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melev

Trying out Salinity salt for the first time.

Rating: 4 votes, 5.00 average.
Last year I finally ran out of salt and shopped around for something new. I've enjoyed using Sybon Reef formula, but it's nowhere to be found. I did the Fritz brand for a few months, using about 750g worth... maybe more. I ended up buying a barrel of the Aquavitro Salinity salt, and today I cracked open the barrel for the first time. Here's the official page about it: http://www.aquavitro.com/products/salinity.html

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The white polytank has been needing a good cleaning and I was waiting for good weather to hit, and a few days ago I was able to get that accomplished. I'd purchased a pressure sprayer (like used for insecticide) and filled it with a gallon of muriatic acid. Using it, I sprayed down the walls of the vertical container, and then ran the garden hose into the fishroom to rinse it out thoroughly. Once done, a new set of RO/DI filters were installed and the two-day process of refilling the polytank with 250g of water commenced.

Since 2011, all I've needed to do was cut open six bags of salt and pour it in. Not with a barrel of white powder. Googling helped me learn that each bag of salt was 6.6 kilograms. 6 x 6.6 = 39.6 kg or 87.3 lbs of salt. When I used the 200g bagged boxes of Fritz salt, I needed 1.5 boxes or about 90 lbs of salt. A 1-gallon bucket holds about 11 lbs of salt, so I added 8 buckets and that is mixing now. I'll give it a couple of hours and then see if that is close to the desired salinity (1.026sg).

Having 9" of space over the top of the container is a minor annoyance, but you do what you can.

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I'll update with how it goes later.

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Comments

  1. melev's Avatar
    It's been mixing for 3 hours, and after measuring salinity on my digital refractometer four times, it measures 1.026sg - how cool is that? So 8 buckets of salt is the perfect amount - and it is easy to remember.
  2. gettareef's Avatar
    Nice! Let us know the parameters and any positives/negatives of Salinity salt. I'm really considering switching salt, mainly just for a change of things. I've used reef crystals for 5 years mainly because thats what is available locally but I'm seeing ordering online is another affordable option. Was thinking of Red Sea Coral Pro or Salinity. When changing salts, do you suggest starting with small water changes to acclimate the tank inhabitants to the new salt, or what is your process?
  3. waldend's Avatar
    Isn't this the stuff you need to mix at room temp (normal room not fish room, probably 70°F or so?) and allow it to mix for no more than 24 hours prior to adding all to the tank?
  4. melev's Avatar
    I don't know of any salt that doesn't hold up when in constant circulation. If it didn't last, how would it last in an aquarium?

    Someone recently said to mix it up with cold water and only after it is mixed, add the heater to warm it up. I do 50-55g water changes at a time, so it shouldn't be a big shock to the livestock. It's long overdue in my tank, so they will likely welcome some new elements.
  5. waldend's Avatar
    Marc - Here is a thread where Seachem actually directly replied about the mixing time. I have thought about using the salt but the cloudiness issue concerned me.

    http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...t=56038&page=5
  6. melev's Avatar
    Thanks for the link. I have mine constantly flowing inside a sealed container. Since water pours down and hits the water, it's not closed-loop circulation. I did a water change last night and didn't see any cloudiness at all by the new saltwater that had been mixing/circulating for nearly a week.
  7. gettareef's Avatar
    Hey Marc, a while back you mentioned that you were planning a weekly video where you were going to let cyano build up in one of your tank's and show your method of eradicating the problem using cyano RX, I believe. Any idea on when that video will be released? No rush! I know you're a busy man and hope your surgery went well! Thanks
  8. melev's Avatar
    The cyano that happened in my tank has been dying off despite the need for a video. I did film some of it, so there's enough to still do a video but it won't be what people usually see or compare to - they normally post a picture of a tank that is just coated in red cyano everywhere and then state they don't want to put chemicals in the water. However, when I see some of it hanging around, that's when I treat instead of waiting for it to become a disaster situation.
  9. gettareef's Avatar
    That's where my tank is at currently; just a little cyano here and there mainly on my rock, building up slowly until I brush it off with a toothbrush (at least the areas I can get to). Do you suggest I use Cyano RX and simply follow their instructions? Any other tips, or maybe youve posted about your method already? Thanks, Id just like to take care of it now before it does get out of hand
  10. melev's Avatar
    The tips I provide in two paragraphs listed on this page: http://www.melevsreef.com/node/62 I can ship you one on Monday if you don't have it already.
  11. gettareef's Avatar
    Great! Thank you Marc