Thread: IO Salt
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Old 12-17-2011, 08:58 PM
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Are you talking loose residue or stuff that coats your mixing container? Also, how long are you waiting before use and what are you using to mix the batch? Batch size?

I generally mix close to 25 gals in a rectangular rubbermaid type container for my water changes. Have a powerhead running as I dump about 11 cups of IO into the RODI water. I don't wait, one cup after another. Once the salt is all in, I help the powerhead by using a wooden spoon to mix the salt that's collected on the bottom of the container. I'll then let the powerhead run & leave the mix for at least a day, usually two or three before the water change. Mixing container is in the relatively cool basement so a few hours before water change, I throw a couple of heaters in there to match tank temp & do a final SG check to ensure it's close if not bang on the same as the tank. Rarely add anything else like Ca or Mag, I'll dose those into the tank separately.

Been using the same container to mix for close to 3 years, so it has a good crust of residue all around. I don't sweat that, it's taken a long time to get to that state so I don't figure I'm losing that much in any particular batch that I'm mixing up. Last water change, after emptying the mixing container, I beat on it to knock some of the residue loose. Seems like mostly calcium, but just guessing there.
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