A scale inhibiting polymer mixture, comprising: a water source comprising 4000 ppm to 350,000 ppm total dissolved solids; and about 0.05 ppm to about 200 ppm of a polymer composition, the polymer composition comprising: about 55 mol% to about 99 mol% of a first monomer comprising a residue of one of: acrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, or methacrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof; about 0.01 mol% to about 45 mol% of a second monomer comprising a residue of one of: 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, methacrylic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, sulfostyrene, or a methallyl sulfonate, wherein the first monomer is chemically different from the second monomer, about 0.01 mol% to about 5 mol% of a third monomer, wherein the third monomer comprises a residue of tert-butylacrylamide, optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fourth monomer, wherein the fourth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, and the third monomer; and optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fifth monomer, wherein the fifth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, the third monomer and the fourth monomer. a water source comprising 4000 ppm to 350,000 ppm total dissolved solids; and about 0.05 ppm to about 200 ppm of a polymer composition, the polymer composition comprising: about 55 mol% to about 99 mol% of a first monomer comprising a residue of one of: acrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, or methacrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof; about 0.01 mol% to about 45 mol% of a second monomer comprising a residue of one of: 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, methacrylic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, sulfostyrene, or a methallyl sulfonate, wherein the first monomer is chemically different from the second monomer, about 0.01 mol% to about 5 mol% of a third monomer, wherein the third monomer comprises a residue of tert-butylacrylamide, optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fourth monomer, wherein the fourth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, and the third monomer; and optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fifth monomer, wherein the fifth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, the third monomer and the fourth monomer. acrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof, or methacrylic acid, a salt thereof, or a conjugate base thereof; about 0.01 mol% to about 45 mol% of a second monomer comprising a residue of one of: 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, methacrylic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, sulfostyrene, or a methallyl sulfonate, wherein the first monomer is chemically different from the second monomer, about 0.01 mol% to about 5 mol% of a third monomer, wherein the third monomer comprises a residue of tert-butylacrylamide, optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fourth monomer, wherein the fourth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, and the third monomer; and optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fifth monomer, wherein the fifth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, the third monomer and the fourth monomer. 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, maleic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, methacrylic acid, a salt thereof or a conjugate base thereof, sulfostyrene, or a methallyl sulfonate, wherein the first monomer is chemically different from the second monomer, about 0.01 mol% to about 5 mol% of a third monomer, wherein the third monomer comprises a residue of tert-butylacrylamide, optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fourth monomer, wherein the fourth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, and the third monomer; and optionally about 0.01 mol% to about 10 mol% of a fifth monomer, wherein the fifth monomer comprises a residue that is chemically different from the first monomer, the second monomer, the third monomer and the fourth monomer.