What color is your salt?

[Peace River]

I installed a water mixing station recently using two 65g Norwesco tanks and a Varios 6 pump. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt and regularly recirculate the mixed saltwater so that it will flow through a filter sock. Although not a surprise, I thought y’all may find it interesting to see the color of the sock after about two months. Remember, only fresh, “clean” saltwater flows through this sock!

 

[MERKEY]

I installed a water mixing station recently using two 65g Norwesco tanks and a Varios 6 pump. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt and regularly recirculate the mixed saltwater so that it will flow through a filter sock. Although not a surprise, I thought y’all may find it interesting to see the color of the sock after about two months. Remember, only fresh, “clean” saltwater flows through this sock!

Going to have to try this now!

 

[Uncle99]

Yuck.

 

[PSU4ME]

IO uses a binder or caking agent, that’s what you’re seeing

 

[RedReefer]

That's the same gunk in my mixing barrels. I do like the idea of running the new saltwater through a sock!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IO uses a binder or caking agent, that’s what you’re seeing

Do they? How do you know that is what is being seen?

I was once told by someone who should know at the company making it that neither Reef crystals not normal IO used any-caking agents.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, i suspect, but do not know, that the brown stuff folks always get with Reef Crystals (and never with normal IO) is due to the vitamins and other organics (e.g., metal chelators) added to that mix.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I installed a water mixing station recently using two 65g Norwesco tanks and a Varios 6 pump. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt and regularly recirculate the mixed saltwater so that it will flow through a filter sock. Although not a surprise, I thought y’all may find it interesting to see the color of the sock after about two months. Remember, only fresh, “clean” saltwater flows through this sock!

Many reefers do mention of a brown residue in their buckets and this is the minerals which they refer to

 

[ZoWhat]

My guess its Calcium Carbonate bonding over time (particulate fallout) which i believe has a light brown shade to it when its not lab grade....meaning not chemically rinsed to be bottled as pure white CaCO3 from a Lab Mfgr

Could also be dirt-dust in the air bonding to the CaCO3

 

[homer1475]

Ever since viewing the video BRS did about running NSW through a sediment filter, I've been doing just that for a few months now.

I was very surprised by how quickly the filter turned brown, and I run regular old purple box IO. But now my mixing barrels are super clean with no brown residue left over.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My guess its Calcium Carbonate bonding over time (particulate fallout) which i believe has a light brown shade to it when its not lab grade....meaning not chemically rinsed to be bottled as pure white CaCO3 from a Lab Mfgr

Could also be dirt-dust in the air bonding to the CaCO3

Normal IO and Coral Reef Pro both precipitate calcium carbonate, but never like the brown stuff that precipitates from Reef Crystals. it is more tan to white, typically:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm

Figure 1. The residue on the bottom of the plastic trash can that I use to mix Instant Ocean. I rarely clean it out. The solid is most likely calcium carbonate.​

 

[AZMSGT]

I have had TMP and RS salt both get brown gunk in it. I mix in a 65g Norwesco tank.

Tried both, cleaned the tank between each didn’t matter.

 

[TriggerFinger]

@Peace River could you share some pics of how you have sock set up please? Also, what micron sock are you using?

 

[Rubberfrog]

FWIW, i suspect, but do not know, that the brown stuff folks always get with Reef Crystals (and never with normal IO) is due to the vitamins and other organics (e.g., metal chelators) added to that mix.

Since I have zero chemistry background to qualify this, I wanted to add-in that I too suspect this to be the cause.

 

[SPR1968]

I use the Red Sea standard salt Bruce, my fresh saltwater tank has the same brown film, it’s like a biofilm or something and needs cleaning occasionally. Well about every year!

 

[Peace River]

@Peace River could you share some pics of how you have sock set up please? Also, what micron sock are you using?

Here are pictures of the PVC "hanger" with and without the filter sock. These two pieces of PVC are glued together and this slips (without glue) on to the PVC pipe that goes horizontally through a uniseal in the outside of the polyethylene container. I'm sure that there are different (and probably better ways) to do this, but this has been working so far. To make the "hook" I drilled a hole and then cut a wide straight notch to connect to the hole so that the sock can easily be added and removed.

 

[Peace River]

Here is a picture of the mixing station where you can see the horizontal pipe going into the 65g Norwesco tank, the #Varios 6 control, and the #Hydros 2 controller:

 

[sp1187]

Normal IO and Coral Reef Pro both precipitate calcium carbonate, but never like the brown stuff that precipitates from Reef Crystals. it is more tan to white, typically:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm

Figure 1. The residue on the bottom of the plastic trash can that I use to mix Instant Ocean. I rarely clean it out. The solid is most likely calcium carbonate.​

hey... how did you get a pic of the bottom of my Brut mixer?

 

[sp1187]

https://aquariumlabs.com/best-reef-salt/

I know... I know... it's the internet,. and I don't know the rep of that attached link.