Brute can brown water

[Kworker]

Can anyone explain why my brute can I use for salt mixing has a brown film on it that smells? I think I may have found the cause of my algae.

 

[Pete polyp]

Check the tds of your source water.

 

[markalot]

Pretty normal in my experience. I've used Kent both Kent and Reef Crystals and I usually clean the can with vinegar every other fill. Some say it's iron precipitate but regardless it seems mostly harmless.

I have one Brute with salt and the other with RO/DI and the RO/DI container never gets the film.

 

[Kworker]

Yeah the one with just RO/DI has no flm. The one I mix with does. It seems that is the cause of algae issues regardless.

The TDS coming out of my Unit is 0.

 

[evan.lundberg4]

Pretty normal in my experience. I've used Kent both Kent and Reef Crystals and I usually clean the can with vinegar every other fill. Some say it's iron precipitate but regardless it seems mostly harmless.

I have one Brute with salt and the other with RO/DI and the RO/DI container never gets the film.

I have the exact same experience with my brute cans. I was under the assumption that it was something in the salt mix personally but I could be wrong. Usually I only see the film build up if I leave salt water moving in the can for more than a day.

 

[NanaReefer]

It happens in my clear food grade containers too. Not always though. I've noticed it happens more if I mix my salt in cold water as opposed to water that's been warmed via a heater.

 

[Kworker]

I have the exact same experience with my brute cans. I was under the assumption that it was something in the salt mix personally but I could be wrong. Usually I only see the film build up if I leave salt water moving in the can for more than a day.

I realized same thing.. That has to be it than. I just wanted some reassurance to that.

 

[Kworker]

Anyone know the best way to determine if a container is a good plastic for water? I have this container that I was given for RO/DI use and I am a little skeptical if it is safe. I will post a picture.

 

[Kworker]

 

[TrialandError]

I've never had my leftover fresh saltwater turn brown. That's nasty. How long was it left in the container and what salt do you use?

 

[Kworker]

That water was in there since Last night, That is just RO water right there.

There was Saltwater in it for 24 hours prior to yesterday. I use Instant Ocean.

 

[TrialandError]

Wonder if that is from the iron in the salt as was said in a post above. Now it has me wondering if my salt has enough iron.

 

[ahtatt]

I have read several places that the brute cans leach phosphates, leaving your water smelling like urine.

 

[Gundo]

I've read there are 2 versions of brutes made one with a material which will leach phosphates and another that won't. They look identical but are made with different materials. If I can find the article I'll drop the link.

 

[Reef.ductionist]

Some plastics have polymers mixed in when created that are engineered with antifungal properties(molecular)which kill bacteria. If the plastic your using has these additives it would cause bacterial die off which might explain this. Just a guess.
Have you tried placing a light over the container during the brief storage period? This might help prevent bacterial die off which lesds to diatoms

 

[markalot]

I have read several places that the brute cans leach phosphates, leaving your water smelling like urine.

I've been using these for a year now, saltwater smells like cat urine if stored for more than a week. No corals suffer, no phosphate issues, no problems. Even if it was leaching phosphates we put more phosphates in the tank during a day of feeding that would be in any new water that we might be doing a 10% - 25% change with.

 

[joekidwell]

I read about this once and since then I'm sure to use up all my water before adding more and has kept the algae away.

 

[Kworker]

I am rinsing the can with vinegar and letting it run for a bit. I was actually going to start only filling the mixing container with salt an hour or so before use. It seems once salt is added it causes this.

 

[ETORRES477]

+1 on emptying the container before you refill, this way you get fresh which will less inclined to have bacterial growth. I fill my Brute container once every 2 weeks, a day or so before my Sunday WC I fill my 32 gallon Brute with RODI, make my mix use 15 gallons and store the rest for the next weeks WC. When it sits for a week it smells like cat urine, I think it has to do with the vitamins (calcium) in the mix I use (Reef Crystals). I used to get a little algae on the bottom of the can, but it never turned my water brown. I usually wipe down the inside of the container with vinegar and RODI once I use the leftover mix from the prior week and leave it empty until the wknd when I start over again. I just made a mix this wknd, and I put a small 100 GPH water pump in the container so the water circulates and I don't get that algae build up, I'll let u know if it works.