bad salt

[Navycook2]

Can salt go bad? like if moisture got in the salt bucket and made the salt hard. if you scraped it out would the salt be bad at that point? Im trying to do a water change and in my brute can its been three days and a little salt has not dissolved. I used some of the top water to had to my tank as i took out some live rock and my water is a little cloudy. Could this be a result of that salt?

 

[EricTheRed]

I ususally have a small amount of sediment at the bottom of my brute can. Personally, If I had some salt that clumped up from moisture, I'd still use.

 

[Navycook2]

hmmm ok interesting!! thanks!!

 

[Pufferpunk]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php#2

 

[Navycook2]

Thanks Jen that makes a lot of sense!! Im wondering if the new additive that i bought is what makes the cloudiness appear its called fuel by aquavitro I dont use limewater or Kalk so that wouldnt make it cloudy. But that article was very good!!

 

[mlreef]

I'd use it.

 

[EricTheRed]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php#2

Thanks for sharing. Now I have a place to send people who think it is required or good to stir their kalk water.

 

[m.miller1547]

I use fuel as well. It doesn't cloud my tank tho. My salt hardens because I leave the often wet scoop in the bag. I still use it. Good luck with cloudy water.

 

[Navycook2]

so got new salt today and got home right after to find My purple bonzai bleached out and my strawberry shortcake may have 95 percent bleached out not sure on that one i got it white and was just starting to color up!! so im in a super need of a water change!! In your opinion whats the least amount of time i can wait for salt to dissolve with out burning the corals!? thanks guys!!

 

[markitekt]

I've always just stirred the salt in the bucket with my arm and use it right away, without negative effects.

 

[Navycook2]

lol holy crap really Ive burned all my corals doing that!!

 

[EricTheRed]

You need to let it sit so the pH comes down. It's always very high right after its mixed. You can add it to your tank as soon as the pH stablizes.

 

[Navycook2]

how long does that usually last?

 

[EricTheRed]

how long does that usually last?

That's a great question, I've never tested it so I don't know. If I was in a hurry to do a really big wc I'd probably want to do a quick pH test.

 

[Navycook2]

i did a Ph test before i put the 1/2 of new salt in I had half the old salt in for a couple days so my ph was at around 8.4

 

[tinman]

ok Bringing back this thread to life,

the question actually asked by OP is a very valid one, even i used to use clumped up sand and always though thats fine

but was talking to Glenn (aquarium adventures) day before yesterday and he said Clumped up salt changes its chemistry and it should not be used.

was still researching on my own but thought might post it here.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Salt is salt, clumped or not. Don't always believe everything you hear at a LFS.

 

[tinman]

Salt is salt, clumped or not. Don't always believe everything you hear at a LFS.

not just LFS, and salt is not just salt anymore when it comes to reef salt as a lot of things are mixed with it to make it beneficial to reefs

found this..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1935179

im not saying i believe it ..

 

[Pufferpunk]

We're only talking about it become moist & hard. Nothing harmful about that. Been tossing in hard chunks to my mixing bucket for years...

 

[Raising Reefs]

I would use it.