White water

Gordonious · 11/22/2006, 06:13 PM

I have a feeling the reason is obvious and my lack of sleep is being obvious, but white is the water I just made white. It's like I put in too much salt, or the water is super hot, or there are millions of tiny bubbles, but that's not the case. The water is around 76*F the salinity is 30ppm! I mixed it last night with too much salt and it looked this way, then this am I added more water, (made some over night) but now it is still white. What is going on?

sarduci · 11/22/2006, 07:45 PM

Too much calcium in the water caused particles to precipitate out of the saltwater solution. This exact same thing happens when someone drips kalk too fast without enough flow or too much calcium in the tank.

Gordonious · 11/22/2006, 07:59 PM

Ok, do I pour this water down the drain? Do I need to add salt slower to the water?

Gordonious · 11/22/2006, 08:05 PM

So did this happen because too much calcium in the instant ocean salt was added at one time? or are you saying that this would happen only when there is too much calcium present.(in other words the salt was not mixed currectly by instant ocean)

drummereef · 11/22/2006, 08:43 PM

I would pour it out and start over. Just remember it's a 1/2 cup per gallon of water you make up. Pour the salt (slowly) into the water, not the other way around.

cmsargent · 11/22/2006, 08:49 PM

IO didn't get the mix wrong...you just added to much of it to your water. The simple answer is that a gallon of water can only hold so much calcium (exactly how much depends on the alk and pH). So when you added too much salt the amount of calcium was more than the water could hold so it percipitates out in this white powdery form. It won't hurt anything but it also won't dissolve back into Calc either (at least not in your tank). You can use the water. Just mix it to the proper salinity, then let the powder settle out, and siphon off the water trying not to to get too much of the powder.

Test the water. Calc and alk will likely be out of wack so adjust them using buffers. Then you can use the water.

Gordonious · 11/23/2006, 12:15 AM

Hum.... this perhaps could be a very good thing. My Alk was way off what it should be and the salt I had used previously had to much calcium in it. I will test it for sure. I put some of it in with tank water in a new tank I am setting up. I'll see if I can let that settle since there is nothing in the bottom.(no substrate yet)

Thanks very much for the responses. Gotta love RC.

Jon

Sk8r · 11/23/2006, 12:19 AM

Also,if you aren't using one, a little maxijet 400 is a good salt mixer.

Gordonious · 11/23/2006, 09:08 PM

I have tons of pumps and power heads, but have never owned a maxijet. Hear about them enough on here, but have never bought one. Probably because I haven't bought most of the pumps I have, they were handed down to me by a friend who was upgrading.

I bought a little tiny power head used that I am using right now to mix the salt. I bought it for a nano I was setting up, but the power filter I am using now on the Nano puts in more then enough current. What I really need to find is a small reliable heater for my Nano.(oh I also use a heater when mixing water that is small enough to lay flat in the bottom of the bucket. )

Jon

11/22/2006, 06:13 PM	#1
Gordonious Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newark DE Posts: 3,393	White water I have a feeling the reason is obvious and my lack of sleep is being obvious, but white is the water I just made white. It's like I put in too much salt, or the water is super hot, or there are millions of tiny bubbles, but that's not the case. The water is around 76*F the salinity is 30ppm! I mixed it last night with too much salt and it looked this way, then this am I added more water, (made some over night) but now it is still white. What is going on?

11/22/2006, 08:43 PM	#5
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I would pour it out and start over. Just remember it's a 1/2 cup per gallon of water you make up. Pour the salt (slowly) into the water, not the other way around. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

11/23/2006, 12:19 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Also,if you aren't using one, a little maxijet 400 is a good salt mixer. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/22/2006, 07:45 PM	#2
sarduci Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Wausau, Wisconsin Posts: 1,278	Too much calcium in the water caused particles to precipitate out of the saltwater solution. This exact same thing happens when someone drips kalk too fast without enough flow or too much calcium in the tank.

11/22/2006, 07:59 PM	#3
Gordonious Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newark DE Posts: 3,393	Ok, do I pour this water down the drain? Do I need to add salt slower to the water?

11/22/2006, 08:05 PM	#4
Gordonious Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newark DE Posts: 3,393	So did this happen because too much calcium in the instant ocean salt was added at one time? or are you saying that this would happen only when there is too much calcium present.(in other words the salt was not mixed currectly by instant ocean)

11/22/2006, 08:49 PM	#6
cmsargent Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 189	IO didn't get the mix wrong...you just added to much of it to your water. The simple answer is that a gallon of water can only hold so much calcium (exactly how much depends on the alk and pH). So when you added too much salt the amount of calcium was more than the water could hold so it percipitates out in this white powdery form. It won't hurt anything but it also won't dissolve back into Calc either (at least not in your tank). You can use the water. Just mix it to the proper salinity, then let the powder settle out, and siphon off the water trying not to to get too much of the powder. Test the water. Calc and alk will likely be out of wack so adjust them using buffers. Then you can use the water.

11/23/2006, 12:15 AM	#7
Gordonious Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newark DE Posts: 3,393	Hum.... this perhaps could be a very good thing. My Alk was way off what it should be and the salt I had used previously had to much calcium in it. I will test it for sure. I put some of it in with tank water in a new tank I am setting up. I'll see if I can let that settle since there is nothing in the bottom.(no substrate yet) Thanks very much for the responses. Gotta love RC. Jon

11/23/2006, 09:08 PM	#9
Gordonious Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newark DE Posts: 3,393	I have tons of pumps and power heads, but have never owned a maxijet. Hear about them enough on here, but have never bought one. Probably because I haven't bought most of the pumps I have, they were handed down to me by a friend who was upgrading. I bought a little tiny power head used that I am using right now to mix the salt. I bought it for a nano I was setting up, but the power filter I am using now on the Nano puts in more then enough current. What I really need to find is a small reliable heater for my Nano.(oh I also use a heater when mixing water that is small enough to lay flat in the bottom of the bucket. ) Jon