'salt creep'?

Tain't fresh, and tain't marine! Talk about brackish setups.
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BedScien
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'salt creep'?

Post by BedScien »

I have salt crystals regularly forming on the OUTSIDE of one of the vertical edges of my tank. WTF?
Couldn't find a leak
Any advice appreciated
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Re: 'salt creep'?

Post by Pufferpunk »

Is the tank filled to the very top? I have a tank that leaks right under the edge of the black lip at top.
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Re: 'salt creep'?

Post by RTR »

+1 to Pufferpunk's comments. FYI, that is one of the commonest tank "leaks". I put it in quotation marks as it is not always a "real" leak. If the tank is overfilled, simple wicking may allow that external water creep which evaporates to leave salt ( i.e., mineral) creep on the external glass.

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BedScien
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Re: 'salt creep'?

Post by BedScien »

Aha! I'll double check in the morning! What is wicking?
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Re: 'salt creep'?

Post by RTR »

Water has a positive meniscus - a six-bit phrase meaning that surface tension in smallish tubes or narrow spaces (such as between the glass and a plastic trim edge can wick water as a candle wick lifts melted wax to burn in a candle flame). sections of nylon stockings can wick water into flower pots from reservoirs below the pots. Woven wicks can do similar wicking of water, as can thin flat spaces. It is all relates to surface tension. Once wicking is established, it does tend to continue and produces mineral trails on the external glass from the evaporation of tank water which leaves the minerals dry on the glass, as minerals do not volatilize easily as does the water. Simple spray on the underside of a cover-glass can show the same effect, but that does not usually rum down the outside of the glass. The mineral build up is likely to be worse, and can etch the glass under-surface permanently. Tanks tend to last a long time for me, but I do replace cover glasses every few years due to etching, Etching cuts light transmission into the water, which negatively affects plant or coral and other photosynthetic inverts.

Complex stuff, but I hope that helps...
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