Saltwater mixing station question. (1 Viewer)

[Omcoral]

I made some saltwater few months ago and I used rodi water, today when after I changed some water in my aquarium I got algae in the aquarium and a lot of protein on the surface.

I found out today that the water i was using it has some brown dirt. Does anyone had this issue in the saltwater mixing station?

Do I need to trash all the water or by filtering the waterI can save the water?

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[Mark L.]

Is that "dirt" from one mixing? In other words was the container clean before you made this batch of water or did it build up after several batches of making water? Also what salt do you use?

Typically all salt on the market will leave a residue in the container. It usually takes a few weeks of making saltwater before it will build up and look like your pic. This is normal and doesn't hurt your water or tank.

In high alk salt the alk will precipitate out and fall to the bottom of the container as white residue. Some salt companies will use GFO in their process and this is can make a brown residue. Lastly some salts use a clay binder in their mix. This is another component that we find left behind in our mixing containers. None of it really hurts your tank but can leave it cloudy for a few hours after a water change.

 

[Cody]

I've experienced that before. If you scrape it, it will crack off. It's calcium carbonate with other junk precipitated into it. Use the water, scrape off what you can, and dissolve the rest with vinegar (9% concentration will work fast). Just periodically clean it out to keep it clean, but that precipitation shouldn't effect the water too much.

 

[flipside]

I wouldn't use that gunk. I'd pump it down the drain, clean the Brute out with hot water, dry it profusely, then start from scratch.

But then again, I have expensive corals that I don't want to risk losing AND some fat fish that I don't want to get drunk. They're still underage.

 

[Wingnut]

I use IO reef crystals and every month I take my brute container and clean it with RO water dry it real good and good for another month , reef crystals leave a brown residue after awhile.

 

[Omcoral]

Thanks


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[Reefahholic]

I clean mine too. After awhile, they'll get funky. The less light the better. Keeping it closed is good too.

I keep mine open for easy mixing, but clean them really well when they need it.