Salt Build up

[OUfishman]

For the past few months now my tank has been getting salt build ups on the top of the glass hood and especially all over the top of the filter. My salt levels do not go down in the water though. I was just wondering if this was a normal part of the evaporation process or something, or is my tank trying to tell me something.

 

[steve-s]

Salt creep will appear anywhere that equipment is hanging on the edge of the tank. Annoying but common. It can also be an even greater problem if using items that produce air bubbles that will break the surface and splash the surrounnding area. My hood will generally need to be wiped down about once a month due to it sitting on the tank rim.

Cheers
Steve

 

[fernzpat]

I'm not the expert on this, but I have seen many advocating gathering up the salt creep and re-introducing it back into the tank. The theory is that some minerals disolve and creep at different rates, and to keep in balance this technique helps. I do it out of habit, but I think regular water changes make it unnecesary

 

[fishfreek]

I have heard dual views on the salt creep going back into the tank.

One view is that once the minerals have crystlized tey become less available for reintroduction into the water. Along the same lines you have the argument that the redisolving salt can burn corals and other inverts should they become in contact ith the salt as its redisolving.

With saltwater tanks any place that water gets splashed even just a few small drops the h2o will evaporate and everything else will remain behind as salt creep.