What happened to my salt?

[OCDP]

I went to go do a water change yesterday and my salt has gone all clumpy and chunky. When I mix the salt, it does not completely dissolve either??? I'm confused! I haven't done anything to the salt, the lid was on tightly sealed as always.. Has this happened to anyone else?? Sure is annoying, I think I'll have to buy another bucket as this stuff doesn't seem to want to completely dissolve.

What could have happened to the salt? :confused:

Thanks in advance guys,

[Delphinus]

Exposure to humidity maybe? ... my salt gets like that towards the end of the bucket but usually still dissolves for me if I break it all up. Usually the stuff under the crust is still fine too.

[Midknight]

If it is not dissolving in your mixing bucket maybe bring the temperature up.
That might help.

[OCDP]

Thanks for the input... it seems even with a higher temp, etc, the salt just will not dissolve. I'll leave it mix for 8 hours or so, (a 2g bucket) and I will still see grainy salt in the water. I don't want to add it to the tank like that for fear of something bad happening (I don't know what.. haha)

Not a huge deal, I'll just buy another bucket of salt, but if it happens again I'll be PO'd . It's really weird... the salt has just gone all funky. I haven't changed anything, it's in the same spot (my closet) with the lid on tightly, yada yada yada... hmmm... :confused:

Anyways, thanks for the input guys.. maybe I'll try another batch tonight and see what happens.

[GMGQ]

I agree, it's the humidity in the room. Mine used to do that too, the top layer would get almost rock hard. I thought I was sealing the lid tightly too.

But now I use a small hammer to give it a couple of whacks to seal it. No problems since. (of course I need to give it a couple of whacks the other way to open it each time).

BTW, how are you mixing it? I have a powerhead in my change water tub that's on 24/7, so even when I had chunks, they would dissolve within a few hours.


Exposure to humidity maybe? ... my salt gets like that towards the end of the bucket but usually still dissolves for me if I break it all up. Usually the stuff under the crust is still fine too.

[Beverly]

I agree with humidity too. Had that happen to one of my pails. Now I close the lid tight (like I did before) and put something heavy on top of the salt pail to seal it even better. No more hard layer on top of the salt.

[midgetwaiter]

I had this happen with the last bit of an IO bucket recently. Looked like all the calcium was precipitating out and leaving a film on the inside of the bucket.

I just diluted it and used it in the brackish tank :)