Is your salt "breaking down" and do you worry about it?

[Alistairn1]

I recently saw a discussion about people wondering how long their pre-made saltwater would or could last without breaking down. There was also the question that if salt breaks down in your mixing container will it not also just break down in your tank? Then there is the question of what exactly is meant when people say their salt is "breaking down?" Let's talk about it today!

1. Do you worry about your pre-made, mixed saltwater "breaking down" before it can be used?

2. What's the longest you allow your pre-made saltwater to sit until it's used?


image via @FLSharkvictim

BRS did a great test on this which I found very useful and certainly answered a lot of questions,

 

[MamawJUDY72]

I was told I could keep the premixed saltwater I purchase at my supplier forever & it would be fine to use. I’ve had about 50 gallons for over a year - do
I need to discard it?

 

[Nine Pieces of Eight]

I have no experience with pre mixed salt breaking down because I don't ha ve the room to store and use within hours of mixing. I do however have experience with dry salt breaking down over time.

i had 16kg of H2Ocean salt remaining out of a 23kg bucket, which had been left in storage for roughly 5 years (yes 5 years - long story). When I came to use the salt I dry mixed it in 2 separate containers to avoid any settlement etc. I found that everytime i mixed up a batch for water changes, the salt would precipitate. I tried mixing cold as per the mixing instructions and also brining the water up to Temp, but it made no difference. Also upon testing the water I found low traces of Nitrate that was not present in the rodi prior to mixing.

 

[KrisReef]

1. Do you worry about your pre-made, mixed saltwater "breaking down" before it can be used?

2. What's the longest you allow your pre-made saltwater to sit until it's used?

1. I worry so much that I am breaking down just thinking about my barrel of saltwater going bad before I do.

2. I get my water from the ocean and it sits in the barrel until I take it out. Then it goes in the tank, and stays there until I take that out. What really worried me is will the ocean go bad sitting in the ocean, and what will I do then when the ocean gets old?

So much to worry about, so little geological time to live in.

 

[srad750c]

1. I worry so much that I am breaking down just thinking about my barrel of saltwater going bad before I do.

2. I get my water from the ocean and it sits in the barrel until I take it out. Then it goes in the tank, and stays there until I take that out. What really worried me is will the ocean go bad sitting in the ocean, and what will I do then when the ocean gets old?

So much to worry about, so little geological time to live in.

I’m thinking ocean water has dissolved organics and fine detritus in suspension, if it sits for a couple of weeks never mind longer, I bet you would find stuff in the bottom of the storage tank. When I’m fifty miles out deep sea fishing, the water is very clean but there has been stuff to settle out after a couple of days in a water bottle. Next time I go, I will collect some more and post pics. Not sure that it matters though. I had the wild idea of using ocean water myself but decided it’s too expensive and the chances of me being parasites to my tank wasn’t worth the risk.

 

[RUKelly]

I have an “Aqua-Man” who makes the water at his shop and when he maintenances my tank he refills my 3-gal. water bottles that are empty (I have 14 bottles total but usually only use anywhere between 2.5 to 5 @ month depending on whether I have been acclimating reef life, had a tank “accident” or just normal evap.). Led lights I installed last winter made wonderful reduction in evaporation. Anyway, I try to rotate my bottles, but I’ve had premade water for maybe up to three and five months, but no tank issues.

 

[Frenzel]

I’m using Red Sea blue and it definitely looses alk over time as confirmed by both BRS and my own testing.

I try not to let it sit for too long before use so only make enough for at most a month.

 

[Dan_P]

I recently saw a discussion about people wondering how long their pre-made saltwater would or could last without breaking down. There was also the question that if salt breaks down in your mixing container will it not also just break down in your tank? Then there is the question of what exactly is meant when people say their salt is "breaking down?" Let's talk about it today!

1. Do you worry about your pre-made, mixed saltwater "breaking down" before it can be used?

2. What's the longest you allow your pre-made saltwater to sit until it's used?


image via @FLSharkvictim

I doubt anyone on this planet ever discussed the topic of salts breaking down.

 

[GillMeister]

I was on that thread and had the same question. Decomposing salt? Salt mix should be stable for any reasonable period of time. I built my mixing station with an internal pump and a recirculating system to keep the water moving. No issues whatsoever for me. I do think a mix with really high concentration of Ca or alk could precipitate, though. I used TM Pro for that reason and switched to RS blue bucket when TM Pro started having supply issues. Both are great salt mixes with lower alk levels. I test the water before adding it to my tank and it's always consistent.

 

[Dan_P]

I was on that thread and had the same question. Decomposing salt? Salt mix should be stable for any reasonable period of time. I built my mixing station with an internal pump and a recirculating system to keep the water moving. No issues whatsoever for me. I do think a mix with really high concentration of Ca or alk could precipitate, though. I used TM Pro for that reason and switched to RS blue bucket when TM Pro started having supply issues. Both are great salt mixes with lower alk levels. I test the water before adding it to my tank and it's always consistent.

Would you supply a link to the discussion? Thanks.

 

[James_O]

I wouldn’t use it after a week or so. I mix the salt in the water for 24 hours before I use it, just to make sure it has fully dissolved.

 

[GillMeister]

Would you supply a link to the discussion? Thanks.

Pre-made Saltmix

I generally heat my water mix for about 4-5 hrs and use as soon as possible...last weekend had to make some more to top off waterchange (took out more than I should have ..oops) that mix has been setting still and unheated since Sat. (Using brightwell neomarine) Good thing ? Bad? Should I picth...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reefvision]

The mfg should answer these for clarity.

 

[KrisReef]

I’m thinking ocean water has dissolved organics and fine detritus in suspension, if it sits for a couple of weeks never mind longer, I bet you would find stuff in the bottom of the storage tank. When I’m fifty miles out deep sea fishing, the water is very clean but there has been stuff to settle out after a couple of days in a water bottle. Next time I go, I will collect some more and post pics. Not sure that it matters though. I had the wild idea of using ocean water myself but decided it’s too expensive and the chances of me being parasites to my tank wasn’t worth the risk.

Another way to ask the question, is what does natural sea water have in it?

The dissolved salts and minerals shouldn't change much after going into a container. The bacteria, virus and other microbes those may decay in the bucket without light? Synthetic salt mix may drift a bit in pH and Dkh? but the salt once dissolved should be fairly stable. Some of the mixes do have clay added to keep the salt from clumping in the bag and that dust settles out and makes a mess of the mixing container. The seawater should still be fine after the dust settles.

 

[Dan_P]

Pre-made Saltmix

I generally heat my water mix for about 4-5 hrs and use as soon as possible...last weekend had to make some more to top off waterchange (took out more than I should have ..oops) that mix has been setting still and unheated since Sat. (Using brightwell neomarine) Good thing ? Bad? Should I picth...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks much.

OK, so the conversation we are discussing here was started by someone who watched a BRS video on calcium and alkalinity concentration of freshly dissolved salt mixes stored for various lengths of time. The question this person posted about storing saltwater mixes used the term “composition” when the terms alkalinity and calcium concentration were actually what was discussed in the video. This poster also mistakingly claimed that video stated salt mixes change in 24-48 hours after mixing when in fact the video stated one of the eight salt mixes tested had a decline in calcium and alkalinity.

So, long story short, I still propose no one on this planet thinks salt water breaks down but many people wonder and worry about the stability of calcium and alkalinity concentrations during storage.

 

[Kevin_Mac]

I use my mixed salt with in a day or two of mixing , I get no grunge build up in the mixing container, but if I leave it for a week I get a salt grunge witch I have to scrub out before mixing more. not a fan of extra work!

 

[R33fDaddy]

Seems like a good thread to ask what's the brown stuff on the side of my brute lol? That's what worries me.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Uhhh yaaa, salt water doesn’t “break down” lol

 

[tehmadreefer]

Seems like a good thread to ask what's the brown stuff on the side of my brute lol? That's what worries me.

A binder for contaminants

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

What does that even mean it makes me nervous though