Found old salt

[DMVReefer]

While getting some buckets together for a water change, we found a bag of salt unsealed but twisted and wanted some input to see if it's safe to use. I have a feeling it's a bag of Tropic Marin salt that we forgot about after a few moves. My concern is that the salt wasn't sealed and was in a bucket that had a crack from shipping at the bottom. I checked the salt and it's super fine grain and no clumps formed, but I'm curious to know if it's even safe to use in my tank. It would be used in a FOWLR system.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Generally its a brick after opened and trace elements diminish. If it's still powdery, mix and test and see if it attains salinty and good alk/ph/mag levels.

 

[DMVReefer]

Generally its a brick after opened and trace elements diminish. If it's still powdery, mix and test and see if it attains salinty and good alk/ph/mag levels.

Yeah i've had salts like Reef crystals clump up within a few days due to a loose lid which is why i'm so confused. since i'm using this for a fish only system would you say it's necessary to check any other parameters other than salinity?

 

[WVNed]

If it looks correct I would use it without worry.

 

[Pistondog]

Clumping is not a problem, it is only humidity binding water in the air to the salt.
Use it, or if you are cautious, use it 50 50 with new salt.

 

[saltyhog]

For a FOWLR, I wouldn't have any qualms about using it....unless I had some reason to think it had been contaminated by the sack being open.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Shake up the salt good or mix it up. Incase elements settled. Then use.

 

[DMVReefer]

Shake up the salt good or mix it up. Incase elements settled. Then use.

That was my first thought and that's exactly what i did and placed in a sealed bucket.

 

[DMVReefer]

For a FOWLR, I wouldn't have any qualms about using it....unless I had some reason to think it had been contaminated by the sack being open.

The mouth of the bag was twisted which is why i think it didn't clump. my only issue was that the bucket had a crack so it might've not been sealed fully.

 

[vetteguy53081]

From a chemistry perspective, I made my statement as similar to drugs and the like, salt mixes are generally organic chemicals, and they do oxidize or go through other reactions over time that could change their biological effect. It's also true that some chemicals have expiration dates simply because that's how long the manufacturer thought was a reasonable time period for use, and simply doesn't have data to support any longer of an expiration.
Most of the chemicals in sea salt mixes are inorganic, and they're usually ionic salts of inorganic substances. The reason that salt clumps over time is a reaction between the calcium chloride and sodium carbonat/bicarbonate in the mixture to form insoluble calcium carbonate. If that happens to a large degree, the dissolved salt will yield a seawater mixture that's low in alkalinity and calcium and require supplements to boost it to normal requirements.

 

[saltyhog]

From a chemistry perspective, I made my statement as similar to drugs and the like, salt mixes are generally organic chemicals, and they do oxidize or go through other reactions over time that could change their biological effect. It's also true that some chemicals have expiration dates simply because that's how long the manufacturer thought was a reasonable time period for use, and simply doesn't have data to support any longer of an expiration.
Most of the chemicals in sea salt mixes are inorganic, and they're usually ionic salts of inorganic substances. The reason that salt clumps over time is a reaction between the calcium chloride and sodium carbonat/bicarbonate in the mixture to form insoluble calcium carbonate. If that happens to a large degree, the dissolved salt will yield a seawater mixture that's low in alkalinity and calcium and require supplements to boost it to normal requirements.

That's strange. I've found clumped salt to be completely soluble. If any of it were calcium carbonate I wouldn't think that would be the case.

 

[George81]

So I had a pail of reef crystals that was 12 years old. From when I shut my tank down in 2007. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it so I used it when I filled up my new tank when I decided to get back at it. that was for cycling though no live stock. i can’t remember the condition of the salt. It may have clumped up. That was late Jan early feb of 2019....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Solidifying doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.

Alkalinity is the thing to check since precipitation of calcium carbonate is my main concern. if alk is OK for you (even if a bit below normal), then it is good to go.

 

[DMVReefer]

Solidifying doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.

Alkalinity is the thing to check since precipitation of calcium carbonate is my main concern. if alk is OK for you (even if a bit below normal), then it is good to go.

Thank you so much for the reply. I’ll mix a small batch and test. Thank you for the input!

 

[Peng1606]

Have bags of salt several years old... some of them a bit moist from humidity in air (live in tropics). Have used them for water changes and also for quarantine of new fish without issue. Not worried if the Ca/Mag/Alk is low because I adjust all that. Once the salt can dissolve it’s not an issue.