Salt Water Trail

[Racktacular]

I have searched this site but havn't found the answer.

I have been trying to read all I can on this site, as I am seriously considering setting up a nanotank. I will probably go with a 25g as I don't have much room for something larger. I have had FW tanks on and off for the last 15 years or so, although I currently have nothing. I tried to set up a SW before the days of the mass internet and it was a disaster. To put it bluntly, I had no idea what I was doing. Looking back at it, if I decide to give it another go, I can avoid a lot of the uninformed mistakes just by learning as much as I can. That part is relatively easy. However, one thing still stands out in my mind from that experience and that is a salt trail that occurred on the wall behind my tank. As low as the middle of the tank and up to about 12-18 inches above the top of it. All over the filters and air hoses. The salt was everywhere. Couldn't keep it clean enough and it was a complete mess.

Flash forward a bit and assume that I know more than I did 12-14 years ago, can I avoid a salty mess on the wall? No way the girlfriend will put up with that when we move in together in a few months. Can some experts give me some much needed advice, save for the moving in with the gf part, on to minimize and/or eliminate salt evaporating all over everything surrounding the tank.

TIA!

- Rack

 

[idlefingers]

You must've had water splashing from the tank onto the wall or something because when the water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind in the tank (so as evaporation occurs, the specific gravity will slowly climb). You get salt creep slowly making it's way down the side of the tank, pipes, leads, etc but this accumulates slowly (IME) and can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth.

 

[Musho3210]

im pretty sure salt evaporates with water but at REALLY low quantities, and this is the main cause of salt creep, evaporating water. I heard it but dont know if its true.