Pump went bad in saltwater mixing container.. Smells like plastic.. Water still good?

Mr. Brooks · 12/23/2010, 01:48 PM

I have 100 gallons of RO/DI water ready to be turned into saltwater. I had a rio pump in there that went bad. Leaked a bunch of electricity. The container kind of smells like melted plastic. Do you think the water is safe to use? Or should I dump it and make new water.

dogstar74 · 12/23/2010, 01:57 PM

Dump it. I've heard several accounts of rio pumps leaking oil into a display tank and killing everything. That's why Rios are so often swapped for mag pumps on skimmers and such, and why you nearly never see them in a display tank. They got a bad rep for doing this.

muppet · 12/23/2010, 02:20 PM

+1 dump it. The few dollars worth of water and salt isn't worth dead livestock.

sirreal63 · 12/23/2010, 02:35 PM

Antique Rio's were encased in oil. Unless your pump is very very old I would not worry about oil. However, as to whether or not to dump it should not even be a question...dump it, clean the container and start over. Rio's made within the last 10 years or so (possibly longer) have no oil in them, they are encased in a resin just like every other pump. The issue here is what happened, and that was it shorted out and burned and that exposed the water to metals and electrical current. The same thing could potentially happen to any brand of pump. It is better to be safe and dump it. It could be ok, or it could not, the risk isn't worth it. :-)

The next thing you need to figure out is why nothing tripped and cut off the current to that circuit.

mcoomer · 12/23/2010, 03:30 PM

Probably safe to use it but as much time and effort as we all put into our tanks I wouldn't trust "probably safe". Dump it.

Mike

jp634 · 12/23/2010, 03:33 PM

water is cheap to replace the cost of coral and fish can cost you a years wages.

Mr. Brooks · 12/23/2010, 04:04 PM

K I dumped it and I'm very glad I did. Smelled like toxic fumes. Yuck.

Mr. Brooks · 12/23/2010, 04:05 PM

I think it may have been older than ten years. I think I got it as part of a used system. Who knows how long he had it.

clownfreak · 12/23/2010, 04:17 PM

Dump it, and I'd think about getting rid of the container too. If the current melted some plastic in the container it may or may not contaminate the container

serpent293 · 12/23/2010, 06:35 PM

I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. I told my lfs what happend he told me that I should just dump the salt in and stir the water up with a pice of pvc then use the water. He also told me that my water would be fine for two weeks mixed up with no pump. I need some feed back if this is right or not?

clownfreak · 12/23/2010, 07:24 PM

serpent, I'd say no. Adding salt would not remove any bad things that are in the water

JR719 · 12/23/2010, 07:32 PM

I lost livestock to a rio. Good thing you got rid of your water. I won't be using a rio ever again. Remember, when in doubt, ditch it! BTW, sweet boxer.

dogstar74 · 12/23/2010, 10:52 PM

JR, BTW, nice guns!

Vinny Kreyling · 12/24/2010, 11:08 AM

Hi Guys -
When I make water for the tank I use a Tetra Luft pump with an airstone on the bottom of a 30 gallon container and let run overnight.
Mixes and aireates @ the same time with no residue when finished.
Never thought about a pump screw up causing a bad mix.

12/23/2010, 01:48 PM	#1
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Pump went bad in saltwater mixing container.. Smells like plastic.. Water still good? I have 100 gallons of RO/DI water ready to be turned into saltwater. I had a rio pump in there that went bad. Leaked a bunch of electricity. The container kind of smells like melted plastic. Do you think the water is safe to use? Or should I dump it and make new water.

12/23/2010, 01:57 PM	#2
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	Dump it. I've heard several accounts of rio pumps leaking oil into a display tank and killing everything. That's why Rios are so often swapped for mag pumps on skimmers and such, and why you nearly never see them in a display tank. They got a bad rep for doing this. __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

12/23/2010, 02:20 PM	#3
muppet Misanthrope Join Date: May 2010 Location: Plainville, CT Posts: 2,759	+1 dump it. The few dollars worth of water and salt isn't worth dead livestock. __________________ Vertex IN-100 Skimmer 5g fuge area in the works JBJ Ocean Pulse 1600GPH wavemaker CoralVue 4x54 fixture running?: 2xATI Blue Plus, 1xRed Sea Pink, 1xRed Sea 12K, 10x1w LED blue moonlights Current Tank Info: Deep Blue 75G RR with 20H sump

12/23/2010, 02:35 PM	#4
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Antique Rio's were encased in oil. Unless your pump is very very old I would not worry about oil. However, as to whether or not to dump it should not even be a question...dump it, clean the container and start over. Rio's made within the last 10 years or so (possibly longer) have no oil in them, they are encased in a resin just like every other pump. The issue here is what happened, and that was it shorted out and burned and that exposed the water to metals and electrical current. The same thing could potentially happen to any brand of pump. It is better to be safe and dump it. It could be ok, or it could not, the risk isn't worth it. :-) The next thing you need to figure out is why nothing tripped and cut off the current to that circuit. __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

12/23/2010, 03:30 PM	#5
mcoomer Rat Bastard! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 1,487	Probably safe to use it but as much time and effort as we all put into our tanks I wouldn't trust "probably safe". Dump it. Mike __________________ Spending exorbitant amounts of money on this hobby since 1998! My wife thought the tank would be cheaper and easier to keep than a dog...no seriously! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon mixed reef; Reeflo Barracuda, Tunze 6105 (X3), 250W Radiums with dual HQI Blue Wave 7, Reefkeeper Elite controller, custom sump with ASM G4, carbon and GFO reactors

12/23/2010, 03:33 PM	#6
jp634 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wyoming Posts: 234	water is cheap to replace the cost of coral and fish can cost you a years wages.

12/23/2010, 04:04 PM	#7
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	K I dumped it and I'm very glad I did. Smelled like toxic fumes. Yuck.

12/23/2010, 04:05 PM	#8
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	I think it may have been older than ten years. I think I got it as part of a used system. Who knows how long he had it.

12/23/2010, 04:17 PM	#9
clownfreak Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 405	Dump it, and I'd think about getting rid of the container too. If the current melted some plastic in the container it may or may not contaminate the container

12/23/2010, 06:35 PM	#10
serpent293 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 44	I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. I told my lfs what happend he told me that I should just dump the salt in and stir the water up with a pice of pvc then use the water. He also told me that my water would be fine for two weeks mixed up with no pump. I need some feed back if this is right or not?

12/23/2010, 07:24 PM	#11
clownfreak Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 405	serpent, I'd say no. Adding salt would not remove any bad things that are in the water

12/23/2010, 07:32 PM	#12
JR719 Tang Cop Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: OK Posts: 2,240	I lost livestock to a rio. Good thing you got rid of your water. I won't be using a rio ever again. Remember, when in doubt, ditch it! BTW, sweet boxer. __________________ Can't sleep, clowns will eat me. America is the most grandiose experiment the world has seen, but, I am afraid, it is not going to be a success. Sigmund Freud Current Tank Info: 300 reef, Aqua controller, Deltec calcium reactor, Reeflo 250 skimmer, Icecap bla bla bla

12/23/2010, 10:52 PM	#13
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	JR, BTW, nice guns! __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

12/24/2010, 11:08 AM	#14
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Safer Way Hi Guys - When I make water for the tank I use a Tetra Luft pump with an airstone on the bottom of a 30 gallon container and let run overnight. Mixes and aireates @ the same time with no residue when finished. Never thought about a pump screw up causing a bad mix.

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