The Seachem Aquavitro Salinity thread

[Pfisherman]

Bump. I just bought a bucket and don't like the cloudy mix, is this as good as the reef crystals I am used to?

 

[jvb89]

It's much better then reef crystals. If you make water just stir it a few times over the course of 30 minutes to an hour and it will be clear

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

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 we mix it here at Seachem, we mix it in 50 gallon drums with one powerhead at room temperature (22-25 degrees Centigrade). There is no need to use a heater. Typically the water is clear within a few hours but sometimes we have to use it within an hour of mixing, when it is still cloudy. This cloudiness clears rapidly once introduced to the tank, generally within 30 minutes, and will not cause any harm to the inhabitants. Furthermore, cloudiness seems to persist more with buckets that have calcium and alkalinity levels on the higher end of the range. This is really inevitable when you have such high levels of those particular components.

For the benefit of our readers here at Reef2Reef, if that comment from Seachem didn't make sense to you, good. It doesn't make sense, at least as I read it. Perhaps they have a correct understanding and just have described it poorly, but I do not want folks to be misled or confused.

I have no issues with their recommended method of water mixing, but the fact that CO2 is drawn in will reduce the likelihood of precipitation of calcium carbonate by lowering pH, not increase it.

"Mixing the salt for more than 24 hours can cause a decrease in alkalinity and pH, resulting in a precipitation of calcium and carbonates."

They also seem, at least as I read that sentence, to be confusing cause and effect. Alkalinity is dropping is due to precipitation of calcium carbonate, rather than the drop in pH and alkalinity "resulting in precipitation..."

 

[dewboy1127]

Ive used this salt since i started about 3yrs ago it was great at first but id say in the last bucket or two they have been off...cloudy ,params not matching up low alk and my tank can tell ...i had a friend who only did wc and as he got his last bucket (one which had swap out cause first was worst then one he had ) he lost his whole system due to the low alk and params being off...i know someone else experience same thing ..I myself just got a bucket of tropic marin classic which is supposed be pretty close to salinity params and was amazed how fast and clear it mixes up to early to tell if it is making a difference as of now but if things start to look better that will be the definite goodbye to salinity for me

 

[chema]

I'm on my second bucket of Salinity Aquavitro and I have made the same observation than I did with the former bucket. The first batches of saltwater that I prepared were fine. All the parameters were in the range advertised. However, as I used the last half or third of the salt I could notice a drastic decrease in alkalinity, going down as low as 6,5. I also noticed that the same amount of salt when mixed with the same amount of water at the beginning of the bucket would yield SG at 1.026 and then would drop to 1.025 as you use the last half-third of the salt. I don't know whether this may be due to absorption of some water. However the main problem is the drastic decrease in alkalinity, specially dangerous when you use that water in a quarantine tank with no alkalinity and calcium addition. I lost a beautiful A. echinata, which bleached due to the low alkalinity

 

[RedoubtReef]

i've been using it for couple years now with no issues. never had any cloudiness. i mix it in a trash can. I dump the salt in a filter sock and then stick a hose in the sock that is connected to a pump in the bottom of the can. mixes the salt really well.

 

[Reefer-E]

Been using Salinity for years, just recently I purchased 3 of the big buckets and found that the ALK in this one I just opened is mixing up at 5.2 dKH. Label says it should be mixing at 9.5... Started new frag system with older bucket and it was mixing in the 8.5-9 range. Didn't think to test the first new bucket I opened and lost a bunch of LPS frags. I was chalking it up to not having lights dialed in or new tank stuff. Nope, ALK bottoming out doing quick water changes...

Been out of active tank maintenance for a while so I'll take the blame for not testing the first batch of each bucket.

I am one that mixes 75 gallons at a time and uses it as needed. If I had to mix for every WC, they wouldn't get done but maybe once a year. It they claim that this reduces parameters, then I will switch to one that doesn't have an issue with it.

 

[blacktippr]

I have been having the same low alkalinity an calcium on my Aquavitro Salinity.

 

[Nibejeebies]

If I mix the AQ S in the in small doses like in a 5 gallon bucket and add the salt slowly like over a 5-10 minutes with a power head and allow to mix for a few hours, I'll have some clouding but it disappears with in 10-15 minutes.
But if I make a large batch like 10+ gallons in a a brute 33, with a sicce 3.5, it doesnt matter how long i allow it to mix, my tank will be clouding after the water change for at least 6 hours before it completely clears.

When I say Clouding, I mean it looks like I have a big glass box of dense thick fog. I may be able to see one maybe one & half inch into the tank from any angle.

Today I did a 25% water change (around 20 gallons) at 11am... it took till 2130hrs for it to finally completely clear. It doesn't appear to 'harm' the inhabitants, but it sure did today make all my LPS slime like crazy. This is the first time Ive ever seen a water change do that in six months.

I used RC when I first set my tank up, but Ive used AQ S since then mainly because I run my tank at 1.026 and with AQ S I dont have to mix and wait for a few hours test and add more salt, wait for a while test and add more salt. I can mix it, Check it once and its ready for use, It seems to keep my corals health, all of my LPS have grown new heads in what I personal think is a short time frame with 3 t5 lighting.

The analysis on the bucket has been spot on when i have tested it, there have only been very minute variations which can be attributed to any number of factors. But I have seen as some others that the bottom 1/8 of the bucket seems to be a less concentration of Ca and dKh but the Mag has always been stable. The variance Ive noticed is about 10 to 15 ppm of Ca and around 0.8-1.2 dKh but its still been high enough not to feel the need to turn to additives.

Overall I'm pleased with the salt and plan to continue using. The cloudiness is an annoyance but not really something that can be avoided (that I have found) for larger water changes.

 

[Gamma]

Fellow reefer recommended Aquavitro Salinity so I thought I would give it a try since a major selling feature was good alkalinity level. Never tested alk anywhere near what listed and horrible residue on water change buckets plus never got clear enough. Made my reef water look like 2°milk for hours. Never had problem with film on top of water in tank until I started using this crap last month. HORRIBLE!

 

[skim]

The key to Salinity is you have to mix slowly so add 1 or 2 cups wait a bit add another wait. Let it mix with whatever pump you have test Salinity level and do your water change. Only time I have ever had a problem with it is when I first started using and thought I could just add the salt as with other brands. You can not do that or you will get a cloudy mix or residue to fallout and low Alk. I change would say 15 gal. in a Brute and the cup I use holds 2 cups. The first 2 cupful I add quickly ( but not just pouring it in you have to sprinkle it on the surface of the water ) and let it mix via pump I wait about 10 min. add another and so on until I get my 1.026. If I have any clouding of water it is minor and is go in a few hours.
Basically anyone who has a problem with Salinity it is more than likely improper mixing.

1. Have to add salt slowly, sprinkling it on the surface of water and if you listen close you will hear it sizzle. DO NOT PREHEAT THE WATER!
2. Leave time between adding the next cupful at least 10 min.
3. Once Salinity level has been obtained you should be good to go.
4. I know it's commonly known, but on these salts that the industry calls the Higher end Salts you must use RO/DI for them to mix properly.
Anyhow I hope this may help some that may be having problems with this Salt as it is different and needs to be treated/used differently than most other Salts out there.
All the best and Happy Reefing

 

[Piranhapat]

I totally agree. I used this salt for one year. Only problem I had was I had to order it from LFS and I was getting it when they had sales. Than the sales stop and the price was going higher. It's a good salt if your getting it at a reasonable price.

 

[ENARP]

I started using this salt about 2 months ago and I am not impressed with this product. I have read that the cloudy mix and grey residue are normal with this product. I have to ask myself why? Why is it like that when the Red Sea Pro I used before did not have these issues. Since switching to Salinity I now have a brown algae outbreak. I am assuming this outbreak has been caused from the level of silica contained in this mix. I am assuming this because all other parameters have remained as they were before the outbreak. The only change has been to this type salt mixture. I am going to go back to Red Sea Pro and see if that remedies the situation.

 

[skim]

It's funny because any time I have used Red Sea Salt's I have always gotten Cyano.

 

[CFC_Surge]

I can't believe so many people put up with all the BS with Salinity Salt. I tried salinity after being on Tropic Marin for over a year and it crashed my tank. I lost Thousands in coral...

 

[skim]

Well it is like many other products, they seem to work and work well for some and for others they have no luck with it. That is why I will not say that a product is garbage because I know that there will be someone that has had nothing but great things to say about it.

 

[ENARP]

I am switching to Tropic Marin. Ordered it yesterday. Just tired of all the residue and mixing issues. Clear one time, cloudy the next and not being able to use all of the water because of the gray residue in the bottom of the bucket. No issues with the salt once it is in the tank. Seems to be a good salt...just all the other problems.

 

[CFC_Surge]

When you have experience with multiple salts you can formulate an educated opinion. So far I have tried six different name brand salts.
Three I recommend are Tropic Marin, Aquacraft- Biosea, and ESV four part. All mix clean, clear, and fast. The next one to try on my list is Fritz as I've heard very good things about it.

 

[skim]

Well I do not know how people have problems with mixing Salinity. I just brought in a new bucket from the Garage today and mixed up a Brute can I believe it's about 15 gal. I added salt slowly over I would say 20 min. 7 cups gave me a hair over 35 ppt that was good I needed a lit bit more. I let it mix for 2 hours, it was clear and I did water change and nothing in the bottom.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

When you have experience with multiple salts you can formulate an educated opinion. So far I have tried six different name brand salts.
Three I recommend are Tropic Marin, Aquacraft- Biosea, and ESV four part. All mix clean, clear, and fast. The next one to try on my list is Fritz as I've heard very good things about it.

Why is "mixing clean" an important goal? Why care about some calcium carbonate precipitate?