Just noticed salt accumulating on the outside of my tank

[contactpsb]

I just went to feed my damsels, and at the bottom of my 55gal tank on the outside there is a bunch of damp salt stuck to the glass and going down in the crack between the glass and the lip of my stand. I immediately panicked and thought I had a leak, but I can't see any evidence of it, the wood stand is not wet at all. I don't know what to think. I thought maybe since one of my glass panels on top is missing that it was an evaporation issue, but I cant imagine why the salt would be way down there at the bottom, I figured if it was evaporation it would up near the top where the opening is. Anyone have any ideas?

[Hara]

that is known as "salt creep"......perfectly normal and aggravating

[fishfreek]

It could be a few things. First it could be a small leak in the bottom seal. The leak could be such that its not flowing out but just comming out enough to puddle up in the crack between the glass and the frame and then evaporate. The salt is whats left over after thewater evaporates. The second thing it could be is evaporated salt from working in your tank. WHen you work in your tank at least with me I enveably have water run down the outside of teh tank where it runs off my arm/hand. This water will then evaporate at the bottom leaving the salt.

[Electrobes]

yep.. good ol' salt creep... used to scare the heck outta me because there were occasionally on my plumbing.. and of course I thought they were leaks

[sacramentofish]

ok.. what the h$%l is salt creep???

[WarOrks15]

well it is when the water get on some thing like plumbing or the glass or some thing like that and they dryes. it leves salt behind and it looks like you might have a leak or some thing like that.

[luntiz]

Originally Posted by Hara

that is known as "salt creep"......perfectly normal and aggravating

So its perfectly normal for salt creeps to appear at the bottom glass/bottom lip of the tank? I have the same problem and I can tell that it comes from the bottom of the tank, I look all over the top and main glass and cannot see any type of moisture or dried up watermarks. So I'm sure that the water isn't running down the top of the tank towards the bottom.