Muddy Red Sea Pro Mix

[+dapettit]

Last year a thread was started concerning the murkiness of Red Sea Pro Salt Mix. I had the same problem too. I would have mud looking stuff stuck on my mixing pump and the sides of the mixing barrel. I thought it was the nature of the salt since everyone else using it was having the same problem. Well I figured out what my problem was.

I would put 25 cups of salt into 45 gallons of water all at the same time. I'm sure that this method was causing the mud caking on everything. I've been mixing it this way for quite some time. When filling the tank I would filter the water through a sock and run a sock for three days. Yesterday I decided to try something new. I added 5 cups of salt ever half hour and the final two dumps of 5 cups every hour. This morning my mix is almost clear! I will continue to mix the salt this way and monitor the water clarity.

Dave-

[Rjohn]

I have had cloudiness issues with several brands of salt when I just dump the whole thing in the barrel. I went back to doing smaller additions and the problem resolved itself. I didn't like the white build up on the bottom and sides of the trash can so I started using a very large lawn and leaf bag as a liner. We used to use these in college to mix trash can punch and I remember reading that they are very nearly sterile.

[+dapettit]

mmmm trash can punch

[offroadodge]

Dave, When i mix my 15g every weekend i do as follows, put 15g of water into tub, put pump into water and start it, take my scale and measure out 1.6lbs of salt then slowly pour it in until the pan is empty. I wait about 5 min then measure out another 1.6lbs and dump it in and again for the last 5 gallons of water. I then let it mix over night and do water change on sunday morning. I tried the dumping all the salt in at once and got the same result you had with muddy build up. JM $.02

[NonSequitur]

I've had similar results, usually when I add too much salt at once or leave it circulating for more than about 24 hours after mixing, so now I add a cup at a time (I guess that's a benefit of a smaller tank, I only have to do a 5gal change to do 10%), leave it overnight, test, amend, then use it.

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

I got a lot of sediment the one time I tried Red Sea salt. Mixed it the same way I mix the IO (trash can w/ 15-20g DI water,pump with a hose attached for ease in filling buckets, pour in salt, heat & mix 24+ hours ). I've haven't used the RS salt since. I have almost no sediment with IO. When I first got my tank I had 1/2 of a 5g bucket that I think was just labeled 'reef salt'. It mixed so well! I haven't seen it locally and there's no telling where the prev owner got it.

Is it beneficial to periodically change salt brands?

Liz