Mixing time, Red Sea Coral Pro, and Precipitation Plausable? Mythbuster style

[jason2459]

Bumping to 95F

Still clear after 12 hours at 90F

 

[ahiggins]

tagging along

 

[Big E]

Here's the video on mixing the salt from Red Seas Sharon Ram-- mixing starts at the 6:50 mark.

He explains keeping temp when it's initially being mixed or the high temp can cause precipitation, ........it's mixed in 30 minutes............after that I would think it doesn't matter, which your testing seems to prove out.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...=0d03972dc01d41add9c899b6c8cf2721&action=view

 

[jason2459]

Thanks Big E for the link.

I watched from 6 minutes on and agree with everything from that point on except that they are not the only ones that make a true seawater refractometer. Milwaukee, D-D H2Ocean, veegee, vital sine, and I'm sure there's more but those are ones I know of off the top of my head and have used.

He didn't bring up at all a maximum time to mix which the bucket does and so does the first video I posted in this thread. Which other people are repeating now in forums believing that you can not mix for more then a few hours and if you do you ruin the salt or cause a major precipitation event.

I totally agree that it's better to mix the salt into water, at a cooler temp, but I wouldn't set a time limit on when its ready. I believe it's ready as soon as alkalinity is stabilized which can be pretty quick.

So, now I'm going to keep pushing temp up until I can reproduce that snow storm as seen in that first video I posted. If that doesn't work because I end up encrusting the heater and seizing up the pump I'll do something that will sure to precipitate that water. [emoji4]

This is the video that I watched from 6 minutes on.

 

[jason2459]

6pm 12 hours @ 95F

Still clear. Bumping to 100F. And fyi I do check around every 2 hours as I can.

 

[jason2459]

6am 12 hours @ 100F.

Still clear. Bumping to 105F

I now have a mini hot tub sitting in my basement.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

6am 12 hours @ 100F.

Still clear. Bumping to 105F

I now have a mini hot tub sitting in my basement.

lol nice!

 

[jason2459]

6pm 12 hours @ 105F

All clear. Bumping to 110F

 

[The Rook]

I mixed up a batch of rscp a couple weeks ago 20 gallons. Let it sit in the garage with just a powerhead. Went to use it the other day and the alk was reading around 7dkh with a new salifert kit. I dumped it out and there was a pretty heavy coating on the bottom and side of the brute can. Going to try mixing and using immediately. I'd check the the alk throughout the test. My first time using this salt.

 

[jason2459]

Salinity still at 35ppt and and alk hanging a hair above 12dkh.

The lid is soaked dripping a lot now when I lift it up.

 

[Maritimer]

A few months ago, I had a similar experience to The Rook's - mixed 24 hours before use, and had a significant brownish precipitate on the sides of the Brute barrel.

I'm rather intrigued that you're _not_ showing the same thing!

~Bruce

 

[Jstn]

I mix my rscp in a brute and use over the course of a month. My basement is ~60 F and I do have some crud sitting in the bottom. I usually mix a day and jsut let it sit and pump out what I need. I have seen crud with all my salt mixes but it seems especially high with rscp. Maybe the high levels of calcium and alk lead to caco3 ppt. Either way my reef is doing fine with stored rscp mix; I am Looking forwards to your findings.

 

[jason2459]

Well, did a spot check and pump sounds louder then I recall it sounding so I got excited and took it apart hoping to find some precipitation. None. Its back to sounding like it normally does after putting it back together.

Alk is right about 12 still.

Salinity still at 35ppt

Temp at 110

 

[jason2459]

Maybe I'm mixing it in the wrong direction.

So its facing this way now.

 

[jason2459]

FYI that crud floating in there and on the bottom is from that ranco temp probe. I pulled it from my sump which is full of crud and let it build up in there like mud. Critters love it

 

[jason2459]

6am 12 hours at 110F
Still clear. Bumping to 115F

FYI, those are bubbles on that heater.

 

[USMC4Life]

I think it has to do of putting in too much. And when it his it max solubility and you add more or change the temp it will start to come out of suspension.

 

[The Rook]

That may be. Mine wasn't brown and couldn't be seen till i emptied the container. Just white precipitation stuck to bottom and sides.

 

[jason2459]

I think it has to do of putting in too much. And when it his it max solubility and you add more or change the temp it will start to come out of suspension.

In the video he didn't add more that we know of but it could have been edited out. I have certainly been increasing temp.


and trust me I will not let this thread end with out producing a precipitation cloud event.

 

[benapilot]

I think it has to do of putting in too much. And when it his it max solubility and you add more or change the temp it will start to come out of suspension.

I wonder if that's what happened to me.... or maybe I added it all too fast.
I have a 20H aquarium as my new salt water reservoir. I poured about 15 gallons of room temperature RODI water, placed a powerhead in and added about 7 1/2 cups of salt, one cup at a time. I just dumped the cups in, didn't swirl or let the salt trickle in. I left the pump running for about 8 hours- milky water. It cleared in about 3 days leaving a tan film on the powerhead and bottom of the tank.