What salt mix do you use?

Discussion in 'Salt' started by cjrudy, Mar 5, 2011.

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What salt mix do you use ?

  1. Instant Ocean

    30 vote(s)
    18.6%
  2. Reef Crystals

    50 vote(s)
    31.1%
  3. Oceanic

    3 vote(s)
    1.9%
  4. Red Sea

    29 vote(s)
    18.0%
  5. Coralife

    16 vote(s)
    9.9%
  6. Kent

    3 vote(s)
    1.9%
  7. Other

    30 vote(s)
    18.6%
  1. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2010
    Messages:
    1,401
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    If you're getting a white haze, or your salt doesn't mix properly, might I suggest you adjust your salt mixing methods... This is for ANY salt.

    Some tips:

    1. Add salt slowly to the correct volume of water. For example, if you are making five gallons of SW, have your 5 gallons of RODI water ready, and add a cup at a time. Stir the mixture well between adding each cup. Don't add more salt than is needed to target the desired salinity of the volume of water you have.

    2. Heat the water to the desired temperature before adding salt. Not only will this help the salt mix dissolve faster, but it will give you the correct target salinity since this reading can change with temperature.

    3. Allow the newly mixed SW enough time to aerate. It's best to have a powerhead in your mix bucket to rapidly turn over the water while mixing for at least a few hours. You want to direct the powerhead so that there is plenty of surface agitation. This helps with gas exchange, and will allow the new SW mix to stabilize. The amount of dissolved CO2 and oxygen need to reach equilibrium. Only then will a pH stable, correctly mixed solution be achieved.

    If possible, allow 12-24 hours for the new mix to aerate and stabilize with a heater and powerhead. This is especially crucial when doing water changes, as unstabilized saltwater can be toxic to inhabitants.

    After doing the above you should have NO problems getting your saltwater to mix. If you don't follow these guidelines, you will cause precipitation of calcium carbonate and may cause other elements to fall out of solution. Calcium carbonate precipitate WILL NOT dissolve back into solution at the normal pH of sea water. This is the precipitate that is usually formed with incorrectly mixed SW. Not only will this affect the buffering capacity of your water, it will lower available calcium to corals and other inverts.

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  3. pink4miss

    pink4miss Panda Puffer

    Joined:
    May 11, 2010
    Messages:
    2,115
    Location:
    Bucks County, Pa
    gabbagabbawill good info on mixing salt.
    i mix my salt in a five gallon bucket, i use a pump to mix it.a heater when its colder. i always have mixed salt this way. and i can tell you from using the 3 different salts. salinity was bad with the haze and has nothing to do with how it was mixed. i dont remember a haze with oceanic.... and not a spot of haze with the tropic marin.

    when i told the manager at the local fish store about this haze , he said another person complained about it also. and that he had emailed seachem about it and was waiting for an answer
     
  4. leighton1245

    leighton1245 Horrid Stonefish

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    Messages:
    2,081
    gabbagabbawill thanks for the tips! I just switched to Red sea coral pro and mix ten gallons at once but it was a little hazy so ill have to mix it slower and heat it before not after.
     
  5. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2010
    Messages:
    1,401
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    yeah, I read reviews about this salt doing this as well... what I believe (and this is purely anecdotal as I haven't personally used this salt) is that that because this salt has higher/ elevated levels of calcium and carbonate salts that it does not mix as easily as salts with lower levels of these elements... I believe that greater care may need to be taken to mix it VERY slowly, even sprinkling in just a little bit at a time into a VERY turbulent pre-heated mix container. The reviews I have read stated that when mixed very slowly, it does not have this haze.

    Another possible scenario is that the salt mix settled out in the bucket when shipped, but there's no way to easily test/ verify this.
     
  6. blackreef13

    blackreef13 Coral Banded Shrimp

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2011
    Messages:
    352
    Location:
    warner robins,ga
    reef crystals all the way
     
  7. Dr. Reefenstein

    Dr. Reefenstein Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2010
    Messages:
    344
    Location:
    At the tip
    I recently switched from Red Sea coral pro to Tropic Marin Reef pro. I found that the ALK in the Red Sea was just too high for my set up... Lost 95% of all my SPS..
     
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  9. pink4miss

    pink4miss Panda Puffer

    Joined:
    May 11, 2010
    Messages:
    2,115
    Location:
    Bucks County, Pa
    im also using the tropic marin now, love how fast and clear it mixes. have not noticed any other changes. my alk also always runs high. and is still staying at 12-13 with tropic marin pro.
     
  10. Ruminus

    Ruminus Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2011
    Messages:
    60
    Location:
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Have been using IO, but it looks like I'll have to give Red Sea Coral Pro a try. I like the idea of my mix having everything (well, pretty much) that I have to dose otherwise.
     
  11. SAY

    SAY Ocellaris Clown

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2010
    Messages:
    1,462
    Location:
    San Antonio
    yes, i use salinity but mix it with a powerhead for days before i use. i have never had an issue with "haze".
     
  12. WhiskyTango

    WhiskyTango Eyelash Blennie

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2009
    Messages:
    1,267
    Location:
    Dothan, Al
    Ditto