what can I put in my refugium.

junito

junito

Member
So did a WC and again having issues with the water clearing up. Is there anything I can put in the refugium to help clear up the water ex. Purigen. Thanks
 
junito

junito

Member
Yes. Every time I do a WC it takes forever to clear up. This time it is still cloudy and I did the WC about a week ago. So would Purigen or anything else help.
90 gallon tank with 5 fish.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Are you using tap water? It sounds to me like Calcium carbonate precipitation. This can happen if alkalinity is too high when mixing the saltwater.

In addition, can you describe in exact detail how you mix your saltwater?

Sorry I haven't directly answered your question but without details I don't know the cause of the cloudiness. Without knowing the cause I cannot recommend a solution.
 
junito

junito

Member
Ro di unit and I mix the salt in a bucket then add to the refugium section where my return pump is. Before the WC ph was 8.4 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all 0 and calcium was 460.
 
junito

junito

Member
How would you have me mix the salt then.
Not milky just not clear. I did notice that when I move my water mover thingy lol lower to the bottom of the tank is when the water became cloudy. So I just moved it back up and will see.
I will give it a day or two and see how the water looks.
Going to add matrix media and or purigen to see if this helps.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
You should not use anything like purigen unless you are responding to a specific problem. Is there much detritus on the bottom of the refugium? Could it be stirred up during the change? Is the water clear before you add it to the tank?
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Lol I was just going to say. When u first mix salt the water is cloudy. It takes some time for it all to dissolve and clear
 
junito

junito

Member
I'm not talking about when I introduce water to the tank. It's when I do a WC it takes days to clear up.
The refugium is pretty clean I pour the water into the return pump section.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Junito http:///t/397208/what-can-i-put-in-my-refugium#post_3540014
How would you have me mix the salt then.

I have no recommendation since I don't know how you do it now.

Do you use cold water?
Do you put the salt in the bucket and then dump the water in?
How long does the water sit before you use it?

These are the details I need to help. You may be doing it right but if you don't describe how you mix your saltwater I have no way of knowing.
 
junito

junito

Member
I use the water from my ro di unit which is cold. Pour into a bucket and mix my salt, I let it settle for a few minutes and add to my refugium. I have been doing this since the beginning just the last 2 WC it has taken really long for the water to clear up.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
It's possible you have a bad batch of salt.

A couple things I might suggest:

1 - Mix it at least 24 hours prior to using it.

2 - Stir the water vigorously while slowly pouring the salt into the water. The salt should be dissolving before it hits the bottom of the bucket. There should be nothing sitting on the bottom when you're done.

To see if you have a bad batch of salt you'll need to test it for Magnesium, Calcium, Alkalinity, and PH. This is starting to sound like the likely suspect.
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
Side note. Who has the best salt? Instant, red sea, ect?
I use instant ocean and haven't any issues with mixing... yet.
 
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