The Seachem Aquavitro Salinity thread

[ANemesis]

Let's get some updated comments on this salt.

I have been using IO in my fish room since Nov 2014, but I hate how IO leaves a residue on everything in my fish rooms mixing bucket (15g ).
I have been using Tropic Marin Pro Reef in my reef tanks since June 2013, and I love how fast and clear it mixes with no residue on any buckets and pumps. I wanted to try something different since I recently found out that their 200G rating is at 1.020 sg (shorting us reefers on product).

Yesterday I picked up a large bucket of Salinity from a friend's pet shop. I had a choice between this and Red Sea Coral Pro. I chose it because i've read that RS salt also leaves a residue and that is something I want to avoid!!!

The first thing I noticed was how cloudy the water got while adding it to my 30G drum with 28G of water in it using a Mag 7 for mixing by adding 2 cups at a time. I let it mix overnight and it didn't look much better in the morning. It's now going on 24 hours and it still doesn't look any better. I was expecting a product that mixed really clear like Tropic Marine and got the total opposite...

I do have a few good things to say about it though. The buckets are really nice quality and I really liked the label with batch testing results. I really liked that they claim it produces 225 G @ 1.026

In all fairness I will try mixing up another batch of 12g to see how it mixes...

 

[hejjo]

I use reef crystals n it's great except for the alk is a lil to high to my liking. Other than that I think it's pretty great. I bring the water up to temp then add the salt n it's crystal clear in 15 min. I wait about an hour cuz some times the salinity will rise n then throw it in.

 

[rlman41299]

Let's get some updated comments on this salt.

I have been using IO in my fish room since Nov 2014, but I hate how IO leaves a residue on everything in my fish rooms mixing bucket (15g ).
I have been using Tropic Marin Pro Reef in my reef tanks since June 2013, and I love how fast and clear it mixes with no residue on any buckets and pumps. I wanted to try something different since I recently found out that their 200G rating is at 1.020 sg (shorting us reefers on product).

Yesterday I picked up a large bucket of Salinity from a friend's pet shop. I had a choice between this and Red Sea Coral Pro. I chose it because i've read that RS salt also leaves a residue and that is something I want to avoid!!!

The first thing I noticed was how cloudy the water got while adding it to my 30G drum with 28G of water in it using a Mag 7 for mixing by adding 2 cups at a time. I let it mix overnight and it didn't look much better in the morning. It's now going on 24 hours and it still doesn't look any better. I was expecting a product that mixed really clear like Tropic Marine and got the total opposite...

I do have a few good things to say about it though. The buckets are really nice quality and I really liked the label with batch testing results. I really liked that they claim it produces 225 G @ 1.026

In all fairness I will try mixing up another batch of 12g to see how it mixes...

do you bring your water up to temp before mixing? I bring up my temp as close to the tank temp and dump my salinity salt in there at one time and never mixes cloudy. Residue? yes it does leave a white residue but better than RC's brown muddy residue.

 

[ANemesis]

I did another batch and put a lot of extra work into it to minimize the cloudiness. It still made the tank very cloudy and gave me a lot more work cleaning everything back up... I'm pretty disappointed... I almost think that I would rather deal with IO's residue instead... If I let IO settle it quickly clears up with all the sediment on the bottom.. Not this stuff...
Water temp was 70*

 

[jvb89]

I have used Salinity for over a year. It's has always mixed a little cloudy but once I put it in the tank it's gone within 30-60mins. Once mixed, I use it within an hour or two and have never had any residue. It's a great salt.

 

[Gwitness]

Does it actually hurt anything if it is cloudy for 30 to 60 minutes? I'm just curious why people care if it cloudy for a short amount of time?

 

[jvb89]

According to seachem the cloudiness has zero effect on the livestock and I have seen zero issues just like they state. I just think people see the cloudiness and it freaks them out.

 

[Gwitness]

According to seachem the cloudiness has zero effect on the livestock and I have seen zero issues just like they state. I just think people see the cloudiness and it freaks them out.

I have used salinity for over a year now and it works great for me....It is cloudy for about 15 to 30 minutes but great after that....I don't care about the temporary cloudiness and my parameters stay super consistent still even after water changes

 

[ANemesis]

I can't express how disappointed I truly am with Salinity Salt. a few days after doing a 10G water change on my 54g Corner tank I lost half a colony of Fire & Ice SPS, but fortunately I fragged up the rest and it's still alive. The thing that hurt the most is losing 8 heads of Adonis Zoas! None survived. I didn't even trust it in my fish only systems as it left a white dust on the bottom of bare bottom QT tanks and cloudiness never totally went away... I'm very happy that the store I got it from came to my house to refunded me the money and see things first hand...

I have since switched to ESV Salt since I've been been Dosing their B Ionic part one and two for Cal and ALK since I can remember. It's a bit of a PITA to mix up, but I'm very happy with the way the tank is looking.

I'm also happy to hear that some of you are doing ok with Salinity Salt, but the impurities that are in it are getting removed by your filter sox & skimmer, or settling into your rocks pores and sand bed. That's why it clears up after introduction... If you ever try Tropic Marin or ESV I'm sure you'll see a difference.

 

[james lance]

Just received my first bucket of this salt I am going to give it a try

 

[NU2REEFIN]

I just switched to this salt and after my first wc I can see adifference in the corals. I was using HW Marinemix.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I've been using this salt for 3 years now and I love it.

 

[james lance]

I have been using the aquavitro salinity sea salt for the last to months and I have noticed very little ph swings between water changes and more stable water conditions.

 

[steve&mari]

4 or 5 months using it and not a problem at all.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have been using the aquavitro salinity sea salt for the last to months and I have noticed very little ph swings between water changes and more stable water conditions.

FWIW, pH swings are determined solely by the alkalinity, the completeness of the aeration, and the amount of photosynthesis taking place in the tank (or daily changes in your home air CO2 level, which is unrelated to the tank).

If the salt mix had the effect you suggest, it would either be because the alkalinity rose, or the amount of photosynthesis decreased. The latter wouldn't be a good thing (usually) and the former wouldn't seem like a reason to pick a salt mix.

 

[JasReef]

I am a little confused on something about this salt and it has prevented me from trying it.

When mixing this salt, we have found that 24 hours or less is ideal. The longer you let the salt mix, the more C02 it will take on and the more precipitation you will encounter. C02 --> water --> carbonic acid --> bicarbonates/carbonates. Mixing the salt for more than 24 hours can cause a decrease in alkalinity and pH, resulting in a precipitation of calcium and carbonates.

When I add it to my tank is it still not "mixing" with power heads and return sumps?

 

[quickreefer]

Iv been using salinity salt for three years and i mix in five gallon buckets with just a small power head abd it's clear in four hours

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am a little confused on something about this salt and it has prevented me from trying it.



When I add it to my tank is it still not "mixing" with power heads and return sumps?

There are several issues, here, but the poster that you quoted did not understand the issues properly. CO2 entering the water only serves to reduce precipitation by reducing pH.

Some salt mixes have very high alkalinity and pH when first mixed. Some also have high calcium. This can lead to precipitation of calcium carbonate. Heat also leads to precipitation, and pumps always get warm.

For this reason, some manufacturers suggest only mixing the water for a short time before using it.

Once in the tank a variety of other processes reduce precipitation. Notably, organics and phosphate get onto growing calcium carbonate surfaces, slowing ongoing precipitation, and the pH and alkalinity are often not as high as in the mix itself, again slowing precipitation.

 

[JasReef]

Randy,

Thank you for the reply. I wonder if people who use it with a minimalist type tank would see more issues with it? I guess it is one of the countless variables that we have from tank to tank.

I have read elsewhere about this particular salt needing to be used within 24 hours and that will preclude me from using it as I am setting up an Auto water change system.

 

[Gravityreefing]

I use this salt, and while it does leave a bit of residue behind(most salts do, no big deal IMO), my water mixes clear as can be every time. I heat my water as well being my mixing bin is int he garage. Not sure why you are not supposed to heat it or mix it well? That makes no sesne and goes against everything I've read/been told over the years. If you dont bring it up to temp your salinity reading will be skewed and on top of that why would you want to dump water into your tank that is a good bit off in temp compared to your system?

They meant don't heat it before u mix it. But after u mix it can be heated..