A substance that appears to look like big pieces of salt

Question
QUESTION:       
Hey. My question is more like a cry for help here. I have what looks like huge pieces of salt growing all over the outside of my aquarium. I have been to pet stores and asked numerous people for help, but they had no answer. I'd like to know what it is, what causes it, and what needs to be done to remedy this situation. It looks terrible and cannot be good for our cichlids. Please help!

ANSWER: Hi Kristin,
Without a picture, I cant be sure. However, it sounds like creep. Hard water/mineral residue from your water that shows up, similar to the salt creep on marine tanks. If you use aquarium salt or a brackish system for your cichlids it can be even worse. Just clean it off and dont get it in the aquarium. Will be high in carbonates and can cause algal growth. You should be ok, and it generally doesnt hurt the fish. It can however hurt the aquarium if allowed to stay on there and stain or fog the glass/acryllic.

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QUESTION: What would be the best way for me to avoid the salt creep in the future? What are some things I can do?

Answer
Hey Kristin,
Unfortunately the only thing you can do is wipe it off/clean it off, every 2 or 3 days... we all do it... and it's no fun for any of us... sorry. Evaporation is the biggest cause of it, so humidifiers can help, but generally not enough to make them worth while.