New salt mix still cloudy after 4 days?

Roachant · 09/09/2013, 08:07 PM

Hi all,
I mixed up a batch of fresh water using my ro/di water and have noticed that it still appears cloudy after about 4 days. I mixed it in a bucket and I am using a power head in the bucket. Any thoughs?
Should I add a sock to clear up the water?

hogfanreefer · 09/09/2013, 09:21 PM

What brand salt mix and how did you mix it. Red Sea Coral Pro will look like milk if you mix it too long with a power head. Mix it cold and only till clear (usually not more than an hour for me).

I actually changed brands of salt because I got tired of not being able to put a heater in my mixing container in the morning and coming home and doing a water change after work.

When I had your problem it would clear if I let it sit undisturbed but only because the precipitate settled to the bottom. If you do that be careful not to agitate it when you remove it from the container or it will cloud back up. Check the parameters on the cleared water to make sure the precipitation didn't change anything too badly.

Roachant · 09/10/2013, 03:53 AM

I'm using instant ocean reef crystals, and I didn't use a heater, water was cold does that make a difference?

MondoBongo · 09/10/2013, 04:52 AM

double check your calcium and alkalinity in the mixed water.

maybe it settled during shipping and you got a higher concentration of something in this mix that is causing the cloudiness.

i had a bucket of salt a while back (SeaChem Salinity) that mixed up cloudy in every single batch i made from it. i would run a small HOB filter i had laying around on my mixing container with some carbon in it for a day to clear it up.

r-balljunkie · 09/10/2013, 05:28 AM

did u make water first then add salt?

Roachant · 09/10/2013, 07:28 AM

Yep, I added the salt to the water. I used some of it for some little amphipods and sand critters I collected over the weekend in Maine and they seem to love the water, they are eating and swimming around.
Quite entertaining actually, makes me feel a little bad I will use them as food.
I will test the water and see if my calcium is high. If it is I guess I will have to roll the bucket or something.

Fizz71 · 09/10/2013, 01:50 PM

How quick did you dump the salt in? If you add it too fast you'll get a calcium and carbonate precipitate that won't go away...and never settle if you have a pump in there.

Roachant · 09/10/2013, 06:29 PM

I added a half cup at a time when I mixed it.
I noticed when I came home the cloudyish water I added to the amphipod tank has completely cleared up.
I will turn off the pumps and see if it settles out. I did notice that it looks a lot clearer but still has a very faint hint of cloud to it.
I did a calcium test and it was at 450 mg/l.
I will continue to mix up a few batches this week and fill my tank up when I have enough and let it run and see how it goes.
It will take me a while to fill my tank because my RO/ DI unit puts out water very slowly, so I can only do about 10 gallons a night. They are right when they say you need patience in this hobby

Fizz71 · 09/11/2013, 06:34 AM

1/2 cup shouldn't cause a precipitate. Is it possible the critter water is just as bad, you're just not looking through enough of it?

You could also have managed to generate an algea bloom if the tub is warm and lit but it wouldn't be cloudy from day one.

At this point all I can say is maybe bad salt. Other than that I'm stumped.

Reeferz412 · 09/11/2013, 06:58 AM

IO is the worst salt to use. I will never use it again. That build up on the bottom? Forget about it, it will never dissolve. I use Kent Reef Mix and it works great for me and its cheap. Been using it for two years now and everything dissolves within minutes.

Roachant · 09/14/2013, 08:41 AM

Well, cloudiness cleared up! So now I added some LR and I added a bag of agro-alive sand to my refugium in my sump and my tank water is now... milk, but that's ok I expected that and I know it will clear up, especially since I have a filter sock and a HOB filter stuffed with floss. Will post pics of layout once my milk water clears :-)

09/09/2013, 08:07 PM	#1
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	New salt mix still cloudy after 4 days? Hi all, I mixed up a batch of fresh water using my ro/di water and have noticed that it still appears cloudy after about 4 days. I mixed it in a bucket and I am using a power head in the bucket. Any thoughs? Should I add a sock to clear up the water? __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture

09/09/2013, 09:21 PM	#2
hogfanreefer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 2,117	What brand salt mix and how did you mix it. Red Sea Coral Pro will look like milk if you mix it too long with a power head. Mix it cold and only till clear (usually not more than an hour for me). I actually changed brands of salt because I got tired of not being able to put a heater in my mixing container in the morning and coming home and doing a water change after work. When I had your problem it would clear if I let it sit undisturbed but only because the precipitate settled to the bottom. If you do that be careful not to agitate it when you remove it from the container or it will cloud back up. Check the parameters on the cleared water to make sure the precipitation didn't change anything too badly. __________________ DSA 155,Custom Trigger 42" sump/refugium, MP40 X2, MP 10 X 2, AI Hydra 52 X3, Apex controller, Tunze ATO Current Tank Info: DSA 155 gallon, mixed reef, SPS and wrasse dominant

09/10/2013, 03:53 AM	#3
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	I'm using instant ocean reef crystals, and I didn't use a heater, water was cold does that make a difference? __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture

09/10/2013, 05:28 AM	#5
r-balljunkie Registered Reefer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Doha, Qatar Posts: 2,059	did u make water first then add salt? __________________ ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ 58G Oceanic Illuminata rimless with GH overflow , Mazarra LED x 3, Tunze 6095 x 2, Eheim 1260, BM-180 skimmer, TLF reactors, Apex LT .

09/10/2013, 07:28 AM	#6
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	Yep, I added the salt to the water. I used some of it for some little amphipods and sand critters I collected over the weekend in Maine and they seem to love the water, they are eating and swimming around. Quite entertaining actually, makes me feel a little bad I will use them as food. I will test the water and see if my calcium is high. If it is I guess I will have to roll the bucket or something. __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture

09/10/2013, 04:52 AM	#4
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	double check your calcium and alkalinity in the mixed water. maybe it settled during shipping and you got a higher concentration of something in this mix that is causing the cloudiness. i had a bucket of salt a while back (SeaChem Salinity) that mixed up cloudy in every single batch i made from it. i would run a small HOB filter i had laying around on my mixing container with some carbon in it for a day to clear it up.

09/10/2013, 01:50 PM	#7
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	How quick did you dump the salt in? If you add it too fast you'll get a calcium and carbonate precipitate that won't go away...and never settle if you have a pump in there. __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).

09/10/2013, 06:29 PM	#8
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	I added a half cup at a time when I mixed it. I noticed when I came home the cloudyish water I added to the amphipod tank has completely cleared up. I will turn off the pumps and see if it settles out. I did notice that it looks a lot clearer but still has a very faint hint of cloud to it. I did a calcium test and it was at 450 mg/l. I will continue to mix up a few batches this week and fill my tank up when I have enough and let it run and see how it goes. It will take me a while to fill my tank because my RO/ DI unit puts out water very slowly, so I can only do about 10 gallons a night. They are right when they say you need patience in this hobby __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture

09/11/2013, 06:34 AM	#9
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	1/2 cup shouldn't cause a precipitate. Is it possible the critter water is just as bad, you're just not looking through enough of it? You could also have managed to generate an algea bloom if the tub is warm and lit but it wouldn't be cloudy from day one. At this point all I can say is maybe bad salt. Other than that I'm stumped. __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).

09/11/2013, 06:58 AM	#10
Reeferz412 Coral Hoarder Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,247	IO is the worst salt to use. I will never use it again. That build up on the bottom? Forget about it, it will never dissolve. I use Kent Reef Mix and it works great for me and its cheap. Been using it for two years now and everything dissolves within minutes. __________________ Alex FMAS Member Current Tank Info: 400 Gallons of frags... 30 gallon Deep Blue mixed reef ... 70 other tanks throughout south FL

09/14/2013, 08:41 AM	#11
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	Well, cloudiness cleared up! So now I added some LR and I added a bag of agro-alive sand to my refugium in my sump and my tank water is now... milk, but that's ok I expected that and I know it will clear up, especially since I have a filter sock and a HOB filter stuffed with floss. Will post pics of layout once my milk water clears :-) __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture