Salt from evaporation

[jnewman]

The cross members on my tank are pretty dirty with salt build up how do you go about cleanning without getting the sheets or chunks of salt in the tank. (read that it is bad for the tank)

[drillsar]

Isnt your cross members plastic? Salt I dont think can hurt plastic. What I usually do cleaning my tank without getting salt in it, is use a plastic garbage bag and clean it.

[demonsp]

Weekly cleaning helps as well as amount of disturbance on the surface. While removeing if some drops in it will not be any big deal.

I say it maybe time to adjust your tanks maintance mb. Weekly cleaning very important as well as monthy celaning of all equipment.Its part of reefing.

I always keep a towle handy and as im looking over my tank i will give it a qiuck wipe down.

[jnewman]

so can i use a wet towel or spunge to clean the cross member area? dont worry about salt flakes falling in the tank and keap the water moving?

[dileggi]

I don't know that the salt flakes would hurt the water...but I do believe that any salt flakes that hit any corals will burn them.

[ahullsb]

If you have a filter sock or something I probably wouldn't worry about it. To be on the safe side, I usually wipe it off, with a piece of paper, or paper garbage bag underneath it in case a huge chunk falls in the water.

[The Floodinator]

I use the vacuum cleaner. Suck it up and it's gone. Just don't suck up any water .

[seapug]

it's best to keep the buildup from getting too heavy through weekly or daily wipedowns with a damp rag, but if you have stalactites of saltcreep I'd use two hands to remove it. Put a damp rag or paper towel on top of the brace and one on the underside then slowly wipe it off. Some very reputable experts (Bob Fenner being one) recommend putting the salt back in the tank as long as you are careful not to let large undissolved chunks fall on corals or anemones.