new tank is cloudy brown!?

3djedi · 01/25/2010, 07:40 PM

Ok, so I got some pukani dry rock from BRS. I soaked in a vinegar/ rodi solution for a few days and then rinsed it in rodi. Next I put it in a new 40g breeder and added the ro/di water and salt mix and mixed it up. Now the water is really cloudy and brownish! I also checked the PH and it was like 7.8. I'm thinking I didn't rinse the rocks off well enough and the vinegar is leaching out lowering the PH. But why brown and cloudy? I'm currently running some carbon through it and added some buffer to raise PH. Is this water/ salt going to be a total loss? Am I going to have to drain and restart?

Matt850 · 01/25/2010, 07:47 PM

I am not certain about the color problem but one thing that you need not do in the future is mix the salt/water inside the tank. The only time you should do this is if the tank is brand new and does NOT have anything else in it. How long did the water take to become brown?

sedor · 01/25/2010, 07:50 PM

Hmm cloudy brown water definitely does not sound good. If your not running carbon do so. It should clear the water up nicely within a couple of days.

NanoReefWanabe · 01/25/2010, 07:53 PM

i am going to assume with you that the cloudy brown is just dissolved rock...the vinegar you didnt get off the rocks ate away at it until you submerged them in the tank with the RO/DI...once you added circulation it simply started to blow away the dissolved rock...

it is too bad you added salt...you are going to likely need a big water change to clear things up...but your skimmer/ filters should pull the colour out too...

3djedi · 01/25/2010, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt850

I am not certain about the color problem but one thing that you need not do in the future is mix the salt/water inside the tank. The only time you should do this is if the tank is brand new and does NOT have anything else in it. How long did the water take to become brown?

The tank is brand new but I put sand and the rock in it followed by a pile of salt and then water. After the tank was 1/2 full I put in a heater and powerhead to mix the salt.

3djedi · 01/25/2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NanoReefWanabe

i am going to assume with you that the cloudy brown is just dissolved rock...the vinegar you didnt get off the rocks ate away at it until you submerged them in the tank with the RO/DI...once you added circulation it simply started to blow away the dissolved rock...

it is too bad you added salt...you are going to likely need a big water change to clear things up...but your skimmer/ filters should pull the colour out too...

yeah, sucks I already added the salt. The tank is eventually going to be plumbed into my reeftank filtration but I'm trying to get the water cleared up with carbon and a diatom filter. I guess if that doesn't do it I guess I'll be looking at a new batch of salt water.

3djedi · 01/25/2010, 08:48 PM

is the trace amounts of vinegar going to hurt?

01/25/2010, 07:40 PM	#1
3djedi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 360	new tank is cloudy brown!? Ok, so I got some pukani dry rock from BRS. I soaked in a vinegar/ rodi solution for a few days and then rinsed it in rodi. Next I put it in a new 40g breeder and added the ro/di water and salt mix and mixed it up. Now the water is really cloudy and brownish! I also checked the PH and it was like 7.8. I'm thinking I didn't rinse the rocks off well enough and the vinegar is leaching out lowering the PH. But why brown and cloudy? I'm currently running some carbon through it and added some buffer to raise PH. Is this water/ salt going to be a total loss? Am I going to have to drain and restart?

01/25/2010, 07:50 PM	#3
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	Hmm cloudy brown water definitely does not sound good. If your not running carbon do so. It should clear the water up nicely within a couple of days. __________________ Ryan

01/25/2010, 07:47 PM	#2
Matt850 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 260	I am not certain about the color problem but one thing that you need not do in the future is mix the salt/water inside the tank. The only time you should do this is if the tank is brand new and does NOT have anything else in it. How long did the water take to become brown?

01/25/2010, 07:53 PM	#4
NanoReefWanabe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 6,639	i am going to assume with you that the cloudy brown is just dissolved rock...the vinegar you didnt get off the rocks ate away at it until you submerged them in the tank with the RO/DI...once you added circulation it simply started to blow away the dissolved rock... it is too bad you added salt...you are going to likely need a big water change to clear things up...but your skimmer/ filters should pull the colour out too...

01/25/2010, 08:48 PM	#7
3djedi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 360	is the trace amounts of vinegar going to hurt?