Did I Buy the Wrong Salt? Why Is My Water Going Backwards?

[joeyprice]

I started mixing water yesterday in a 30g Rubbermaid can using Fritz RPM. Its being stirred by a Sicce 3.0 and 24 hours later it actually looks more cloudy than when I went to bed. Is it the salt?

 

[ActiveAngel]

It’s not likely the salt. What is the salinity?

 

[ActiveAngel]

Cloudiness is often going to be caused by micro bubbles, organics, or salt precipitates.

If it is salt precipitates, this can be caused by large amounts of salts, water pH that is either very high or very low, or it’s reacting with something else in the water (dirty water or dirty container).

 

[joeyprice]

The water is coming out of a 6 stage RODI and the TDS meter reads 0 on the output. The salinity is a little high, 1.03, but the water was clear before I put the salt in and more clear than it is now even after I added salt. The pump is at the bottom, so I'm not sure where micro bubbles would come from, there's no air being taken up by the pump.

 

[ActiveAngel]

Sounds like you’re already narrowing it down! That is how we do it! If there is no air getting into the pump, it likely isn’t micro bubbles. 1.03 is reasonably high, higher than these salts are intended to be mixed at least. Try adding a little fresh RODI water.

Yeah, the water being clear beforehand doesn’t mean much. It’s my job, mixing salts. There are a lot of complex relationships. We can easily add two clear liquids together and create any color liquid or salt that you can imagine. But the short summary I posted above is pretty thorough.

I suppose I assumed because you didn’t state the color of the cloudiness, that the color is white/gray. If it is a different color, that will narrow it down more.

 

[joeyprice]

Sounds like you’re already narrowing it down! That is how we do it! If there is no air getting into the pump, it likely isn’t micro bubbles. 1.03 is reasonably high, higher than these salts are intended to be mixed at least. Try adding a little fresh RODI water.

Yeah, the water being clear beforehand doesn’t mean much. It’s my job, mixing salts. There are a lot of complex relationships. We can easily add two clear liquids together and create any color liquid or salt that you can imagine. But the short summary I posted above is pretty thorough.

I suppose I assumed because you didn’t state the color of the cloudiness, that the color is white/gray. If it is a different color, that will narrow it down more.

It is grayish/white, but its in a grey trash can. What other colors would pop up? I shut the pump off to see if anything settles out. I assume it will.

 

[ActiveAngel]

Yellow could likely indicate too much iron. Blue or green could indicate too much copper.
Pretty much any and every color that you can imagine would mean something.

Haha, and I’m not fast to jump onto fads without sufficient evidence. Bad batches are pretty rare with established companies, and so far I haven’t seen any evidence that it has happened with any of the recent posts. The world is a complex and beautiful place.

 

[ActiveAngel]

It may or may not settle out, that depends. Did you lower the salinity slightly; perhaps down to 1.025? A ~20% decrease in salinity is substantial.

 

[ActiveAngel]

Oh? And you asked if you ‘bought the wrong salt’. No you didn’t. Fritz RPM is good quality salt.

 

[joeyprice]

I planned on watering it down a little bit, I'm almost out of room in the can. It definitely does not have any kind of tell tale color to it, just kind of cloudy.

 

[joeyprice]

The RODI is running fresh water into the can now. I'll re-check salinity after some dillution and let you know

 

[ActiveAngel]

I think you need to find another container or a few buckets. Then drain 10 gallons of cloudy saltwater, then add 4 gallons of RODI and retest, and add more RODI incrementally.

 

[joeyprice]

OK, salinity is down to 1.023-4 area. Pump is back on to mix the RODI I added. Should I let it run, or shut it off and see if it will settle?

 

[ActiveAngel]

It shouldn’t matter much honestly, whether it is left on or off at this point. I’d turn it off to save energy and reduce variables.

 

[joeyprice]

Is it possible my standards are too high? Should I be able to see the bottom of a 30 Rubbermaid full of saltwater?

 

[ichthyoid]

Did you by any chance put the salt in the barrel first & then start adding the water?

 

[joeyprice]

No. But I did add it before the barrel was totally full. Like maybe 2/3-3/4.

 

[snarky shark]

Did you add salt little by little or all at once?

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[joeyprice]

well, not all at once, but little by little wouldn't be accurate either. I put in maybe 5 cups, waited a bit, added some more. I guess 4 batches or so.

 

[snarky shark]

I know with some salts they say it will cloud up or precipitate if not mixed slowly. I use Salinity and fill Brute up with water, have powerhead in bottom to stir. Then add 1 cup ata time to desired salinity is reached. 1.025

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