IO Reef Crystals STINK

meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I have used the regular IO salt for 2 years with good results.....I wanted to try the reef crystals
WELL....I have been thru 2 boxes, and it takes 2 days to clear in my mixing bucket, and always leaves a residue....the regular IO is always crystal clear with no residue....so back to that I GO
anyone else have issues with the reef crystals??
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
I haven't used the IO salt in some time. I do think you should be using the reef salt tho. What your seeing is precipitate due to the high levels in the mix. (Cal,Alk, ect..) That's why its cloudy and leaving the residue. Make sure your source water is still stripped by the RO/DI, and mix up your salt real well before you use it. The heavier minerals tend to form bands or layers in the mix during shipping. If this has happened all the way through the batches of salt you have used, meaning it doesn't seem to be more or less worse between the batches you've made. Then mixing it up wont help, its probably just a strong batch. Oceanic is another salt that makes a cloudy mess of the water.
 
luvmyreef

luvmyreef

Active Member
No issues here. I used to use the plain io salt when I first started, once I switched, I noticed a difference and my corals love it. My birdsnest seems to grow overnight after a water change.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
So you are saying it's okay to use like that....PHEWWWWWWWWWWWW...it was making me nervous, and after I did the w/c my tank water clouded up some.....it is clearing, BUT that scared the heck out of me.....
I took my trash can out side and scrubbed it down too.....there was a film all over the sides
I let it mix for 2 days too
My ro/di is still good.....filters are fairly new too
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

I have used the regular and the reef crystals: I heat the RO water and use a pump to keep the water stirred 24 hours and I 'm good to go, the water is nice and clear in just a few hours. My numbers are much better since I started using it, before when I used the regular I needed buffer all the time..no film at all.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Well my tank water is all clear now......I have never had to add buffer to the regular either.....just wanted something better for my corals

BUT all seems ok.....OH...I use a CA3000 pump to mix....it's 1000gph....sureley that's strong enough...haha
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3293651
Well my tank water is all clear now......I have never had to add buffer to the regular either.....just wanted something better for my corals

BUT all seems ok.....OH...I use a CA3000 pump to mix....it's 1000gph....sureley that's strong enough...haha

I had some cloudy once, it wasn't instant ocean, it cleared up after I put it in the tank, someone said it would be Okay so I went ahead and used it. That was when I switched to the IO brand after that one was used up.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3293718
It's room temp....and I mixed it the same way I mix the regular IO....Does the ro have to be a specific temp....
....

Warmer makes the salt dissolve faster is all.
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
I use IO reef. I don't heat it (I read an article a couple of months back about proper mixing method and yielding better results and it says DO NOT HEAT WATER, ONLY ROOM TEMP) and I just use a mag pump to mix. Works like a charm, water is clear within 2-3 hours.
I have never had a film on my bucket, or cloudy water. Maybe something just went wrong with the boxes you got?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by rlablan
http:///forum/post/3293749
I use IO reef. I don't heat it (I read an article a couple of months back about proper mixing method and yielding better results and it says DO NOT HEAT WATER, ONLY ROOM TEMP) and I just use a mag pump to mix. Works like a charm, water is clear within 2-3 hours.
I have never had a film on my bucket, or cloudy water. Maybe something just went wrong with the boxes you got?
HEY RAE....where ya been??.....You know, it would not surprise me if I got a bad 200G box LOL....not with my track record...and my 1000GPH pump should be more then enough to mix it...you would think
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
Hi lady!!!
I've been around. Dealing with all kinda of personal crap and work and what not. lol had a BAD social week this week. My poor little 21 year old ego has taken a real beating at the hands of some gentlemen suitors recently. so... I thought I would take some comfort in some good ol' aquarium reading.
I dunno what to tell ya. Ever since you told me about the Dr's site, I have been getting my salt in the BIG boxes from there and ONLY there. I have had no troubles but you my friend... you are the one who would get those boxes, if they existed. (I'm sorry to say)... I am sure it's just some funky little thing that really isn't a big deal. I use a Mag 9 to mix. I dunno what GHP that is... but it's big and almost instantly dissolves that salt!
How are the tanks and the critters in them?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOL...GPH= gallons per hour.....The pump I use is 1000 gph....the mag 9 is 900 gph.....
everything seems to be doing great, sorry to hear of your troubles....sometimes life sux......boy do I know that
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3293718
It's room temp....and I mixed it the same way I mix the regular IO....Does the ro have to be a specific temp....
....
The colder the better. Don't fear tossing in some ice cubes made from RO/DI to make the water colder before mixing in the salt.
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
Eh... I'll live. I just don't do well with rejection. haha and it's the worst when you aren't even really interested, and then they say they are, so you're like... "oh, okay" and then you get rejected and you're like "but... I didn't even really like you..."
It's like an episode of Seinfeld. hahah
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/3293755
The colder the better. Don't fear tossing in some ice cubes made from RO/DI to make the water colder before mixing in the salt.
OK....I'll try that next time.....thanks...I do happen to keep ro ice in the freezer....LOL
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I'll also mention stirring vigerously as you slowly add salt to the cold water. I know you're already doing that but I thought I'd mention it for anyone else reading this thread. There's no real hurry for getting the salt to dissolve, it will eventually dissolve no matter what. The trick is to get the bicarbonate and calcium to dissolve thoroughly before it begins to form Calcium carbonate (this is what shows up as a white film over everything).
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
quick question, would you add all the ro water first, then salt? Or is it ok to add .for example.....10g's ro.+...salt mix for same....so forth until you have 40G's made???/
 
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