how to get moister out of my 5 gal salt bucket?

mil hse · 12/06/2010, 10:21 AM

well just as the header says how to get moister out of my 5 gal salt bucket? i was thinking of maybe put some rice in a stocking. i heard somewhere that rice soaks up moister? any good ideas?

airplanes1016 · 12/06/2010, 11:07 AM

never heard of that little trick, I sometimes hae the same issue, would love to know if this actually works for you.

username in use · 12/06/2010, 11:08 AM

easiest way is to not let moisture in there in the first place and keep the inner bag sealed up nice and tight.

As for getting it out, Rice might work, also might be a good idea to leave it in a really dry room for a couple days with the top cracked open .

syrinx · 12/06/2010, 11:17 AM

I always save the silica dessicants from products,put them in a mesh media bag and throw it in the bucket. Never a problem.

mil hse · 12/06/2010, 11:21 AM

I forgot it in the garage one night and my bucket didn't come with an inner bag or little packet. I think I'm going to try the rice. I'll let you all know how it works. Any other ideas?

mc-cro · 12/06/2010, 11:59 AM

usually people put rice in their salt shakers to keep the salt from clumping. so it may work.

those little silica dessicants work well on small things, like when you drop your cell phone in the sink, put the phone and the silica in a ziplock and they suck the moisture out. I would imagine you would need a good number of them for a 5g bucket.

Sk8r · 12/06/2010, 12:04 PM

Once salt has gotten damp and made a brick, the buffer is shot, ime---very unhappy-e, with clogged pump, screwed chemistry, etc. Toss the salt. Keeping a silica dessicant packet in the bucket might help, but a small rubber mallet for the lid is also effective.

seapug · 12/06/2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Once salt has gotten damp and made a brick, the buffer is shot, ime---very unhappy-e, with clogged pump, screwed chemistry, etc. Toss the salt. Keeping a silica dessicant packet in the bucket might help, but a small rubber mallet for the lid is also effective.

+1.
If the salt hasn't turned into a brick, bring it inside, remove the lid and put it in front of the heat vent or space heater for a day. If there are "chunks" left after it dries, toss them in the trash.

aleonn · 12/06/2010, 03:47 PM

The rice in a mesh idea is a good one. The wife uses that trick to dry out certain fruits.

mil hse · 12/06/2010, 10:58 PM

So if the buffer is spent... is there anything i can do to add to it? im not a newbe in the reefing hobbie, but i will say this is the first time in 10yrs i have done this to my salt... so i feel like a NEWBE :-)

bertoni · 12/07/2010, 01:17 AM

You could try dissolving it. If it dissolves completely, the salt is okay, most likely. If there's much precipitation, I would ditch it, but you could test for calcium and alkalinity, and fix as needed. Trace elements might be gone, though.

mil hse · 12/07/2010, 02:10 AM

like i said, im going to try it tomorrow morning... stocking courtesy of my lovely girlfriend :-). ill keep everyone posted!

bsagecko · 12/07/2010, 07:35 AM

You could always use an anhydrous salt (CaCl2 anhydrous, MgSO4)...as long as you didnt mix it into the salt...but once it makes a hard brick its done period....just like previously mentioned

12/06/2010, 10:21 AM	#1
mil hse just frag it Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NOR CAL Posts: 309	how to get moister out of my 5 gal salt bucket? well just as the header says how to get moister out of my 5 gal salt bucket? i was thinking of maybe put some rice in a stocking. i heard somewhere that rice soaks up moister? any good ideas?

12/06/2010, 11:08 AM	#3
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	easiest way is to not let moisture in there in the first place and keep the inner bag sealed up nice and tight. As for getting it out, Rice might work, also might be a good idea to leave it in a really dry room for a couple days with the top cracked open . __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/06/2010, 11:59 AM	#6
mc-cro (macro) Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 2,238	usually people put rice in their salt shakers to keep the salt from clumping. so it may work. those little silica dessicants work well on small things, like when you drop your cell phone in the sink, put the phone and the silica in a ziplock and they suck the moisture out. I would imagine you would need a good number of them for a 5g bucket. __________________ Time is the most valuable thing you have... spend it wisely Current Tank Info: 60x26x24 AGE 3 sided starphire

12/06/2010, 12:04 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Once salt has gotten damp and made a brick, the buffer is shot, ime---very unhappy-e, with clogged pump, screwed chemistry, etc. Toss the salt. Keeping a silica dessicant packet in the bucket might help, but a small rubber mallet for the lid is also effective. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/07/2010, 01:17 AM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You could try dissolving it. If it dissolves completely, the salt is okay, most likely. If there's much precipitation, I would ditch it, but you could test for calcium and alkalinity, and fix as needed. Trace elements might be gone, though. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/06/2010, 11:07 AM	#2
airplanes1016 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 197	never heard of that little trick, I sometimes hae the same issue, would love to know if this actually works for you.

12/06/2010, 11:17 AM	#4
syrinx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: champaign Posts: 3,160	I always save the silica dessicants from products,put them in a mesh media bag and throw it in the bucket. Never a problem.

12/06/2010, 11:21 AM	#5
mil hse just frag it Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NOR CAL Posts: 309	I forgot it in the garage one night and my bucket didn't come with an inner bag or little packet. I think I'm going to try the rice. I'll let you all know how it works. Any other ideas?

12/06/2010, 03:47 PM	#9
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	The rice in a mesh idea is a good one. The wife uses that trick to dry out certain fruits.

12/06/2010, 10:58 PM	#10
mil hse just frag it Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NOR CAL Posts: 309	So if the buffer is spent... is there anything i can do to add to it? im not a newbe in the reefing hobbie, but i will say this is the first time in 10yrs i have done this to my salt... so i feel like a NEWBE :-)

12/07/2010, 02:10 AM	#12
mil hse just frag it Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NOR CAL Posts: 309	like i said, im going to try it tomorrow morning... stocking courtesy of my lovely girlfriend :-). ill keep everyone posted!

12/07/2010, 07:35 AM	#13
bsagecko Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,752	You could always use an anhydrous salt (CaCl2 anhydrous, MgSO4)...as long as you didnt mix it into the salt...but once it makes a hard brick its done period....just like previously mentioned __________________ There are three things that will never be believed- the true, the probable, the logical (Steinbeck) Obey little, Resist much Current Tank Info: 24g AIO

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