Does every salt mix precipitate during storage? | BRStv Investigates

Mark Novack · Apr 12, 2019

I did before going to RO water. Our tap water is off the scale in hardness. My tap water combined with a rich reef salt mix will always precipitate. With RO water not at all. I use Redsea Coral Pro.

saltyhog · Apr 12, 2019

Jstn said:
Thanks for doing this, I currently run REdsea pro and get a ton of precipitation, I was thinking of switching to either brightwell or tropic marine pro, I know both mixed up clear and nearly equals
but in your opinion being the one who made the observations which one would be the cleanest of those two?

I have seen it with almost every salt I've used. It was pretty bad with Fritz but I've seen it fairly signinficantly with Brightwell Neomarine. Currently using Red Sea blue bucket and it seems to be much less with it.

lapin · Apr 12, 2019

I'm not a chemist. I do know that heat will cause calcium to fall out of solution. This is why you see heaters with that scale on them. I think it is 2 kinds of calcium. Calcium carbonate and gray/brown colored calcium silicate. Something to do with a carbonate/bicarbonate balance and heat/cold. I also magnesium can fall out of solution and cause scale. I do not know what other chemical additives are in our salt mixes. I use Red Sea salts and seem to get less scale than with IO or Reef Crystals. Maybe there is less of some additive in one mix that causes the salt to dissolve. Different mix times recommended by the manufactures leads me to believe this. Im sure Red Sea, IO, Fritz and all the rest know the answers.
My barrel is full so I can not take a picture of the bottom until I do a water change.

tipsy90 · Dec 1, 2019

Sidius said:
Does storing it with a powerhead make a difference at all?

From my experience using red sea pro, I store my salt with a powerhead and bubbler because I was unsure why it always gets a brown residue and if left for a few days tens to smell. It cuts it back but I am after watching this making a switch to Tropic Marin. Only because it does seem to be better quality and if it really does cut back on maintenance I have to do it is a win, win.