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?

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...

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

[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