saltwater mix tank cloudy

[fallinapart]

my saltwater mix tank is cloudy after 48 hours. I have it in a rubbermaid container (15 gal). I added RO water and salt mix (Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix). It also looks like a slight slime on the surface. I Have a Maxi_Jet 400 in the container as well as a heater and the lid has been laying on top just to keep dust out. Water test resulted in 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrate, 5 Nitrite and 8.4 PH and hydrometer reads 1.022. Is this water safe for a water change? I usually do a 10 gal change in a 55 gal FOWLER tank. But I'm wondering about this water which came from Wal-Mart Culligan machine.

Thanks

 

[Lotus]

Is the cloudiness possibly from microbubbles? I'm really wondering where the nitrites are coming from.

 

[Joe Fish]

The maxi-jet should be set to ripple the surface slightly. This should eliminate the slime on the surface. What else is in the tank? I agree you shouldn't be seeing nitrites.

 

[fallinapart]

>>Is the cloudiness possibly from microbubbles? I'm really wondering where >>the nitrites are coming from.

Not microbubbles, I took a kitchen glass full of the mix water and one from the tank and sat the 2 next to each other, the mix water showed some cloudiness but nothing else I could see.


>>The maxi-jet should be set to ripple the surface slightly. This should >>eliminate the slime on the surface. What else is in the tank? I agree you >>shouldn't be seeing nitrites.

ok, I will set the flow to break the surface, There is nothing else in the mix tank, but the PH was moved from the tank to the mix tank without taking it apart and cleaning it. Could that be the cupret?

 

[Joe Fish]

I don't think so. So, all you did was put RO water with salt? What kind of salt are you using? Is this a new bucket of salt?

 

[fallinapart]

I don't think so. So, all you did was put RO water with salt? What kind of salt are you using? Is this a new bucket of salt?

New Bag of Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix. RO water, Salt, heater and PH only things in the mix tank. Don't get me wrong it is not "Real Cloudy",,,, but it is slightly cloudly but just enough to keep me from doing a water change while getting some expert advice.

 

[Joe Fish]

What about other parameters like CA or alk? Since it's a new bag of salt there might be something wrong with it.

 

[fallinapart]

What about other parameters like CA or alk? Since it's a new bag of salt there might be something wrong with it.

Those I am unable to test for those, and my lfs is thirty miles away. But I will be staying away from that brand of salt from now on, That seems to be the most likly culpert, but can't know for sure.

 

[TheFool]

Sounds to me liek precipitating CaCO3 - I'm having exactly the same problem with Grotech salt. It happens at times with all the super Ca salts, and the problem is so much can come out it will drop the alk or the Ca to a very low value.
Their advice - inject fizzy mineral water to lower the pH and then add the salt gradually. My advice - get Instant Ocean, or some other 'non reef salt', and add Ca separately. At least the grotech comes with free bottles of extra Ca and Mg supplements. Also try opening the window to reduce admospheric CO2, and don't leave the stuff lying around overnight as it will absorb CO2 from the air, and start ppting out when dissolved CO3 hits critical solution - mix it, wait an hour, add it.

A big p.i.t.a.

 

[Joe Fish]

It should also be absorbing O2 and releasing CO2, right? As long as he has a the jet just breaking the surface or some other means of putting air into the mix.

 

[Limi310]

I agree with The Fool...I've had this happen to me before from adding salt mix too quickly. Seems that if I dump it in all at once, it precipitates but if I slowly sprinkle it in it's fine. It happened to me with Red Sea Reef salt.

 

[fallinapart]

I agree with The Fool...I've had this happen to me before from adding salt mix too quickly. Seems that if I dump it in all at once, it precipitates but if I slowly sprinkle it in it's fine. It happened to me with Red Sea Reef salt.

Well, "The Fool" response went way over my head with water chemistry, but thanks for the reply and information, my little brain will try to absorb some of that and in the mean time I will mix my salt a lot slower by sprinking some in and waiting for it to dissolve and see how that works. I have already adjusted the PH to keep the surface stirred up.

Thanks to all who helped.

 

[Limi310]

I think what he means is sometimes there is a chemical reaction from adding the salt too quickly or all at once and it basically makes the calcium 'come out' of the water and thats the cloudyness you are seeing. You'll notice that it'll be sticking to the inside of the bucket and powerhead or whatever else you have in there. I think if you oxygenate the water for a bit with a powerhead or airstone or something then sprinkle the salt in slower you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[fallinapart]

I think what he means is sometimes there is a chemical reaction from adding the salt too quickly or all at once and it basically makes the calcium 'come out' of the water and thats the cloudyness you are seeing. You'll notice that it'll be sticking to the inside of the bucket and powerhead or whatever else you have in there. I think if you oxygenate the water for a bit with a powerhead or airstone or something then sprinkle the salt in slower you shouldn't have a problem.

Hmmm, that I understand, my little brain had a hard time digesting*crazysmil what TheFool meant, (hard to teach an old dog new tricks)*twirlysmi But thanks so much to all of you for the response and help. This is such a great place to learn.

 

[TheFool]

Hmm, basically new 'reef ' salts have so much Ca jammed inthem that if there is an excess of atmospheric CO2 then it raises the combination of Ca and alk beyond the saturation point and bingo it's snowing. Adding mineral water with CO2 in it drops the pH temporarily and allows everything to dissolve.
It's a nuisance. Check the Ca and alk, especially the alk, and you should be good to go. Generally the numbers will be a bit below, so I end up buffering it back up .......
I am not a big fan of supersaturated salts anymore. I would rather get a stable salt and add Ca as required with kalk or a reactor or 2 part.

 

[fallinapart]

Hmm, basically new 'reef ' salts have so much Ca jammed inthem that if there is an excess of atmospheric CO2 then it raises the combination of Ca and alk beyond the saturation point and bingo it's snowing. Adding mineral water with CO2 in it drops the pH temporarily and allows everything to dissolve.
It's a nuisance. Check the Ca and alk, especially the alk, and you should be good to go. Generally the numbers will be a bit below, so I end up buffering it back up .......
I am not a big fan of supersaturated salts anymore. I would rather get a stable salt and add Ca as required with kalk or a reactor or 2 part.

Thanks for that explanation, it really helps to understand why things happen, and helps me not do that mistake again. BTW, 4 days after mixing, the water is now clear as it should be with PH properly located. Thanks again You Guys are the greatest. Now I can do the WC