Dirty mixing station photo

[rfgonzo]

For you guys that are thinking about using reef crystals this is what you will need to get used to. Last time I cleaned brute was 4 months ago.

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[brittonv]

What is this?

What Product would have prevented this?

 

[ryeguyy84]

anti caking ingredients in reef crystals. it gets pretty messy, that's why I switched salts.

 

[nvladik]

Does it cause an issue except for the residue?

 

[rfgonzo]

No issues, just a nasty mixing container.

 

[eb2292]

Used red sea coral pro for a while, same thing. Not an isolated issue with reef crystals

 

[Mock]

Even high end Seachem Salinity does this..... The only time I get it is when I mix warm water in the summer. As long as the water is cold when its mixed it doesnt do it.

 

[cleverbs]

My mixing bucket doesnt look like this, I mix it with water thats cold. I have never cleaned my mixing station berral and it looks good as new still.

 

[addictedreefer]

More justification for my consistent plugging for Tropic Marin Pro Reef (they should start paying me). That stuff mixes up crystal clear in minutes and leaves no residue! I've never seen another salt come close in terms of mixing performance.

 

[zooman72]

This topic has been discussed before here on RC - in fact, I could swear I recall reading something from RHF in the Reef Chemistry forum...

 

[vitodog]

I have been using RC salt for many years and my brute container never looked like that after a water change. I should also add, I clean the container after each water change. Has RC's changed their formula?

 

[cloak]

This topic has been discussed before here on RC - in fact, I could swear I recall reading something from RHF in the Reef Chemistry forum...

This one?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

 

[rfgonzo]

It might be because after water change I refill brute with ro/di and salt mix, and it sits till next WC. So I always have water on hand for emergencies.

 

[nvladik]

Anyone know if the amount of residue is impacted by how long you mix the salt? I mix mine for 8 hours, and after 4 months my mixing container has some, but not even close to the amount in the above picture.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Anyone know if the amount of residue is impacted by how long you mix the salt? I mix mine for 8 hours, and after 4 months my mixing container has some, but not even close to the amount in the above picture.

The amount of calcium carbonate and/or calcium sulfate precipitated from an artificial seawater mixture depends on the initial concentration of calcium and alkalinity in the mix, the concentration the seawater mix is prepared at (i.e., its specific gravity) and the temperature it's held at.

Calcium is an unusual element in that calcium salts are less soluble in warmer water. Almost any other ionic salt you can name has the opposite behavior - they're considerably more soluble at higher temperatures.

With respect to mixing, a powerhead/external pump/propeller pump will locally heat the water going through it. That's why one typically sees calcium carbonate deposits on a pump that's in a saltwater mixing vat even before noticing precipitate on the walls of the container. The same is true of a heater in the vat. So in this sense, the longer a seawater mixture is mixed, the more precipitation will occur on the pump surfaces.

With respect to my own observations, I can keep Instant Ocean mixed at 1.026 specific gravity held at less than 65 deg F for a very long time (several weeks) without noticeable precipitation as long as its quiescent (i.e., unmixed). As soon as I raise the temperature of the mix to 75 deg F, precipitation starts to become noticeable. I find that advantageous; since IO tends to mix up at an alkalinity that's higher than I'd like (ca. 10 - 11 dKH), I simply hold it at 75 deg F while mixing for 24-48 hours. That precipitates some of the calcium and alkalinity as calcium carbonate and brings the alkalinity down to 8 dKH or so. I then simply back-supplement the mix to a calcium concentration of about 450 ppm with calcium chloride.

 

[zooman72]

This one?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

Yep, he referenced that article, but also went into detail possibly beyond it...

 

[kevantheman35]

That is the exact reason i stopped usong reef crystals. Im using hw marine mix so far very happy