Nyos Salt Sale (1 Viewer)

[asifiqbal2]

Got it, 7 years ago when I also used Red Sea and utilized heater in mixing bucket I got crud in mixing container. Now returning to hobby recently and mix my blue bucket in my water mixing container and absolutely clear and no residue, but I don’t heat it till later mix it at room temp. Maybe they changed their formulation too

 

[Fishfoo]

Got it, 7 years ago when I also used Red Sea and utilized heater in mixing bucket I got crud in mixing container. Now returning to hobby recently and mix my blue bucket in my water mixing container and absolutely clear and no residue, but I don’t heat it till later mix it at room temp. Maybe they changed their formulation too

No I think you're spot on. I believe @jlanger had the same finding

 

[spsick]

I never heated my blue bucket salt when mixing or storing and still had tons of brown crud (even with the new formula)

 

[Fishfoo]

I never heated my blue bucket salt when mixing or storing and still had tons of brown crud (even with the new formula)

Maybe your return pump heats it to a point where the crud starts to form? Honestly have no clue

 

[spsick]

It’s a common issue with basically every salt, just the organics and impurities (apparently mostly from magnesium) and I see it because I store the mixed water. No issue for mix and use users.

 

[MistakesWereMade]

Does heating water cause the crud? I have always just let a heater run in the mixing station. I thought it helped dissolve faster. I also measure with refractometer so I thought you wanted the temp to be the same as aquarium for it to be truly accurate. After I get the salinity where I want it, I just shut the heat off. I never go from mixing bin to aquarium.

Edit: to add to that thought, if I didn't preheat water, wouldn't the crud show up in the tank after it heats instead of staying in the mixing barrel?

 

[Fishfoo]

It’s a common issue with basically every salt, just the organics and impurities (apparently mostly from magnesium) and I see it because I store the mixed water. No issue for mix and use users.

Yeah I think this is the biggest piece to the puzzle. I will store water for weeks/a month at times and that likely doesn't help things

 

[Fishfoo]

So here’s my mixing container looking extra rough. Last cleaned 6 months ago if I had to guess

 

[asifiqbal2]

There is something about once it’s heated use right away. Possible theory the organics in the tank prevents it from precipitating out vs sitting in a container.

There are a few salts out there where different components come separate and you have to mix them together when you make a batch. I think ESV is one of them. Other than that any kind of reef salt with higher parameters will have precipitate. I have never heard or witnessed myself of it hurting anything.

 

[Fishfoo]

There is something about once it’s heated use right away. Possible theory the organics in the tank prevents it from precipitating out vs sitting in a container.

There are a few salts out there where different components come separate and you have to mix them together when you make a batch. I think ESV is one of them. Other than that any kind of reef salt with higher parameters will have precipitate. I have never heard or witnessed myself of it hurting anything.

Yeah this sounds right. And agreed, not worried about it hurting anything (if it did then I think Reef Crystals would not be a company today ). It's just a nuisance. Looking forward to Nyos once my Red Sea is gone

 

[bigmax]

Does heating water cause the crud? I have always just let a heater run in the mixing station. I thought it helped dissolve faster. I also measure with refractometer so I thought you wanted the temp to be the same as aquarium for it to be truly accurate. After I get the salinity where I want it, I just shut the heat off. I never go from mixing bin to aquarium.

Edit: to add to that thought, if I didn't preheat water, wouldn't the crud show up in the tank after it heats instead of staying in the mixing barrel?

You may want to check R2R for your own verification. Randy Holmes-Farley stated.. 'that heating the water while dissolving the salt mix will increase precipitates..', Ever since reading that I fully dissolve the salt mix at room temp, in my basement (10 to 14 degree delta to tank temp) then apply heat before the water change, it does seem to help. Most refractometers, such as the inexpensive BRS model have ATC (Automatic Temperature Compensation) so it will measure appropriately in ppt regardless of temp.

Just an aside in the middle to typing this I decided to glance at refractometers and coincidentally purchased the Milwaukee MA877 for $96.47 from the Test Equipment Depot

 

[Fishfoo]

You may want to check R2R for your own verification. Randy Holmes-Farley stated.. 'that heating the water while dissolving the salt mix will increase precipitates..', Ever since reading that I fully dissolve the salt mix at room temp, in my basement (10 degree delta to tank temp) then apply heat before water change, it does seem to help. Most refractometers, such as the inexpensive BRS model have ATC (Automatic Temperature Compensation) so it will measure appropriately in ppt regardless of temp.

Just an aside in the middle to typing this I decided to glance at refractometers and coincidentally purchased the Milwaukee MA877 for $96.47 from the Test Equipment Depot

Yup, the problem for me is my mixing pump heats the water just by running in a 24 hour period. Maybe it means I just need to get a new pump.

 

[spsick]

Yup, the problem for me is my mixing pump heats the water just by running in a 24 hour period. Maybe it means I just need to get a new pump.

I just use an old Tunze 6065 in the mixing drum, vs the mag drive I have installed to fill the drum or circulate. Moves more water and uses less juice, and I suppose generates very little heat.

 

[Fishfoo]

I just use an old Tunze 6065 in the mixing drum, vs the mag drive I have installed to fill the drum or circulate. Moves more water and uses less juice, and I suppose generates very little heat.

Makes sense. I just have very little outlets left in that room lol.

 

[Jake]

I just use an old Tunze 6065 in the mixing drum, vs the mag drive I have installed to fill the drum or circulate. Moves more water and uses less juice, and I suppose generates very little heat.

Do pumps use more or less juice than power heads? I currently run 2-3 smaller power heads in my mixing tank but have plenty of pumps laying around. Maybe I’ll put something together with a pump and leftover plumbing

 

[spsick]

Do pumps use more or less juice than power heads? I currently run 2-3 smaller power heads in my mixing tank but have plenty of pumps laying around. Maybe I’ll put something together with a pump and leftover plumbing

Powerheads typically use a fraction of the watts a traditional pump uses.

 

[Jake]

So here’s my mixing container looking extra rough. Last cleaned 6 months ago if I had to guess
View attachment 65167

This looks like a well seasoned cast iron pan mine looks very similar after 6 months or more.

 

[MistakesWereMade]

You may want to check R2R for your own verification. Randy Holmes-Farley stated.. 'that heating the water while dissolving the salt mix will increase precipitates..', Ever since reading that I fully dissolve the salt mix at room temp, in my basement (10 to 14 degree delta to tank temp) then apply heat before the water change, it does seem to help. Most refractometers, such as the inexpensive BRS model have ATC (Automatic Temperature Compensation) so it will measure appropriately in ppt regardless of temp.

I never really read much on mixing salt to be honest. Quickly looking at instructions for a few brands (Red Sea, Instant, Tropic) along with the article that BRS has on their website, they are all a little different. In many cases though they suggest adding a heater. I assume most directions are under the assumption that you are mixing to perform a water change and not storage. I have a 75-gallon holding tank that I use for doing AWC. I then mix salt in a 30-gallon brute, then transfer when the holding tank when it is running low or has enough room to hold the entire brute. The holding tank sits in a basement without a heater. If needed I could go a month without mixing, though storage recommendations don't generally recommend that.

One or two of the instructions recommended mixing at room temperature water. My guess is that would mean between 60-70 F. Hard to believe that mixing at 78 would be that different. I didn't see anything specific on the Nyos salt, but it did say it mixed cleaner. Will be interesting to hear comments on this once people really start using this. I still have a years' worth of salt in my basement. Outside of the crude in mixing stations I have never heard anything negative about any salt (except that recall that Tropic did awhile back).

Milwaukee MA877

Amazon reviews seem pretty decent.

 

[spsick]

I never really read much on mixing salt to be honest. Quickly looking at instructions for a few brands (Red Sea, Instant, Tropic) along with the article that BRS has on their website, they are all a little different. In many cases though they suggest adding a heater. I assume most directions are under the assumption that you are mixing to perform a water change and not storage. I have a 75-gallon holding tank that I use for doing AWC. I then mix salt in a 30-gallon brute, then transfer when the holding tank when it is running low or has enough room to hold the entire brute. The holding tank sits in a basement without a heater. If needed I could go a month without mixing, though storage recommendations don't generally recommend that.

One or two of the instructions recommended mixing at room temperature water. My guess is that would mean between 60-70 F. Hard to believe that mixing at 78 would be that different. I didn't see anything specific on the Nyos salt, but it did say it mixed cleaner. Will be interesting to hear comments on this once people really start using this. I still have a years' worth of salt in my basement. Outside of the crude in mixing stations I have never heard anything negative about any salt (except that recall that Tropic did awhile back).


Amazon reviews seem pretty decent.

Agree with all of this. Salts do vary quite a bit on mixing instructions and I think the only negative to any crud is the hassle of cleaning mixing bins for AWC users. My theory is those precipitates are probably actually a consistent way of adding organics to a tank hence why users of Instant Ocean (@BlindSwordsman for example) and Red Sea have success.

 

[spsick]

So after all this talk I mix up a batch today (just cracked into my second bag) and it doesn’t want to dissolve. I think it’s because I used a full tank of fresh cold RO water that was 55° but I’ve never had this issue in winters past. I’m gonna try warm the batch up slowly and see if it’s dissolved by the morning.

This is of course mixing properly - adding salt slowly to the drum until salinity is reached, not pouring all the salt in then filling with water or anything weird.