Saltwater Mixing Problems

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patrickpernell

New member
I have been mixing my own saltwater for quite some time now. I have my own RO/DI system and make my own water. I have one built in TDS meter and two hand held ones that are both calibrated correctly. All three indicate 0 TDS.

The salt I have began using (I switched from a different Red Sea Salt as recommended by LFS) is a Red Sea Salt, I attached a picture of the bucket for identification purposes.

My problem is when I make the water mix, I always get this brownish film that forms on the surface of the trash can (brand new can, only used for making water) and on the power heads that I use to stir the water. I use three power heads and the trash can is kept inside an air conditioned building normally in the 70s.

I always mix the water to 1.026, so I know I am not using too much or too little salt mix.

What can be causing this? Any recommendations on a different (better) salt mix?
 

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What your seeing might just be Calcium precipitate. It's kind of unsightly, but it's really nothing to worry about.
 
I wonder if it's the same brown crud that you see when mixing RC? I've read it's an anticaking agent, and is totally fine.
 
I use RED SEA PRO, same as yours but the mixed reef formula, never seen this before in the years I have used it.

Are you sure that your trash can is clean. I clean mine every week, mix only what I need for the weekly change and top off, then rinse and dry the trash can. I found if I don't do this after a month or so, I get a light brownish build up on the trash can and TDS goes to 7-9.

Just a thought, a good salt should mix clean.
 
Uncle99 said:
Are you sure that your trash can is clean. I clean mine every week, mix only what I need for the weekly change and top off, then rinse and dry the trash can. I found if I don't do this after a month or so, I get a light brownish build up on the trash can and TDS goes to 7-9.
Click to expand...


This kind of defeats the purpose of having a mixing station. I mix up 50G at a time, and only use 10G a week. 50G is one bag in a 200G box of IO. I haven't cleaned my barrel in over a year. Do a google search on "RC brown crud", you'll find many threads about it.


Uncle99 said:
Just a thought, a good salt should mix clean.
Click to expand...

By your own words, you do not have a "clean" salt then if your cleaning your mixing barrel every time you use it(see above quote about cleaning the barrel after every mix)..



ajoe said:
When you say "can" exactly what type of "can" are you using to mix with?
Click to expand...


You can clearly see in his picture they are grey brute cans.


Again do a google search, it's an anti caking agent added to the salt and is completely harmless. I hated cleaning my mixing barrel because of it, so I switched to a salt that doesn't have it.
 
homer1475 said:
Again do a google search, it's an anti caking agent added to the salt and is completely harmless. I hated cleaning my mixing barrel because of it, so I switched to a salt that doesn't have it.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity is that anti caking agent known to stick to powerheads, much like precipitate does? I'm assuming this is due to the heat they put off.
 
Not sure to be honest. Never read too much into it.



I didn't stop using RC because of it, but rather for how it never mixes up with consistent parameters.
 
Like I said, if you don't rinse out your mixing station over time your TDS will increase and that is counter productive. Mixing only what I need means the mix is clean, over time, precipitation will occur, and your numbers will drop as the elements precipitate out.

I am not a scientist but I can measure TDS and see over time, the scum film on the inside of the bucket......why would I want this in my DT.....brown stuff.....not in my DT....

I can't speak for other salts but mine will mix up clean and clear in about 2 hours.

I used to mix up 50g before I found out that TDS was increasing every week.

TDS numbers were as follows and before mix:
Day 1-7......0
Day 8-14......6
Day 15-21......9
Day 30......14

This is why I changed to only mixing up the amount required before changes.
It is virtually no more work, than mixing up a months worth, but the RESULT, deifinately sold me......ZERO algae.....ZERO cyno.....and no CUC....and the ranges go in on PAR....
 
You do realize that dust particles will be attracted to RO/DI? The rise in TDS is completely normal for RO/DI that is not kept air tight.



I store my RO/DI in another brute, and over the course of a few weeks it will rise, but has not had any effect on my tank.



They all mix up clean and clear. Store your NSW a few days and it will develop that brown residue. While I'm not positive, I do believe they all have that scum to some degree when the water is stored, it's just that IORC has more then others and is quite noticeable.
 
Agreed.
I am not suggesting anyone should follow this regime, it's just for me as once TDS starts to go above 5, over 4 weekly changes, I start to notice a bit of algae and some brown dust on my sand.

I am trying to reduce everywhere I can so that the mix going in is a pure as reasonably possible and that precipitation is kept to the bare minimum.

Since mixing weekly, and rinsing bucket, using in 24 hours, I have no scum at all on the sides. Maybe not important to some, but to me, some of that must end up in the DT.

Now, each and every time I go to mix I start with 0 TDS. This is important to me.

Everyone has a different technique, they all work.
 
I mix and store my saltwater in a ten gallon aquarium with no lights, it was just easier.

After 3-4 days of sitting, it'll develop a brown coat on the glass. Looks kinda like diatoms, but its not.

Doesn't seem to hurt anything. I wipe it down once I've used the saltwater for a WC.

Instant ocean reef crystals.
 
Uncle99 said:
Like I said, if you don't rinse out your mixing station over time your TDS will increase and that is counter productive. Mixing only what I need means the mix is clean, over time, precipitation will occur, and your numbers will drop as the elements precipitate out.

I am not a scientist but I can measure TDS and see over time, the scum film on the inside of the bucket......why would I want this in my DT.....brown stuff.....not in my DT....

I can't speak for other salts but mine will mix up clean and clear in about 2 hours.

I used to mix up 50g before I found out that TDS was increasing every week.

TDS numbers were as follows and before mix:
Day 1-7......0
Day 8-14......6
Day 15-21......9
Day 30......14

This is why I changed to only mixing up the amount required before changes.
It is virtually no more work, than mixing up a months worth, but the RESULT, deifinately sold me......ZERO algae.....ZERO cyno.....and no CUC....and the ranges go in on PAR....
Click to expand...
How are u measuring tds in mixed saltwater as the tds read should be off the chart

If u are measuring this on stored rodi then only way to keep the tds from rising would be to keep it in air tight container and also be sure u have 0 tds in the ro water going in

Most of us will have up to 50 tds the first gallon or two out of the ro system

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
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