Alk Solution Turned Brown?

Johnson556 · Jun 19, 2018

I run esv bionic 2 part on my tank. I recently purchased two acrylic dosing containers to neaten things up under the tank. Rinsed them with RODI then loaded them up.

Well yesterday(about 10 days afterwards) I go to check things out and I notice my Alk solution is brown/tea colored. Parameters where still rock solid at 8.2dKH and Calcium at 420ppm.

Any ideas as to what happened/caused this? I dumped the solution just to be safe. Hopefully this doesn’t happens again.

Reefltx · Jun 19, 2018

That’s odd I’m using esv and never seen that before.

erky · Jun 19, 2018

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/alk-solution-turned-brown.267481/

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 19, 2018

Are you certain it is not contacting any metal parts?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/esv-b-ionic-turned-yellow.406659/

Johnson556 · Jun 19, 2018

I'm 99% sure, will check once I'm home. Rinsed and put in new solution last night.

marriedtothereef · Jun 19, 2018

Did the tubing dip into the sump water? Something probably travelled up the tube and into your container. This happened to me in the beginning

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 19, 2018

marriedtothereef said:
Did the tubing dip into the sump water? Bacteria probably travelled up the tube and into your container. This happened to me in the beginning

Bacteria? I don't think they can live in ESV alk solution (too salty and high pH), but calcium and magnesium from tank water can precipitate when mixing with it, and the drip tip should not be put into tank water for that reason.

marriedtothereef · Jun 19, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Bacteria? I don't think they can live in ESV alk solution (too salty and high pH), but calcium and magnesium from tank water can precipitate when mixing with it, and the drip tip should not be put into tank water for that reason.

Yes the drip tip submerged into the sump water. You can literally see the discoloration travel up the tube

Johnson556 · Jun 19, 2018

I have my dosing tubes about 10" above the water in the sump, not sure tank water or any excess moisture is possible as the containers are capped. I want to say metal is unlikely as well.

When I first put the solution in the jug it was cloudy and had some sediment but am surprised by the tea like color that came days later.

jml1149 · Jun 19, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Bacteria? I don't think they can live in ESV alk solution (too salty and high pH), but calcium and magnesium from tank water can precipitate when mixing with it, and the drip tip should not be put into tank water for that reason.

What about a high flow tank area? I had precipitate clog the tubes in a matter of a couple of days. Now, I have the tube cut to a 45 degree angle, and passing through an overflow, so there's a constant stream of tank water flowing over the end of the tube.

I had my alk turn yellow, just as this did, in the post Randy referenced. I took a look at the fittings I was using, and I can see the teeth, but they don't appear to be too bad. Maybe its something in the container. I'm using the same solution, with the same new containers, and had the same end effect. I washed the containers out thoroughly , with tap water, RO water, then a vinegar bath before using them. The smell when I first opened the box from amazon was something, but it was gone when I started using them. Smelled like plastic cement.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 19, 2018

jml1149 said:
What about a high flow tank area? I had precipitate clog the tubes in a matter of a couple of days. Now, I have the tube cut to a 45 degree angle, and passing through an overflow, so there's a constant stream of tank water flowing over the end of the tube.

The concern is the tendency for calcium and magnesium to diffuse into the end of the alk tubing and precipitate inside of it. Same for bicarbonate/carbonate diffusing into the calcium tube.

You never get any precipitate inside the tubing?

jml1149 · Jun 19, 2018

Not sure, I just cut the tube and relocated it recently. I'll keep an eye on it

jml1149 · Jun 21, 2018

What ever happened with this?

Tommy's Reef · Jun 21, 2018

My brs alk (soda ash) did this a few months ago. Solution was in same container for 5 months. Figured it just got old and stale? Mine turned milky brown and thicker on the bottom u could see the difference.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

tommyhere said:
My brs alk (soda ash) did this a few months ago. Solution was in same container for 5 months. Figured it just got old and stale? Mine turned milky brown and thicker on the bottom u could see the difference.

I can't see how being old would cause a brown color.

Johnson556 · Jun 22, 2018

I replaced the solution.

....Which I then poured calcium into the next day. So I wasted a month of each solution. Sweet....

There’s no way it was from being old, the container I poured it from was the 5 gallon ESV bucket. Bucket was probably 4-5 months old and was still clear as day when I poured it in. Had to be some sort of contaiminent in the container.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

Johnson556 said:
I replaced the solution.

....Which I then poured calcium into the next day. So I wasted a month of each solution. Sweet....
.

lol

Happy reefing.

Tommy's Reef · Jun 22, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I can't see how being old would cause a brown color.

I know right. But my big container did this also. I couldnt think of any other reason? I'm still using the same solution lol

mbarber87 · Jun 20, 2020

Any feedback on this? Same exact problem with the ESV alk

ScaldingTarn · Jul 15, 2020

I also just had the same thing happen. I use ESV 2 part and Neptune DOS... it’s never happened before, the only thing I did different the last two weeks was that I turned off my dosers so the solution was sitting there.