[rjs5134]

Below is a photo of my mixing bucket for IO after a couple of water changes. Is this normal? It was the same result from 3 different buckets of salt. Almost feels like corraline algae.

[DonW]

Its precip. What is your process for making up fresh sw?

Don

[rjs5134]

10 or 15 gallons of RO/DI, occassionally a little more is added to the barrell. Salt mix is added, cup at a time, to just below manufacturer's recommendations. Sits for several hours with a heater and pump for circulation, usually a work day or overnight, then SG is checked and additional salt is added as needed. When 1.025 is reached it is allowed to site for 3 days or more, than a water change is done. No additional additives are used at this point.

I figured it was precip., just seemed like alot to me. I recently changed to Crystal Seas so we'll see if the same occurs.

[Ninong]

Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley reported that he experienced residue on the sides of the mixing container when using Instant Ocean salt. I have never used it myself. My experience with Crystal Seas Bioassay Formula is that you get a very small amount of light tan sediment in the bottom of the container, but no residue on the sides and nothing on the bottom like what you have in your photo. The light tan sediment, which I believe may be clay, is easily rinsed out. It doesn't stick to the bottom of the container at all. In mixing up 18-gal batches, I usually ended up with maybe three or four teaspoons of sediment at the bottom in a circular pattern several inches away from the airstone that I placed in the center of the bottom of the 20-gal Rubbermaid container.

[rjs5134]

Aahhh, clay, good description. But this material is adhered fairly well to the container. What you see in the photo is what remained after being scrubbed with a stiff bristle brush. It feels exactly like coralline algae, but maybe tougher to remove. Just found this curious, I'll post my results with CS after a few water changes.

Thanks

[DonW]

Originally Posted by rjs5134

10 or 15 gallons of RO/DI, occassionally a little more is added to the barrell. Salt mix is added, cup at a time, to just below manufacturer's recommendations. Sits for several hours with a heater and pump for circulation, usually a work day or overnight, then SG is checked and additional salt is added as needed. When 1.025 is reached it is allowed to site for 3 days or more, than a water change is done. No additional additives are used at this point.

I figured it was precip., just seemed like alot to me. I recently changed to Crystal Seas so we'll see if the same occurs.

Try filling the can with rodi water, heat to 80F, add salt, if reef add Mg and if reef add ca. Heating first will allow it to dissolve faster with less precip.

Don

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by rjs5134

Aahhh, clay, good description. But this material is adhered fairly well to the container.

No, I wasn't talking about Instant Ocean when I said "clay." I was only talking about the fine particle light tan sediment that settled to the bottom when I mixed Crystal Seas Bioassay Formula.

Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley is the guy who reported that he always experienced a certain amount of residue on the sides of the storage container when mixing up batches of Instant Ocean.