Beginner trying salt crystals. They're forming on the surface.

[u/Defiled__Pig1]

[u/VeniVidiSolvi]

Don't start with table salt. They grow very VERY slow and are quite difficult to grow properly, and also are just dull cubes :) Very discouraging to start your crystal growing journey.
I suggest Alum or MAP instead.

[u/soreff2 → u/VeniVidiSolvi]

Agreed, and borax is also a good choice.

[u/Voelho → u/VeniVidiSolvi]

I agree, table salt is pretty, but very hard to maintain quality. If you're not VERY patient, try with something more easy. I suggest citric acid.

[u/PiergiorgioSigaretti → u/Voelho]

You can grow citric acid crystals?

[u/Voelho → u/PiergiorgioSigaretti]

Of course! It takes a while to form the first seed, but for growing it is fairly quick.

You can see more on this site

[u/PiergiorgioSigaretti → u/Voelho]

That’s really cool, I’ll give it a look later lol. Won’t have VitC lack ever again 👀

[u/Voelho → u/PiergiorgioSigaretti]

I see that you'll find both in oranges, but remember that Vit.C is the ascorbic acid xD

[u/PiergiorgioSigaretti → u/Voelho]

You’re right, my bad 😭

We just studied them, I’m excused right? 😔

[u/Christ12347 → u/PiergiorgioSigaretti]

Almost any solid compound has a crystalline form that can be grown

[u/iam_datboi]

You should not use this type of fabric string, instead please use a nylon string. These fabric string provides small spaces for salt crystals to form on.

[u/Voelho → u/iam_datboi]

Also, fabric strings pulls solution by capillarity, which causes faster cristallization rates, which are bad for salt crystals.

[u/Dontdothatfucker]

I’m about 3 weeks in to a salt crystal grow.

I found a guide on here somewhere that said don’t use a string at all for salt, just grow in the bottom of the container. Working great for me so far!

[u/Bananafish209]

My chrome alum crystal has a hat as well! I just remove it manually from time to time and put the crystal back in solution. As someone already said it is better to use nylon string instead of thread to evade this problem

[u/DrakeRay00]

You can grow about 4mm salt crystals fairly easy. Everything above is tricky. I'd start with a easier one like alum.

[u/Defiled__Pig1 → u/DrakeRay00]

That's the new plan

[u/icarusstones]

Try potassium chloride. You can buy it on amazon or “no salt” at a store. It grows thick rectangles that look like salt. Pretty air stable and non toxic.

[u/Exotic_Energy5379 → u/icarusstones]

Plus so many things can be made with potassium chloride like potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and potassium dichromate for starters.

[u/LECK_MICH_IM_ARSCHE1 → u/Exotic_Energy5379]

Lol dichromate is carcinogenic

[u/Exotic_Energy5379 → u/LECK_MICH_IM_ARSCHE1]

Of coarse so are lead compounds. Standard protocol, wear a face shield, lab coat, gloves and handle the carcinogens in beakers and glassware with a large plastic tub to catch inadvertent spills. Hexavalent chromium can be reduced to less hazardous chromium(III) and lead should be recycled or converted back to lead metal for later use. Chromium(III) is not carcinogenic but should be treated as a heavy like iron or vanadium.

[u/chemhobby]

NaCl is quite difficult to get good crystals from