Calling On Tropic Marine For Help!!!

[reef_ranch]

I started this thread asking for Tropic Marine for help. Lou from TM suggested that I replicate my experience in another container and document it for Tropic Marin.

Guess what - I was NOT Able to replicate the residue building up on another container! Here are the pics when I mixed a fresh batch with TMP and three days later. Mixed clear and no residue.

Crazy. This whole thread turns out to be an "oops".

 

[PeterC99]

Crazy. This whole thread turns out to be an "oops".

Disagree with the “Oops”.


I got to meet and speak with Lou Ekis from TM. Had a great conversation and he’s the one who recommended replicating the results in another container. He spoke at length about the manufacturing process and quality control. We also spoke about the hobby and other TM products that I used. He even offered a few suggestions to improve my reef.

You never know what can come from an R2R thread? He finished the conversation saying that I could call him anytime. I’ll take that “Oops” any day!

 

[Karen00]

I've been following this thread... @PeterC99 did you figure out what was wrong with the mixing container you used that was giving you the brown residue? Do you think something in the salt was reacting with that container or was the container not clean that resulted in a reaction with the salt? Is the new mixing container the same as the other one? I'm glad the new container resulted in a clean mix but I'm still curious as to what might've caused the problem when you didn't have the problem before (although maybe it was just a matter of time?)

 

[reef_ranch]

Disagree with the “Oops”.


I got to meet and speak with Lou Ekis from TM. Had a great conversation and he’s the one who recommended replicating the results in another container. He spoke at length about the manufacturing process and quality control. We also spoke about the hobby and other TM products that I used. He even offered a few suggestions to improve my reef.

You never know what can come from an R2R thread? He finished the conversation saying that I could call him anytime. I’ll take that “Oops” any day!

I’d call that a silver lining. Better to have avoided all of the negative all together. Lou is awesome no doubt and he handled the situation perfectly.

 

[PeterC99]

I've been following this thread... @PeterC99 did you figure out what was wrong with the mixing container you used that was giving you the brown residue? Do you think something in the salt was reacting with that container or was the container not clean that resulted in a reaction with the salt? Is the new mixing container the same as the other one? I'm glad the new container resulted in a clean mix but I'm still curious as to what might've caused the problem when you didn't have the problem before (although maybe it was just a matter of time?)

I did not figure out what was wrong with the mixing. I used an Old TM salt bucket to mix 3 gallons of saltwater to see if I could replicate the issue. Unfortunately, I could not, the bucket was clean after 5 days and the water was crystal clear.

Wondering if there are particles on my old mixing container from years of mixing salt and these particles attracted the residue. I’ve recently cleaned my mixing barrel and will see if I get the residue again.

 

[FragQueen]

First time posting on any Reef Forum and man I gotta say reading this entire thread was very interesting. Really enjoyed reading Lou’s responses and I will be calling the number provided the next business day.
I stumbled upon this thread because I purchased TM for the first time ever and this is my first time ever even smelling the salt…..which smells….citrusy? I’m not sure how to place it, but it smells like a mild powdered laundry detergent almost. This of course leaves me feeling very paranoid as I don’t want to lose anything with my first water change.
I have mixed about 30 gallons in a brute can and after 6 hours it is still a bit cloudy. And the solution still smells the same; very light citrus. I have nothing to add regarding brown sludge in my mixing container as it is still mixing, but the smell alone has me worried. To reiterate, the salt mix itself smells, not my brute can. My mix was bought from BRS in December 2021 and this is my first time opening it. It came in the Turkey manufactured box Art-N 10572. I will not be adding this to my system until I eat clarification if this smell is normal. I’ll be measuring the mixes parameters in the morning.

 

[PeterC99]

First time posting on any Reef Forum and man I gotta say reading this entire thread was very interesting. Really enjoyed reading Lou’s responses and I will be calling the number provided the next business day.
I stumbled upon this thread because I purchased TM for the first time ever and this is my first time ever even smelling the salt…..which smells….citrusy? I’m not sure how to place it, but it smells like a mild powdered laundry detergent almost. This of course leaves me feeling very paranoid as I don’t want to lose anything with my first water change.
I have mixed about 30 gallons in a brute can and after 6 hours it is still a bit cloudy. And the solution still smells the same; very light citrus. I have nothing to add regarding brown sludge in my mixing container as it is still mixing, but the smell alone has me worried. To reiterate, the salt mix itself smells, not my brute can. My mix was bought from BRS in December 2021 and this is my first time opening it. It came in the Turkey manufactured box Art-N 10572. I will not be adding this to my system until I eat clarification if this smell is normal. I’ll be measuring the mixes parameters in the morning.

Every time I mix TM Pro it mixes perfectly clean within a 1/2 hour. Here’s a batch that I mixed yesterday.

 

[FragQueen]

Every time I mix TM Pro it mixes perfectly clean within a 1/2 hour. Here’s a batch that I mixed yesterday.

Ok, so mine is still cloudy. Do you notice any sort of fragrance or odor from your salt??

 

[PeterC99]

Ok, so mine is still cloudy. Do you notice any sort of fragrance or odor from your salt??

No, no Oder .

 

[FragQueen]

No, no Oder .

Great. Figures the very first time I try a premium salt, I get an anomaly that literally no one on the internet has reported yet. This salt legit smells like a box of dollar store powdered laundry detergent.

 

[jhuntstl]

Great. Figures the very first time I try a premium salt, I get an anomaly that literally no one on the internet has reported yet. This salt legit smells like a box of dollar store powdered laundry detergent.

Where'd you purchase the salt from?

 

[PeterC99]

Great. Figures the very first time I try a premium salt, I get an anomaly that literally no one on the internet has reported yet. This salt legit smells like a box of dollar store powdered laundry detergent.

We’re you mixing some other salt mix prior to TM Pro in your mixing container?

 

[FragQueen]

Where'd you purchase the salt from?

Bulk reef supply. I bought two boxes on 11/19/21. Opened the first box today. I haven’t opened the second box to see if it has the same odor and I probably won’t, because I will want to return it. I’m just super aggravated that I was so close to putting it in my system. I’m glad I found this thread.

 

[FragQueen]

We’re you mixing some other salt mix prior to TM Pro in your mixing container?

I use the same brute can to mix Red Sea blue bucket, but I wipe the can clean with rodi water after each use.

 

[PeterC99]

I use the same brute can to mix Red Sea blue bucket, but I wipe the can clean with rodi water after each use.

I had the same problem after Red Sea Pro. But after the power wash I haven’t had the residue problem.

 

[FragQueen]

I had the same problem after Red Sea Pro. But after the power wash I haven’t had the residue problem.

When you say same problem, are you referring to the TM salt having a fragrant odor? I am not concerned about any sludge, as my mix hasn’t even cleared up yet (going on 8 hours now). My main concern is that the salt mix and the salt water that I’m making both smell like a very light detergent. And I am trying to get the communities input as to if they’ve ever experienced this.

 

[PeterC99]

When you say same problem, are you referring to the TM salt having a fragrant odor? I am not concerned about any sludge, as my mix hasn’t even cleared up yet (going on 8 hours now). My main concern is that the salt mix and the salt water that I’m making both smell like a very light detergent. And I am trying to get the communities input as to if they’ve ever experienced this.

Sorry - I didn’t have the same experience. Only the sludge issue.

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

My latest two boxes from Turkey have been typical TMPR

 

[Tony Thompson]

In a attempt to be fair to all parties, I have read through all the posts from the beginning.

I am a reef store owner, I sell only one brand of salt, Tropic Marin Pro Reef. I also use the same salt as my pre mixed salt that I sell to my customers.

I mix thousands of litres of this salt every week. previously after purchasing new mixing vats 1000 litre potable water vats. I never had any residue after mixing or storing the salt mix. However after some period of time I started to notice a brown substance that covers the mixing container and my pump over an extended period of time. I also found that the pipework had developed a slime coat, similar to bacterial bio film.

I presume this is the reason people mixing in an alternative vat do not see the same effect, as its a clean vat.

For that reason I now regularly sterilise and clean my containers, RODI and salt Mixing vats.

Once the containers are cleaned, the brown covering does not appear again till about 4 weeks later. I have deduced that this covering is in fact a bacterial reaction. It is also one that gradually becomes more noticeable over time. One thing that I find puzzling is that even with hydrogen peroxide, I can not completely clean the pumps.

@Lou Ekus , although I get my support from Hans Werner Balling himself at the German facility, I have always found Tropic Marin EU to be extremely helpful and honest.

I wish you a happy new year and hope this maybe sheds a little light on a possible reason why the brown film occurs.

Best wishes from across the pond.

 

[PeterC99]

In a attempt to be fair to all parties, I have read through all the posts from the beginning.

I am a reef store owner, I sell only one brand of salt, Tropic Marin Pro Reef. I also use the same salt as my pre mixed salt that I sell to my customers.

I mix thousands of litres of this salt every week. previously after purchasing new mixing vats 1000 litre potable water vats litres. I never had any residue after mixing or storing the slat mix. However after some period of time I started to notice a brown substance that covers the mixing container and my pump over an extended period of time. I also found that the pipework had developed a slime coat, similar to bacterial bio film.

I presume this is the reason people mixing in an alternative vat do not see the same effect, as its a clean vat.

For that reason I now regularly sterilise and clean my containers, RODI and salt Mixing vats.

Once the containers are cleaned, the brown covering does not appear again till about 4 weeks later. I have deduced that this covering is in fact a bacterial reaction. It is also one that gradually becomes more noticeable over time. One thing that I find puzzling is that even with hydrogen peroxide, I can not completely clean the pumps.

@Lou Ekus , although I get my support from Hans Werner Balling himself at the German facility, I have always found Tropic Marin EU to be extremely helpful and honest.

I wish you a happy new year and hope this maybe sheds a little light on a possible reason why the brown film occurs.

Best wishes from across the pond.

I have recently cleaned my saltwater mixing container and not had the issue again in 3 weeks since.

Curious why you think it’s bacterial and shouldn’t there be something we could use to offset it?