new saltwater batch went bad?

[BlennyMan1]

i just mixed some buffer into a 5 gallon bucket...waited an hour....then added about 4 (1/2 cups) of instant ocean sea salt and mixed it and then took the temp and it was about 8 degrees too low so i set a heater in the bucket for about 20 minutes and walked away. i came back and looked in the bucket and i have no idea what happened the water is a thick milky grayish white and you cant even see 1'' into it i have no idea what happened and theres no warning on the box so can anyone tell me what happened. and if it clears up will my water be ok to do a change with? thanks alot

[tdwyatt]

your method of mixing allowed the buffer to be at concentration when you added the salt mix, making the calcium precipitate. If you're adding buffer to the SW for a water change, it is best to add it separately from the water change, or if you MUST add it before, don't add more than enough to bring your total alk in the sample to 8 or 9 DKh by dissolving some bicarb in a small amount of freshwater, then dribbling it into your mixed and rapidly moving ASW at least a few hours after mixing the ASW mix into the ROI/DI water.

[jamba]

I concur, you cannot mix buffer and saltmix. Your salt mix should have enought Akl and Ph to work on its own. However, if you dump buffer in with the salt mix (or before) it will cause the water to chalk.

Best is to mix the salt water, wait a day and if the Alk or Ph is low then drip buffer into the system. Same with Calcium, it works so much better to drip it (and I am not talking about Kalk which requires dripping).

Cheers,
J

[BlennyMan1]

oh alright i had no idea you couldnt do that,thanks for the replies

[Loverotties]

Just put SW in first later if needed sdd buffer.