I've been buying RO/DI from a LFS, and mixing Tunze salt in a 32gal trash can every week. I let the water circulate with a Rio1300 (I think) and a 300W heater. Once the water is right I turn off the heater and through out the week change about 20 gallons. Today I noticed that the fresh salt water was a little yellow, and the trash can looked to have brown crust on the sides and bottom. Is this precip? I've never noticed it until today when I was going to use the last bit of water, and get ready to make a new batch for the following week. I also have 25 gallons of RO/DI on hand in 7 gallon buckets sitting for about a week as I'm on a cycle. My big question is, this ok? Or does the water quality decline rapidly, as the fresh sits undisturbed for about 5-6 days, and the salt water sits in the can circulating with the Rio pump? I through out the remaining water as I'll buy fresh stuff tomorrow, I didn't want to risk it.
Making water question
- Thread starter capdippe
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Your freshwater is fine for however long it sits in there. The water quality wont change on you in the amount of time that you have it in the buckets. The only thing that would change it is if its not covered and something falls into the water and contaminates it. Saltwater is the same way pretty much. You want to use it with in a week or so but if not its really not that big of a deal IMO. Again just make sure its covered though so you dont get bugs and dust and other nasties in there.
gothunder3022
Well-known member
I keep RODI and mixed saltwater in covered, plastic containers for weeks, often well over a month...never had an issue, but I do circulate it pretty vigorously. Not sure what's going on in your trash can, but is sounds like something is growing in there.
iroll253
Well-known member
I would bleach the trashcan or buy a new one.
lvsuckerfish
g funk
why bleach or buy a new one I assume it is new already? it is percpatation from the salt some salts will do that more then others mine I could probly make a gallon of salt water just from the bottom and side wals of the saltwater bin.
iroll253
Well-known member
I have never heard of that. All i was saying is if i saw discoloration in my mixing container i would clean it lol
Wouldn't leaving it change your salinity during water changes then, since not all of the encrusting salt gets desolved in the water?
Wouldn't leaving it change your salinity during water changes then, since not all of the encrusting salt gets desolved in the water?
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lvsuckerfish
g funk
not if you test to make sure you SG is the same before you do a water change lol I forgot if it was dd's or what salt mix that always turned my water yellow when mixing a new batch I want to say it was seachems line not the marine but the reef salt
FreakinReefin
Insert idiot comment
I could be wrong, but I think the brown stuff is probably the anti-clumping agent they use in the salt. I can't remember if my Tunze mixes have ever done that or if it looked different. I know that the last time I mixed Tunze salt there was a noticeable slime on the mixing container, however I mix in a 60g gray plastic trash can and probably wouldn't see the color of the film. My Aquavitro Salinity is REALLY bad at this and leaves a thick white slime all over the container.
DonW
R.I.P.
Most of the time you get a little precip that will build up in a mixing container. Brown or green may be bacteria or even algae. Bleach it out and start off fresh.
Don
Don
I've notice similar things with my IO Reef Crystals leaving behind a brown sludge/slime on the sides of my water storage can. How well are you mixing your solution when adding the salt to the water? I've been wondering myself if mixing things up better would help with this. I went down to McClendons last night and got one of these:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/HO...ase-_-Painting-_-Equipment & Supplies-_-2AUU4
I was pretty impressed with how well it mixed things up. I did the mixing in 5 gallon buckets and them dumped my buckets into my 32 gallon can. There was 0 salt residue left in the buckets as i dumped them into my can and I've NEVER had that happen. There is allways some unmixed salt left.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/HO...ase-_-Painting-_-Equipment & Supplies-_-2AUU4
I was pretty impressed with how well it mixed things up. I did the mixing in 5 gallon buckets and them dumped my buckets into my 32 gallon can. There was 0 salt residue left in the buckets as i dumped them into my can and I've NEVER had that happen. There is allways some unmixed salt left.
