A beginner's mistake

[kevinsimons]

..and one I've made TWICE now.

All these awesome posts and helpful advise about how to keep fish, inverts, corals alive, chemistry balanced, lighting correct, flows proper... but here's a pricey little mistake that's ridiculously easy to avoid..:frustrat:

If you live in a humid place (like I do) don't forget to put the lid on your 5 gallon bucket of salt. If you don't, it turns into a brick. If you have the strength and patience to scrape up enough to make a batch of water, the SG is wrong, because the salt expands with the added moisture.

PUT THE DAMN TOP ON... save yourself a bunch of cash. In the meantime, I have two huge doorstops for the taking if anybody wants one...

 

[matthew1048]

Perhaps if you had cows....you could use them as salt licks.

 

[fishbait]

that sounds like an expensive lesson!

 

[hotimportknight]

Deer would love that i'm sure! You still couldnt try and break it up and dissolve it in your mixing tub? I dont see why it wouldnt dissolve, just a lot slower...

 

[Bifferwine]

Perhaps if you had cows....you could use them as salt licks.

The elusive Matthew reappears from the abyss with THIS pearl of wisdom!!! Bahahahahaha!

 

[matthew1048]

ROFLMFAO!!!!

Yeah, getting colder now down in that hole and decided to come out. Figured you all could use a good dose of Matthewism. LOL

You get the lights fixed Biff?

 

[Bifferwine]

Sure did! Dog is still having to be crated when I'm not here -- I don't trust him yet.

 

[matthew1048]

Awwww...poor pooch!!!

 

[poppinfresh]

just take a blunt object and beat the hell out of it. Any chunks that are left will dissolve when you mix it. As far as measuring it, salt cannot be measured very accurately by volume any way, so never rely on a measuring cup. Always check the NSW with a refractometer or other accurate device.

 

[cthegame]

Why dont you just put the hard salt in a bucket and mix it with water when you want to do a water change? I imagine eventually the salt would be soaked and get soft and then mix it. Though i have never had this problem so im not sure...

 

[Doc]

huh, best thing to do it to try to dissolve what you can until you get sick of breaking it up. then, toss it and keep your lid on

-Doc

 

[reeffreak]

Like duh!
I would still use it.I imagine it doesn't snow to much in San Francisco,makes good driveway de-icer.

 

[Alexander]

happened to me.... still using it.

 

[kevinsimons]

s13 - how do you break it up? The stuff is like concrete...!

 

[Alexander]

snapon hammer in my toolbox. its a doublesided hammer and I use the rubber side so salt doesn't get on the metal and oxodize it. but I would just suggest a hammer or a punch or screwdriver or something. as long as it doesn't have oil from your car or body filler dust or something on it to get in your tank haha

 

[yote]

Perhaps if you had cows....you could use them as salt licks.

Speaking of which.Deer love Oceanic.:bounce:Just pour the waste water on a stump and you got a salt lick.:mrgreen:

 

[yote]

An old stiff bladed kitchen knife works fairly good to break the salt into chunks.
Or if you got an air compressor and rivet buster,you can bust it pretty quick.

 

[Alexander]

i would just use the barrel of a gun if i were you yote. its called being versitile!

 

[yote]

i would just use the barrel of a gun if i were you yote. its called being versitile!

You ever tryed gettin rust out of the riflings?
Of course blastin caps works great:mrgreen:

 

[Alexander]

nope ive actually never cleaned a gun in my entire life