ordered the bucket of reef crystals. I can only do 20 gallons at a time water change. So you think its ok to use this tomorrow? If I keep the lid closed except for when taking salt out to mix then the new salt should be ok? I have a 150 gallon if that helps determan the saftey of a 20 gallon water change

[tdwyatt]

Heh, use the watar you made to swish your rocks in as a flush to remove detritus, then discard the water, wait till next week to do your water change.

JM2CW

[rdaled]

Ok, I never knew there was a wrong way to mix salt water. I have just been dumping 4 cups of salt into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, dumping in the water, then adding a PH and a heater. Maybe this is why my CA is so low.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by rdaled

Ok, I never knew there was a wrong way to mix salt water. I have just been dumping 4 cups of salt into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, dumping in the water, then adding a PH and a heater. Maybe this is why my CA is so low.

Yeah...that would do it.........

To be quite honest...im not one to exactly go by the book on doing waterchanges....i pretty much mix it up well with my hand in a 5 gallon bucket and let it sit for a half hour at the most...mix again with my hand and dump it in.........

but pouring the salt IN the water vs dumping the water in the salt is VERY important...........

What kind of salt are you using??? Typically the formula is 1/2 cup per gallon.........4 seems like a LOT