Salt problem

[brandontucker407]

I have switch to instant ocean reef crystal salt. But for some reason after a few weeks it get hard and a I have to break it up. I then when I try to mix is with water it just dont mix correctly and there is till magnesium floating around. I am sure the salt is not get wet in the bucket.

 

[Bifferwine]

It is getting wet. It's absorbing moisture from the air and turning solid. It will absorb moisture from the air as soon as you open the bucket up. You can seal it tightly, or tie a plastic bag around it, but it may still turn into a solid.

Nothing bad happens when the salt solidifies. It's just harder to work with. I use a hammer and chisel to break mine up. It will dissolve fine -- I doubt it's magnesium floating around in the bucket.

Don't worry about it. :)

 

[ccCapt]

When salt gets damp and clumps up, what happens is the little bit of water mixes with the salt and causes a precipitation event. If you test your alk and calcium after you mix some up, you will find it's lower than what it normally should be. You can bump up those parameters if necessary. Besides the calcium and alk being lower than normal, the salt is fine to use.

What you see floating around is the solid precipitant. It will not redissolve...but it doesn't cause any problem.

 

[sen5241b]

You can always add cal and baking soda to the mix to bring levels up. Do not use baking powder.