Salt Creep

[pmb_67]

Ok, so I'm new to this marines thing. My new tank is sitting with most of the kit set up, following a tap water fill to check for leaks (none), then an emptying, re-filling with RO and salting up to the right level. I've been running it a wee while now trying to get a good skimmer set up (finally settled on an internal Tunze 9010, but waiting on a 9020's collection device as the standard cup thing is too fat to fit!) so it's still just turning over salty water...

Now, as you more experienced marinos will expect, I'm getting salt creep - that is, deposits of salt appearing on the outside of the tank even though the lids are on and I've not taken so much of a grain of salt near the tank in a couple of weeks. But what's worrying me is all I can find is examples of it seeming to come over the side of the tank - but with mine I have to say it looks like it's kind of coming through the seams... I've taken a couple of pictures but am having trouble transferring them onto my computer - should I be worried, or is this normal?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

 

[Colin_T]

Salt creep occurs where there is water and airbubbles. It is common around the edge of coverglass and in the corners of the tank. But anywhere you have a lot of bubbles or major surface turbulence you will get it. The more you have the faster it grows. It is simply the saltwater collecting on the sides. When the water evaporates it leaves behind the salt crystals. I wipe them up with a sponge and wash them down the drain. Try dropping the water level in the tank down 1 inch. It might help.

 

[TammyLiz]

Are you saying the salt is building up around the side seams of the tank? That would be strange unless there was water leaking out of the seams of the tank. Hopefully that is not happening!

As far as the salt creep on the top it is always worse when there is a lot of turbulence at the top of the water. I had a lot of trouble with mine while the water was low. I know it is the opposite of the last poster, but true! The powerhead was actually creating a little whirlpool at the output and tiny bubbles since the output was so close to the surface. They would pop right away at the surface of the water but they were causing salt creep with the tiny bit of splash that was so small I hadn't even noticed it. However I did notice the salt all over the place. I filled the tank a little higher and now almost no salt creep at all.

Whatever the case, make sure you don't have any splashing and it should fix the problem.

 

[craigybaby37]

I had a similar problem with salt creep building up around where the glass panels join together........turned out to the the plastic frame around the top of the tank had lost its seal and the water was building up undernieth it so i took it off dried it out and siliconed it back into place and not had any problems since.