First time saltwater mixer here

Ding2daDong · 09/23/2007, 05:11 PM

I mixed up a batch of salt w/instant ocean about a week ago in my brute rubbermaid container and it has been mixing with a mag5 outside.

I brought the tank inside today to acclimate to the temp. of my house and noticed a white film around the inside and the pump.

I just wanted to know if this is normal?

Here is a picture after I stirred it up, I thought the white film was salt but it's like a slim. I also keep a lid on it that is tightly sealed when outside.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

-Matthew

Ding2daDong · 09/23/2007, 05:25 PM

Any picture

Thanks

-Matthew

illal · 09/23/2007, 05:26 PM

looks like salt

macawmagic · 09/23/2007, 05:33 PM

when I mixed up my first batch of salt...when I pumped it into the bucket it looked a little soapy, kinda like yours does. I would say it's fine, but get some other opinions.

invertigator · 09/23/2007, 05:34 PM

Smells like Salt

invertigator · 09/23/2007, 05:34 PM

Tastes like salt.

invertigator · 09/23/2007, 05:36 PM

I had the same thing happen, had scum on the surface too. Probably ok, but ask one of the old salts.........no pun intended.

coralfragger101 · 09/23/2007, 06:21 PM

I'm not a chemist and I don't know exactly what it is. To my knowledge, it will not hurt your tank. Too many people use this brand of salt with similar experiences on mixing and have thriving tanks. It is not undissolved salt. It is a precipitant as a result of mixing. I believe it is a result of the salt mix (itself - not your doing) not being chemically balanced.

Put a couple of air stones in there and the surface will start looking like your skimmer cup.

Without going into "The Great Salt Debate", this is one of the reasons I switched brands.

This is a brand new container with a fresh mix of Aquacraft salt.

ReefXpert127 · 09/23/2007, 06:58 PM

It is simply calcium that has participated from the salt mix. What this means is that there is more calcium then magnesium in the mix. To fix this you can add some magnesium supplements to the water to prevent the calcium from participating. You see it around the pump because heat causes it to participate.

Ding2daDong · 09/23/2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReefXpert127
It is simply calcium that has participated from the salt mix. What this means is that there is more calcium then magnesium in the mix. To fix this you can add some magnesium supplements to the water to prevent the calcium from participating. You see it around the pump because heat causes it to participate.

Hmmm thats probably it. I mix the salt outside for the past week and the heat must have done that. I brought the container in the house and hope over the next day it will clear up.

Thanks for all the help.

Does anyone have any good ways to disperse the flow in a container to better aid in mixing? I guess some pvc and drill a bunch of holes will work well.

Thanks again

-Matthew

coralfragger101 · 09/23/2007, 07:40 PM

Mag 12 pump. Set on a timer to mix for 15 min every couple of hours. Simple venturi line injects air into it as it mixes for aeration of mixture as well.

coralfragger101 · 09/23/2007, 08:00 PM

You would have had a precip even if you would have mixed this and stored it inside. It is not from the heat factor alone.

ReefWreak · 09/23/2007, 11:28 PM

Wow fragger that's an awesome setup.

Matt, I had the same problem for a while. I was told that it was electricity leaking from the pump and to get a grounding probe and it would stop the precipitation of the calcium in the water. The salt was IO and it was RO/DI water. Looked cloudy like that for a long time. I never tried the ground probe because I just ended up buying premade saltwater and never used that pump again.

Hope you find out what it is.

Ding2daDong · 09/24/2007, 12:47 AM

Well the water is still cloudy and there is still film developing on the inside so should I just remake a batch?

CoralFragger: Where did you get that blue container? Looks perfect for the job.

Thanks everyone

-Matthew

coralfragger101 · 09/24/2007, 04:08 AM

Got them at US Plastics, online.

You can use the water you made. If you make a new batch - the same thing will happen.

45commando · 09/24/2007, 05:02 PM

Matt,
you are adding the salt to the container full of water & not the water to the salt,right?If doing the later,then you could be causing the calcium to precipitate out of solution.In fact if you add all the salt too quickly to the water,it can cause the same affect.Make sure you add the salt gradually.HTH & sorry if you're already mixing it this way.

Ding2daDong · 09/24/2007, 07:55 PM

I add the salt to the water but I have been adding all of it in about a minute.

Any other recommendations for this not to happen? I am going to mix inside the house and add the salt gradually. I am also going to make a spray bar so the whole container gets even flow and not just one spot.

Thanks for the help.

-Matthew

09/23/2007, 05:11 PM	#1
Ding2daDong Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,723	First time saltwater mixer here I mixed up a batch of salt w/instant ocean about a week ago in my brute rubbermaid container and it has been mixing with a mag5 outside. I brought the tank inside today to acclimate to the temp. of my house and noticed a white film around the inside and the pump. I just wanted to know if this is normal? Here is a picture after I stirred it up, I thought the white film was salt but it's like a slim. I also keep a lid on it that is tightly sealed when outside. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks -Matthew

09/23/2007, 05:26 PM	#3
illal Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tamarac, Fl Posts: 5,700	looks like salt __________________ -AL

09/23/2007, 05:34 PM	#5
invertigator Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Indian River Dr. Fort Pierce, FL Posts: 605	Smells like Salt __________________ My day begins when your day ends. Getting up in the morning sucks, but it beats the alternative. Current Tank Info: 210 AGA, Solaris I4, ETSS800 Skimmer, Tunze 6101s

09/23/2007, 05:34 PM	#6
invertigator Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Indian River Dr. Fort Pierce, FL Posts: 605	Tastes like salt. __________________ My day begins when your day ends. Getting up in the morning sucks, but it beats the alternative. Current Tank Info: 210 AGA, Solaris I4, ETSS800 Skimmer, Tunze 6101s

09/23/2007, 05:36 PM	#7
invertigator Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Indian River Dr. Fort Pierce, FL Posts: 605	I had the same thing happen, had scum on the surface too. Probably ok, but ask one of the old salts.........no pun intended. __________________ My day begins when your day ends. Getting up in the morning sucks, but it beats the alternative. Current Tank Info: 210 AGA, Solaris I4, ETSS800 Skimmer, Tunze 6101s

09/23/2007, 05:25 PM	#2
Ding2daDong Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,723	Any picture Thanks -Matthew

09/23/2007, 05:33 PM	#4
macawmagic Moved On Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Weston, fl Posts: 1,910	when I mixed up my first batch of salt...when I pumped it into the bucket it looked a little soapy, kinda like yours does. I would say it's fine, but get some other opinions.

09/23/2007, 06:21 PM	#8
coralfragger101 Gone Postal Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 5,461	I'm not a chemist and I don't know exactly what it is. To my knowledge, it will not hurt your tank. Too many people use this brand of salt with similar experiences on mixing and have thriving tanks. It is not undissolved salt. It is a precipitant as a result of mixing. I believe it is a result of the salt mix (itself - not your doing) not being chemically balanced. Put a couple of air stones in there and the surface will start looking like your skimmer cup. Without going into "The Great Salt Debate", this is one of the reasons I switched brands. This is a brand new container with a fresh mix of Aquacraft salt. __________________ Views expressed by this person are not neccessarily the views of any other person and may never be. Apology extended to any member who takes offense to any post. Offense is not meant nor intended. Current Tank Info: NONE - Sold - Can't afford it right now!

09/23/2007, 06:58 PM	#9
ReefXpert127 Moved On Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 53	It is simply calcium that has participated from the salt mix. What this means is that there is more calcium then magnesium in the mix. To fix this you can add some magnesium supplements to the water to prevent the calcium from participating. You see it around the pump because heat causes it to participate.

09/23/2007, 07:40 PM	#11
coralfragger101 Gone Postal Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 5,461	Mag 12 pump. Set on a timer to mix for 15 min every couple of hours. Simple venturi line injects air into it as it mixes for aeration of mixture as well. __________________ Views expressed by this person are not neccessarily the views of any other person and may never be. Apology extended to any member who takes offense to any post. Offense is not meant nor intended. Current Tank Info: NONE - Sold - Can't afford it right now!

09/23/2007, 08:00 PM	#12
coralfragger101 Gone Postal Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 5,461	You would have had a precip even if you would have mixed this and stored it inside. It is not from the heat factor alone. __________________ Views expressed by this person are not neccessarily the views of any other person and may never be. Apology extended to any member who takes offense to any post. Offense is not meant nor intended. Current Tank Info: NONE - Sold - Can't afford it right now!

09/23/2007, 11:28 PM	#13
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	Wow fragger that's an awesome setup. Matt, I had the same problem for a while. I was told that it was electricity leaking from the pump and to get a grounding probe and it would stop the precipitation of the calcium in the water. The salt was IO and it was RO/DI water. Looked cloudy like that for a long time. I never tried the ground probe because I just ended up buying premade saltwater and never used that pump again. Hope you find out what it is.

09/24/2007, 12:47 AM	#14
Ding2daDong Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,723	Well the water is still cloudy and there is still film developing on the inside so should I just remake a batch? CoralFragger: Where did you get that blue container? Looks perfect for the job. Thanks everyone -Matthew

09/24/2007, 04:08 AM	#15
coralfragger101 Gone Postal Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 5,461	Got them at US Plastics, online. You can use the water you made. If you make a new batch - the same thing will happen. __________________ Views expressed by this person are not neccessarily the views of any other person and may never be. Apology extended to any member who takes offense to any post. Offense is not meant nor intended. Current Tank Info: NONE - Sold - Can't afford it right now!

09/24/2007, 05:02 PM	#16
45commando Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 1,321	Matt, you are adding the salt to the container full of water & not the water to the salt,right?If doing the later,then you could be causing the calcium to precipitate out of solution.In fact if you add all the salt too quickly to the water,it can cause the same affect.Make sure you add the salt gradually.HTH & sorry if you're already mixing it this way. __________________ "It's not the size of the dog in the fight;It's the size of the fight in the dog!" -Sir Winston Churchill. Current Tank Info: 92G Corner tank, 250 wt 14K MH, 20G sump, 5G fuge, mixed reef

09/24/2007, 07:55 PM	#17
Ding2daDong Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,723	I add the salt to the water but I have been adding all of it in about a minute. Any other recommendations for this not to happen? I am going to mix inside the house and add the salt gradually. I am also going to make a spray bar so the whole container gets even flow and not just one spot. Thanks for the help. -Matthew