Reef Salt

[iostiogic]

Hi, as an avid user of Seachem products I have just recently changed salt to your Reef Salt.
However I am noticing a thin white film covering my mixing tub and hardware after just a few mixes .
It is very hard to wipe off and wondering :
a. what it is
b. Is it detremental to my reef

I have used a variey of salts previously but this is the first time Ive come across this . The water also stays cloudy for a lengthy time is this normal?

thanks

[Tech Support MS]

Hello iostiogic, thanks for the post.

The cloudiness and white film you are seeing is probably the result of a small amount of calcium and carbonate precipitating. This happens when they concentration of ions reaches the saturation point and can no longer stay in solution. Reef Salt is designed to provide higher concentrations of these ions for to meet the demands of high growth reef tanks but should still mix clear but there are a couple of factors that can cause such a precipitation.

First, are you mixing with RODI or tap water. If RODI, do you know what the TDS is? Tap water will likely contain some of the same ions which makes it harder to get a salt fully into solution. The same goes for RODI if the unit is not functioning properly and providing water that is not very pure.

Also, what is your mixing procedure and what salinity are you mixing to? Do you find that you have to add additional water to bring the salinity down to your preferred level? If the salinity is mixed too high, it is possible that it is causing a precipitation. The precipitants will be difficult to get back into solution even if fresh water is added to bring down the salinity. Calibrating your refractometer regularly can help prevent mixing to high as well.

It is very unlikely that this will have any negative effects on your reef but it is never a bad idea to test your parameters. You can also test the parameters of your mix before adding it to the aquarium to make sure it is ok. If everything checks out, I would not be worried about the cloudiness. It should clear quickly when added to the tank.

[iostiogic]

thanks for the reply . I am using RODI at 0 TDS (Merlin with new membranes , a carbon pre and post filter , a pre 5micron sediment filter and post 2ltr Di resin ) and i mix at 1.026 . I make up 100lts of water and add in 2kg on salt and then make up as i need over a 24hr period. Could it be Im adding the 2kg too fast and its precipitating that way as I pour it in over a matter of seconds as I would normally ?
The cloudiness does infact dissapear very quickly once added to the main tank.

[Tech Support HK]

Thank you for that information, iostiogic.

When using Reef Salt, we recommend mixing to 1.020-1.025. When mixed at 1.026, the levels become elevated, and precipitation is expected. Try mixing to a lower salinity, and precipitation should be minimal. I do recommend testing your levels, because they are most likely high due to mixing at a salinity that is higher than recommended.

If you are wanting to mix to 1.026, then I suggest reading about our aquavitro Salinity salt. This salt can be mixed to 1.026 with minimal precipitation, and results in natural sea water calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity levels.

Please let us know if we can help further!

[iostiogic]

Great stuff , I didnt know that product existed . Just had a read up on it and sounds perfect ! and theres a dealer close by.
Many thanks again

[Tech Support HK]

You are very welcome! Glad we could help :)