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

[joeyprice]

The salinity is a little lower, 1.023 or so at the moment. The water is in the tank now.
I have a refractometer to measure salinity with.

 

[ActiveAngel]

The salinity is a little lower, 1.023 or so at the moment. The water is in the tank now.
I have a refractometer to measure salinity with.

Fantastic! 1.023 is fine, and refractometer are good!

But is the water still completely impossible to see through?

 

[joeyprice]

Its not in the can anymore, so my benchmark is gone. In the tank it is cloudy, but had to photograph because the lights are causing havoc with my camera phone.

 

[Cook]

I think you either added the salt too fast or too much for the amount of water that was in the container causing the calcium to precipitate out. I used to use Red Sea Coral Pro which has elevated levels of Calcium and the mixing instructions between the Fritz and Red Sea are similar (mixing before heating to 78 degrees F) except that Fritz is also recommending using an airstone. You might look into why that is. The only time I have had a salt not mix clear is when I was lazy and added two teaspoons of Kalkwasser directly to 30 gallons of mixed saltwater which caused precipitates, it took 3 days to clear.

From Fritz's website:
Fill a clean mixing container (dedicated to saltwater mixing only) with desired amount of water to be prepared. For best results, use water between 70°-75°F (21°-24°C) when mixing RPM. Slowly add desired amount of RPM to the water to avoid an increase in temperature and precipitation. This helps to prevent precipitation of calcium, alkalinity and other elements. It is recommended to use a mixing pump and an airstone when mixing RPM. This will also help to avoid concentrated areas of material and precipitation. Using a properly calibrated refractometer, bring the water to the desired salinity. Once mixed to a clear solution, add a heater to the water to bring to the current temperature of your aquarium. It is recommended to allow two hours before performing a water change. If water does not mix clear, please contact us for further mixing tips before performing a water change.

 

[joeyprice]

I think you either added the salt too fast or too much for the amount of water that was in the container causing the calcium to precipitate out. I used to use Red Sea Coral Pro which has elevated levels of Calcium and the mixing instructions between the Fritz and Red Sea are similar (mixing before heating to 78 degrees F) except that Fritz is also recommending using an airstone. You might look into why that is. The only time I have had a salt not mix clear is when I was lazy and added two teaspoons of Kalkwasser directly to 30 gallons of mixed saltwater which caused precipitates, it took 3 days to clear.

From Fritz's website:
Fill a clean mixing container (dedicated to saltwater mixing only) with desired amount of water to be prepared. For best results, use water between 70°-75°F (21°-24°C) when mixing RPM. Slowly add desired amount of RPM to the water to avoid an increase in temperature and precipitation. This helps to prevent precipitation of calcium, alkalinity and other elements. It is recommended to use a mixing pump and an airstone when mixing RPM. This will also help to avoid concentrated areas of material and precipitation. Using a properly calibrated refractometer, bring the water to the desired salinity. Once mixed to a clear solution, add a heater to the water to bring to the current temperature of your aquarium. It is recommended to allow two hours before performing a water change. If water does not mix clear, please contact us for further mixing tips before performing a water change.

Well, the ship has sailed, but for what its worth I think you're right. Too much salt, too fast into too little water, and its already in the tank. Luckily, its a new tank, so there is no livestock to hurt and I'm assuming it will clear before too terribly long. I guess time will tell. Thanks for chiming in.
Joe

 

[joeyprice]

Well, the ship has sailed, but for what its worth I think you're right. Too much salt, too fast into too little water, and its already in the tank. Luckily, its a new tank, so there is no livestock to hurt and I'm assuming it will clear before too terribly long. I guess time will tell. Thanks for chiming in, it makes a lot of sense now that I think about it.
Joe

 

[ichthyoid]

Fwiw, the air stone in the mixing instructions is likely to introduce CO2 and help the alkalinity settle quicker.

 

[gainesvillereef]

What was the temperature of the room and water you mixed the salt with? I always mix at room temp of 72 or below. Let it mix overnight before putting a heater to it. If you add too much at a time it ends up just like you added water to salt.