First Stages - Making Salt Water - Aquarium Advice

SparKy697 · 09-02-2007, 01:25 PM

I'm in the first stages of starting a 29 gallon reef tank with a 20 gallon sump. My LR is to arrive next week and I'm in the process of mixing SW to cure the rock in. After mixing Reef Crystals in a Rubbermaid tub with a power head/venturi for aeration and a heater I find that the water is cloudy even after the second day.

Is this normal? I did rinse out the tub a number of times and believe it to bee clean.

Here are some parameters:

Water: Using RO (not di at this time)

Water params: out of the RO unit Chlorine - 0, GH - 0, KH - 0, pH - 6.5

In the Tub the parameters are:

Temperature - 80 F

SG - 1.025

PH 7.7

I'm starting to think it is an issue with the tub I used. The pump has been shut off over night to see if the lack of agitation would help the cloudiness settle out, no change this morning.

Any suggestions?

**Ziggy953** · 09-02-2007, 01:56 PM

What kind of source water are you using?

SparKy697 · 09-02-2007, 02:02 PM

Source is a municipal surface water system. Lake Michigan to be exact.

Marconis · 09-02-2007, 04:07 PM

Annnnd we're off.

SparKy697 · 09-02-2007, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marconis

Annnnd we're off.

Keep your fingers crossed Marco.

OK. The pump has been off all day. The water is clearing up. There is a white sediment layer developing on the bottom of the tub.

This leads me to believe that all of the sea crystals have not dissolved... The sg is good but why such a large amount of undissolved material?

Hara · 09-02-2007, 05:22 PM

the couple of batches of reef crystals that I tried were a pain to dissolve as well. I would suspect your salt mix as being the reason. I use oceanic and I have never seen a salt that dissolves nicer.

SparKy697 · 09-02-2007, 06:14 PM

Ok, that makes sense.

My plans at the moment is to let the water sit until everything settles. Then draw off the clear water off of the top into a new vessel.

This seems to be a popular salt, what do others who use RC do to achieve better results?

sayuncle · 09-02-2007, 06:19 PM

RC and IO salts are crap.

Innovator · 09-02-2007, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayuncle

RC and IO salts are crap.

Very insightful. Anyways, all salt brands have negative and positive aspects to their products. Do a search at reefcentral.com and marinedepot.com/forums to research what salt brands are recommended and why

Hara · 09-02-2007, 07:27 PM

I believe there are also many threads here at AA on the same topic as well.

09-02-2007, 01:25 PM	#1
SparKy697 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 1,215 Images: 3	First Stages - Making Salt Water I'm in the first stages of starting a 29 gallon reef tank with a 20 gallon sump. My LR is to arrive next week and I'm in the process of mixing SW to cure the rock in. After mixing Reef Crystals in a Rubbermaid tub with a power head/venturi for aeration and a heater I find that the water is cloudy even after the second day. Is this normal? I did rinse out the tub a number of times and believe it to bee clean. Here are some parameters: Water: Using RO (not di at this time) Water params: out of the RO unit Chlorine - 0, GH - 0, KH - 0, pH - 6.5 In the Tub the parameters are: Temperature - 80 F SG - 1.025 PH 7.7 I'm starting to think it is an issue with the tub I used. The pump has been shut off over night to see if the lack of agitation would help the cloudiness settle out, no change this morning. Any suggestions? __________________ -Joe Click "My Info" for tank information. My 55g Tank Log Read About The Nitrogen Cycle Read About The Fishless Cycle

09-02-2007, 02:02 PM	#3
SparKy697 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 1,215 Images: 3	Source is a municipal surface water system. Lake Michigan to be exact. __________________ -Joe Click "My Info" for tank information. My 55g Tank Log Read About The Nitrogen Cycle Read About The Fishless Cycle

09-02-2007, 04:07 PM	#4
Marconis Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 848 Images: 4	Annnnd we're off. __________________ Lower your head modestly while passing, and you will harvest bananas.

09-02-2007, 05:22 PM	#6
Hara Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Louisiana Posts: 6,867 Images: 33	the couple of batches of reef crystals that I tried were a pain to dissolve as well. I would suspect your salt mix as being the reason. I use oceanic and I have never seen a salt that dissolves nicer. __________________ ~~~~~Hara~~~~~~ View My Tanks Visit FantasyReef.com's Databases!

09-02-2007, 06:14 PM	#7
SparKy697 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 1,215 Images: 3	Ok, that makes sense. My plans at the moment is to let the water sit until everything settles. Then draw off the clear water off of the top into a new vessel. This seems to be a popular salt, what do others who use RC do to achieve better results? __________________ -Joe Click "My Info" for tank information. My 55g Tank Log Read About The Nitrogen Cycle Read About The Fishless Cycle

09-02-2007, 06:19 PM	#8
sayuncle Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: USA Posts: 45	RC and IO salts are crap.

09-02-2007, 07:27 PM	#10
Hara Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Louisiana Posts: 6,867 Images: 33	I believe there are also many threads here at AA on the same topic as well. __________________ ~~~~~Hara~~~~~~ View My Tanks Visit FantasyReef.com's Databases!

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