Salt not fully dissolving

[HClH2OFish]

I've been using Instant Ocean for my salt mix. I mix in 5gal containers, adding about 2 gal of water, then salt, then more water. I mix well...sit it 24-48hrs to temp. acclimate with a powerhead in there to help aerate and mix.
My problem is that I'm *still* getting small amounts of snowlike salt when I add the water to my tank. It hasn't caused any problems that I can see for my inhabitants, but I'm still concerned.

What should I do to stop this? It's happened on my last 3 boxes of IE (25gal box)

TIA

 

[Ira]

switch to Oceanic salt - mixes a lot easier and has more calcium than IO

 

[HClH2OFish]

Thanks....this won't be detrimental to my fish or shrooms will it???
Gotta pick up enuff tonite for 50gal (gonna be a busy boy)

 

[Anonymous]

IO is known for creating precipitate. I've never used Oceanic (been that long, yeah). Have read of quality inconsistencies with Oceanic, but Tropic Marin seems to be fairly consistent.

 

[tangir1]

Yeah, IO always has that white stuff no matter how hard you tried. I just use it, and don't see anything bad happened yet.

 

[HClH2OFish]

Thanks for the info all
Much appreciated...

 

[hillbilly]

Yeah, IO always has crap in it. Used IO for many years. Started using Oceanic little while back, much better quality, no white crap, higher calcium, polyps don't retract after water changes like with IO, cheaper, no reason to use IO any longer.

 

[Anonymous]

I use IO and have never seen polyp retraction after a wc, nor have I seen precipitate.

 

[Anonymous]

I perfer IO..I really have no idea what you guys are talking about, i never have any problems with IO...I think maybe giving it a few whirls by hand then letting it sit with a power head...It will dissolve, you probably wont get it instantly though, so good with the bad?

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, and how big a powerhead and where in the container does it sit?

 

[HClH2OFish]

Oh, and how big a powerhead and where in the container does it sit?

Got a powersweep 300 that i drop in right in the middle. The sweeping makes it really cycle well. After about 12hrs. the amt. of 'white snow' stays the same...no matter if I leave it for 24hrs. or 48.

I think next salt purchase I'm gonna try Tropic Marin...

 

[HClH2OFish]

Oh, btw...I mix in a 5gal bucket....

 

[Anonymous]

Tropic Marin is definitely a good brand.

If you have a larger tank and have the room, get yourself one or two large trash cans, line 'em with plain black plastic bags and mix your salt in those. It's a HUGE timesaver, as it takes just as much time to mix 5 gallons as it does 55 gallons.

The precipitate issue with IO never caused me a problem, though I've always been curious as to what it is. I believe that folks who use RO/DI and buffer before mixing also experience this.
All that being said, Real Ocean (natural, filtered seawater) just CAN'T be beat with a stick!

 

[HClH2OFish]

If I get a tank big enuff to have to use a trash can, I'll just buy a few 55gal barrels and buy the seawater from the LFS!!
I've only got a 25H and 15H right now...so 5gal buckets work great.
Sort of a pain on the initial setup of the 25 tho but *shrug* only have to do it this once...

 

[hillbilly]

I never had any problems with IO either until I bought the last 2 200gal. buckets. Quality on both seemed down from before. It was enough to make me look for something else. Maybe it was a bad batch run, I don't know. All I know is I can't trust it to be of high quality any longer, as it took me years to collect my corals.

 

[Anonymous]

hmmm..this poses a problem for me now? :?

 

[Newreefer1]

How about the IO reef crystals? any input on this - good or bad?

 

[ZooKeeper1]

Reef crystals are basically the same as instant ocean.
I never liked either. I use Bio-Sea now, and it mixes clear instantly.

 

[krullulon]

quick question -- why line the big rubbermaid garbage cans with garbage bags? does the rubbermaid plastic leech toxins into the water?

 

[HClH2OFish]

Not sure why rubbermaid wouldn't be safe.
I know that if you use some of the larger barrels (55gal plastic drums) you should get the blue ones. Gov't regulations require the different colors and the blue are safe for water. I *think* the black ones can leach things out, which the blue ones don't.
Since I don't know for sure, I always try to get food quality containers, hoses, etc. I figure it's better safe than sorry.
BTW, you can find suppliers by looking in the phone book under restaurant suppliers.