What's in your saltwater?

[Pico1]

As many of you know I'm in the process of setting up my new tank. I haven't connected the sump to the main tank yet so for the last 2 weeks it's been circulating with RO/DI water and IO salt. All that has been on to keep the water moving is the skimmer. I'm was shocked to see this much gunk come out of newly mixed SW. It makes me wonder whats in our salt mixes...

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[jdieck]

Well, 2 weeks is enough time to develop bacteria and diatoms so that might be part of the gunk.
Having said that I use very powerful aeration (4 large limewood bubblers with high flow/pressure Lump piston pump). All those thiny bubbles create a skimming effect in my mixing tank which creates a brown film in the tank cover and top sides, when I wipe it off it is not slimy like bacterial or algae but rather muddy which leads me to belive it is either dirt that comes from the salt (aodium chloride) collection process at the salt origin or may even be some kind of clay added to the salt mix as an antycaking agent.
I have noticed this with Kent, IO, RC, Oceanic, TM and TM pro.

 

[shiveley]

other than the film on the sides of the skimmer, i don't see the "gunk" that you're referring too. that foam head looks pretty clean to me.

 

[mpoletti]

Wow. Jordan, Your return pump is not on right now; Why?

 

[H20Sidhe]

Jordan,

You said 2 weeks right? When I wipe down the top of my canopy or the front of the T.V. screen, I can get that much stuff each week. Couldn't that be dust that has settled on the water & accumulated in the skimmer? Just a thought.