Screwed up mixing salt, how long will it be cloudy?

galoot · 03/29/2010, 03:30 PM

So I dumped too much salt in my initial mixing with water. Salinity is fine, but boy is it cloudy. I know the reason why it happened, I'm just wondering how long will it remain this way? It's been two days and is somewhat clearer. Is it best to continue circulating or let it settle out for a while? Or do I need to cut my loses and dump most of it?

bertoni · 03/29/2010, 03:38 PM

I suspect that the cloudiness is due to precipitated calcium carbonate, and it's not going to dissolve. I'd just ditch the water, but you could check the alkalinity and see whether it's okay.

galoot · 03/29/2010, 09:07 PM

man, i just hate wasting 100+ gallons of new saltwater!

vegaskid11 · 03/29/2010, 09:59 PM

what about running it through a 200 micron sock and then adding some alk/calc back in. Im not sure how small the particles get. Im also not sure if it binds other trace elements when the calcium carbonate forms.

wayne in norway · 03/30/2010, 02:36 AM

It would be worth you testing the kH to see if it is significantly reduced or just a minor, yet spectacularly appearing, precipitation problem. kH reveales these problems than Ca in my opinion.

I recently tested some salts to examine precipitation by mismixing. Salt is Grotech Coral Pro etsting 8 kH on my Elos test kit.
1 litre water, addsalt - 8kh.
Add salt, then dump in 1 litre water - cloudy, but 8kh
Add salt, drip in water to cover it, leave 10 minutes or so, add water - 8kH
Add salt, add small amount of water , leave overnight, add water, 3 kH.

Hopefully you're not in the last category. I rather though the precipitation might be near instantaneous, but apparently not......

RBU1 · 03/30/2010, 03:10 AM

According to the manufactuer of the new salt I am using it will always cloud up. I used the last batch and almost as soon as it hits the tank its clear again. Not sure the science behind it but they said that because all the values are higher in the salt it causes it to cloud. ????????????

galoot · 03/30/2010, 11:31 AM

I thought about the sock idea. I figure since this is the intial setup of the tank it shouldn't be too be of a deal. It's just cycling. I hate not being able to scape it though. It is slowly clearing up. How much will it. I guess time will tell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegaskid11

what about running it through a 200 micron sock and then adding some alk/calc back in. Im not sure how small the particles get. Im also not sure if it binds other trace elements when the calcium carbonate forms.

Percula9 · 03/30/2010, 09:20 PM

What salt are you using?

RBU1 · 03/31/2010, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Percula9

What salt are you using?

If you are asking me the new Seachem Salinity

Randy Holmes-Farley · 03/31/2010, 06:08 AM

Are you still stirring it? Maybe stop stirring and just let it settle out. Then measure the alkalintiy to see if it is OK.

03/29/2010, 03:30 PM	#1
galoot Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Carlos Posts: 559	Screwed up mixing salt, how long will it be cloudy? So I dumped too much salt in my initial mixing with water. Salinity is fine, but boy is it cloudy. I know the reason why it happened, I'm just wondering how long will it remain this way? It's been two days and is somewhat clearer. Is it best to continue circulating or let it settle out for a while? Or do I need to cut my loses and dump most of it?

03/29/2010, 03:38 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I suspect that the cloudiness is due to precipitated calcium carbonate, and it's not going to dissolve. I'd just ditch the water, but you could check the alkalinity and see whether it's okay. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/31/2010, 06:08 AM	#10
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Are you still stirring it? Maybe stop stirring and just let it settle out. Then measure the alkalintiy to see if it is OK. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

03/29/2010, 09:07 PM	#3
galoot Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Carlos Posts: 559	man, i just hate wasting 100+ gallons of new saltwater!

03/29/2010, 09:59 PM	#4
vegaskid11 vegasreefers.com Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 742	what about running it through a 200 micron sock and then adding some alk/calc back in. Im not sure how small the particles get. Im also not sure if it binds other trace elements when the calcium carbonate forms.

03/30/2010, 02:36 AM	#5
wayne in norway Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 1,271	It would be worth you testing the kH to see if it is significantly reduced or just a minor, yet spectacularly appearing, precipitation problem. kH reveales these problems than Ca in my opinion. I recently tested some salts to examine precipitation by mismixing. Salt is Grotech Coral Pro etsting 8 kH on my Elos test kit. 1 litre water, addsalt - 8kh. Add salt, then dump in 1 litre water - cloudy, but 8kh Add salt, drip in water to cover it, leave 10 minutes or so, add water - 8kH Add salt, add small amount of water , leave overnight, add water, 3 kH. Hopefully you're not in the last category. I rather though the precipitation might be near instantaneous, but apparently not......

03/30/2010, 03:10 AM	#6
RBU1 Moving on Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5,167	According to the manufactuer of the new salt I am using it will always cloud up. I used the last batch and almost as soon as it hits the tank its clear again. Not sure the science behind it but they said that because all the values are higher in the salt it causes it to cloud. ????????????

03/30/2010, 09:20 PM	#8
Percula9 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 3,819	What salt are you using?