Lets figure this out...I am mixing new saltwater and there is a floating scum on top!

S

SasquatchFarmer

New member
Hey Folks,

I am in need of you help. I am mixing new saltwater (Instant Ocean Mix) in a new aquarium (20g AGA Tall) with new water pumps (Hydor Koralia two, a Mag 7, and a Quiet One 3000, I know more than necessary, but I'm testing them out). I put pre-measured amount (known from previous experience) into sandwich baggies before adding to the RO/DI (not exactly RO/DI but better, research grade RO water (18 mega ohm resistance) that I have used before with no problems). And I have a scum that forms on the top of the water! It looked rather white'ish on a previous occasion (previous thread in chemistry forum, they suggested not using it, cleaning the aquarium and starting over) so I threw out the water and mixed a new batch.

Well, it happened again! This time it collected on my pumps power cords (they were in the middle of a vortex thing, where all the slime collected) and it was a brownish color (more concentrated, therefore could get a better idea of the real color). Total amount was maybe a teaspoon.

I am very frusterated! I don't want it to hurt my fishes, if I add it...I am setting up a new aquarium at home, because I have to move my fishes out of my work office.

Is this normal? Do you get a floating whitish/brownish stuff when you mix new water? Please help!
 
Great questions...brand new tank (was not rinsed out, or washed with soap, with the exception of the previous water mixing event, which was discarded). Huge amount of water flow (with the mag 7, quiet one 3000, and the koralia) and a corespondingly high amount of surface movement...Salinity level 1.025

In the chemistry forum, it was mentioned that pumps should maybe be rinsed before using as mold release agents may have been used during the manufacturing process (this rinse should have been taken care of during the first saltwater mixing) and that carbon could be used to remove any organics (If I really wanted to use the first round of water anyway, which I didn't do).

Mixing water shouldn't be so hard, should it? I have previously mixed water in 5 gallon increments with a magnetic stirrer and stir bar in a laboratory setting. And this is my first real time mixing it at home...I am so far frusterated! Thanks for your reply!
 
The 20 gallon mixing tank, is just that, a mixing tank, the water will be transfered into a new 65 aga, that is in the process of being set up. I don't want to add the bad water to it.
 
In a new setup mixing the salt in the tank is fine. But after that you want to mix in a seperate container and let it circulate for for 12 hours or so then add to tank at a slow rate.
Then if this is a 20 gallon then your flow sounds very high and with so much surface movement it could be acting like a skimmer creating excess gas exchange. Wow it sounds good atleast.
 
Thats almost what I kinda thought it looked like, a type of skimmate, but I don't understand why brand new saltwater would have any significant amount of protein or hydrophobic substances to skim out! I am quite baffled. Sure, there is always a certain amount of insolubles that exist in any salt (NaCl or whatever type) that by definition wouldn't dissolve, but I haven't heard of anything like what I am seeing to be common. I don't want my fishies to die...I love my fishies...as we all do!
 
yes, same salt mix as last time, even out of the same salt bucket. And I don't really question the water either...

I wonder if there is some type of anti-bacterial/anti-fungal or coating that they might have put in the sandwich bags I used to hold the pre-measured salt...i haven't done that part before. Does anyone use these bags to aliquot salt out before hand like that? The brand name of the bags is "Glad".
 
I suspect the salt mix. I would get some more salt and make sure it's not from the same batch that your currently using.
 
I'm not sure why the scum at the top...sounds like bad salt to me.

Also, if your tank is going to be a fish only tank...then regular Instant Ocean thats ok. But if its going to be a Reef tank, you realy should use Reef Crystals. It has a higher level of Calcium & other trace eliments needed for a reef tank.

This will also help with adding more chems to raise the eliments
 
Thanks for the feedback, I have some other buckets of IO that haven't been opened yet. I'll try those. Good to know about the Reef Crystals idea...basically I have a few mushrooms, but other than that its a FOWLR.

It just baffles me, I have been using the same bucket of salt for atleast a year now (my current aquarium is just a 12g nano) and it has lasted a long time. I was suspecting the sandwich bags or the pumps...and don't know what to do differently next time!
 
If your using sandwich bags it should be fine as far as leaching anything into the salt. But remember ( and I had this problem ) Once you open the factory sealed bag, no mater what you use...your getting moisture in to the salt. A few months ago I dumped a gallon of salt because I had a hard time getting the correct paramaters.
 
That scum is normal.I had the same thing.Its yellowish brown suds that look like old picked cotton.Just wipe the top layer off with your algae brush cause it rises too the top.
 
The white substance on your equipment could be alkaline deposits. When I accidently mixed my salt in buffered RODI water, I had white (brown after aged) film all over the mixing bucket and equipment. If you have your test kits, you might run a battery of tests to see if anything seems off.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12674634#post12674634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gea0119
That scum is normal.I had the same thing.Its yellowish brown suds that look like old picked cotton.Just wipe the top layer off with your algae brush cause it rises too the top.
Click to expand...

Hhhmmm...never had it unless the salt was old.

But good to know, When ever I see or here things that I have never seen or have read before. I log it in on a computer program that I created. If I ever need the info or need a answer ...I do a search in that program.

Thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12674634#post12674634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gea0119
That scum is normal.I had the same thing.Its yellowish brown suds that look like old picked cotton.Just wipe the top layer off with your algae brush cause it rises too the top.
Click to expand...

It's not normal.
I've used several different salt mixes and have never had scum on the top of mixed saltwater. Not one single time.
 
I have seen a similar scum or debris many times in my salt mixes. I have used Instant Ocean, Red Sea Coral Pro, and Reef Crystals. I noticed the least amount in th Instant Ocean, but the other two have left a film at the surface of the bucket and dusty particles at the bottom. I've never received a clear cut explanation for what it is, but I net it off the surface anyway and never add the stuff at the bottom.

I'm not sure whether it's normal or not, but I've seen it a lot.
 
Re: Lets figure this out...I am mixing new saltwater and there is a floating scum on

I had the same issue with that brand of salt. I switched to Tropic Marin and never had it again.
 
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