Reef crystals

[jft]

Getting diffuse white precipitate all over front glass after water changes, What the heck? Going back to instant ocean for FOWLR

 

[fishski13]

Yeah thats probably calcium buildup since you are using salt with extra calcium and alkalinity in it and there is no corals in a FOWLR to consume any of it so there is just high levels

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

.

 

[scootPrime]

Mix it longer as well. ive never had that problem but i mix it for a couple days

 

[jft]

I have used it for years NEVER had this problem, Really ridculous LOL.

 

[homer1475]

Yeah thats probably calcium buildup since you are using salt with extra calcium and alkalinity in it and there is no corals in a FOWLR to consume any of it so there is just high levels

+2
Your levels are probably ridiculously high with the elevated levels already present in the salt, and they just keep getting higher with nothing using it up.

Not sure why you find it ridiculous. Just what it is.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Getting diffuse white precipitate all over front glass after water changes, What the heck? Going back to instant ocean for FOWLR

Was it perfectly clear when added?

Have a picture?

 

[GobyGuy]

Not sure why you find it ridiculous. Just what it is.

unexpected consequences of own actions often do not sit well

OP, I wouldn't advise using reef salt of any brand in a non reef tank in the future.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

unexpected consequences of own actions often do not sit well

OP, I wouldn't advise using reef salt of any brand in a non reef tank in the future.

I don't see this as the issue. Normal IO (marketed as FO, but it a fine reef tank salt, IMO), has nearly the same supersaturation index for calcium carbonate as reef crystals. I'm not even sure he has any precipitation in the tank. That would be fairly unusual.

Precipitation before adding it, that then got onto his glass would be a lot more expected (IMO).

 

[mann1139]

Getting diffuse white precipitate all over front glass after water changes, What the heck? Going back to instant ocean for FOWLR

How do you pour water into your tank during a water change? Could it be fines kicking up odf the substrate?

 

[jft]

The water was clear as i added it to sump, Been doing this reef tanks since 1984. NEVER had a precipitate on my glass like this ever before. Substrate is special grade reef sand from caribsea. I will use IO from here on out.

 

[jft]

Should read reef and FOWLR tanks since 1984.

 

[old salt reefer]

Yeah thats probably calcium buildup since you are using salt with extra calcium and alkalinity in it and there is no corals in a FOWLR to consume any of it so there is just high levels

The math don't add up. Even with regular IO salt(or any other salt for that matter) in a FOWLR tank there would be nothing to "consume" the calcium with that thought process.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The water was clear as i added it to sump, Been doing this reef tanks since 1984. NEVER had a precipitate on my glass like this ever before. Substrate is special grade reef sand from caribsea. I will use IO from here on out.

I do not think it is a precipitate from using RC. You’d be the first to report that out of hundreds of thousands of threads I have read.

that said, normal IO is a fine mix that I used for 20 years.

 

[jft]

I do not think it is a precipitate from using RC. You’d be the first to report that out of hundreds of thousands of threads I have read.

that said, normal IO is a fine mix that I used for 20 years.

Yes It is Has happened EVERYTime x 3 after I add reef crystals salt for water exchanges.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes It is Has happened EVERYTime x 3 after I add reef crystals salt for water exchanges.

That does not mean it is a precipitate caused by normal use of RC salt. Could be bacteria, stirred up sand, or something else. Or caused by excessive salinity or pH, depending on what else you may be adding.

I’m not going to try to prove it isn’t since you are convinced it is, but just realize it is a staggeringly rare event if it is calcium carbonate from adding normal salinity Reef Crystals water to a marine system.

 

[homer1475]

While I'm certainly not any kind of scientist, in my simple mind, if nothing is using up the elements, and you keep doing WC's, wouldn't the levels just keep rising with ever WC? In the end wouldn't they rise enough to cause it precipitate out?

 

[jft]

That does not mean it is a precipitate caused by normal use of RC salt. Could be bacteria, stirred up sand, or something else. Or caused by excessive salinity or pH, depending on what else you may be adding.

I’m not going to try to prove it isn’t since you are convinced it is, but just realize it is a staggeringly rare event if it is calcium carbonate from adding normal salinity Reef Crystals water to a marine system.

I add Nothing else to the tank, Fish get fed 3x a day with various foods tetra marine omega foods and brine shrimp spirulina and prime reef and algae pellets, What else could it be if only happens after water changes. I have used only instant ocean and reef crystals for 20 plus years no issues till recently. Its a FOWLR tank. Thanks for ur opinion.

 

[jft]

I add Nothing else to the tank, Fish get fed 3x a day with various foods tetra marine omega foods and brine shrimp spirulina and prime reef and algae pellets, What else could it be if only happens after water changes. I have used only instant ocean and reef crystals for 20 plus years no issues till recently. Its a FOWLR tank. Thanks for ur opinion.

Salinity is 1.018 since its a FO system

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

While I'm certainly not any kind of scientist, in my simple mind, if nothing is using up the elements, and you keep doing WC's, wouldn't the levels just keep rising with ever WC? In the end wouldn't they rise enough to cause it precipitate out?

No. They will stay exactly where they are in the salt mix. It is not dosing, it is swapping new for old water with identical properties.