Mixing Water - White Crust???

kelldog4

kelldog4

Member
Yeah, I was mixing water for a water change this weekend and I got this white crust all over everything - powerhead, hose, rubbermaid container - everything. What is it?? I've been mixing water this way for about a year now and I have nerver had any thing like it.
Is the water safe to use?
 
T

thomas712

Guest
I'm going to say NO, NO,:mad: NO,NO. It is not safe to use. Test it with any test kits that you have particularly Calcium, alkalinity and magnesium, also PH if possible. If you can not test for these then take a sample down the the LFS to have done.
Is this a newly opend salt?
Is it Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals?
Thomas
 
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thomas712

Guest
OK sounds like something that happend to me though.
Instead then I want you to take careful looks at your heater and power head, make sure that the heater is functioning correctly and has no condensation inside of it if it is a glass one, make sure to inspect the entire length of the electrical cords to make sure that there are no breaks or open areas.
Just in case test that mix.
Was the container clean when you started the mix?
Did you use the same water source?
Was the water particulary cold when you dumped the salt in?
I had one hell of a problem with what you are describing in the mix. Killed all my snails, hermits, emeralds, shrimp, and others. Still can't find my 6 line wrasse so assume that he is dead.
Test the water before use.
Thomas
 
kelldog4

kelldog4

Member
Thanks Thomas - I'm going back and thinking through the process I went through.
Let me answer your questions first.
I don't use a heater - pump wire checks out OK
I use the same container each time. I rinse with tap water before and after each use. Let it dry completely and then seal.
I used the same source water (i.e. tap water - i know, I know tap water is the seed of satan - but it hasn't given me any trouble thus far)
Water was tempid
Yes, my salt did get moist after my last water change and it had some large clumps this time.
Now here's some better information for you. I did just recently buy a new bag of instant ocean. I had mixed my water using the Red sea and was a little low on my salinity. I went and bought some Instant ocean and added about 1/2 cup to the red sea mixture. The next morning I had the white crust. I emptied everything out. Rinsed everything off. Scrubbed/rinsed my rubbermaid and powerhead repeatedly. I made a new batch entirely with Instant Ocean. The next day I had the same crust.
 
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thomas712

Guest
Ah ha. Same thing just happend to me on the 5th of Sept. Opened up a brand new 200 gal bucket and had the same white residue all over everything. Had to send a salt sample into the Mentor headquarters for testing and still waiting on a reply. My problem is I went ahead with the water change and killed many inverts using it. You may have a contaminated batch. I would not use it.
One question they repeatedly asked me was if my salt was clumpy and had gotten moist. Mine did not appear to be clumpy or had gotten moist.
Big question - Is there a batch number on your salt. There was a sticker on the top of my bucket which had gotten torn up and I was unable to read it.
If possible test this batch or take sample down for testing, I feel this is important as we can perhpas save some others from making the same mistake. I really would like some test scores on yours.
What it did to mine was drive the alkalinity way up above what a salifert test could test for. Also seemed to drive the calcium out of solution as well as the magnesium.
Here I have a pic of my 29 gallon mixing aquarium. Tell me if this is the white crusty stuff that you saw.
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
I just think IO has lost some of its integrity in its salt mixes. I keep seeing things like this and my tank was broke down because of hair algae (to read "I QUIT" for that story) the new tank still has nothing in it havent added anything and used good source water that tested fine no phosphats or nitrates. the new tank has a really high concentraion of phosphates and nitrates.
my newest conclusion because of this is the IO salts. really ticks me off to LOL
sorry to hear about the mix though. and I agree with Thomas sounds like some bad mix.
Mike
 
m.rogers

m.rogers

Active Member
killerdog4 yes please post some test scores i us IO as well and have had a eye on thomas other post.
mike
 
dreeves

dreeves

Active Member
I think I will rush right out and buy some IO salt...no wait...I stopped using that after the third bucket because I thought it sucked...and that was over a year ago...
That is some nasty residue there Thomas. And that was out of the killer batch you made? Wow.
It really stinks how we become complacent enough in our various products we use over and over...and then wham!
I hope everything works out for you thomas.
 
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thomas712

Guest
Yeah that tank was cleaned out on the deck and let dry then brought back and I mixed away, should have seen the foam on top when it was just added.
Not a good thing.
 
tunze

tunze

Member

Originally posted by Thomas712
Here I have a pic of my 29 gallon mixing aquarium. Tell me if this is the white crusty stuff that you saw.
It looks like IO's quality control dept was sleeping at the wheel. So how bad did your mixing pump look?
 
kelldog4

kelldog4

Member
My white crust looked almost like that. It wasn't as thick on the sides of my container, but is was that thick on my powerhead and on the inside of the vinyl hose i use.
My problem is that I can't get the crust completely off.
What is the process for sending in samples to Mentor. What is mentor???
 
dreeves

dreeves

Active Member
Crystal Sea.
Thomas you say you rinsed it out on the deck and left it there to dry? Any chances of any foriegn stuff getting in there while it was drying...like a neighbor spraying Malathion 50 or something?
 
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thomas712

Guest
Kelldog4 - You will want to start off with the 1800 number and talk to thier tech support staff.
1-800-822-1100
They will ask you to send a sample of 1/2 cup or 1 cup of the salt, not a water sample, just the salt.
I spoke to someone named Gershwin.
I sent my sample to the following address
Attention: Technical Support
8141 Tyler Blvd
Mentor, Ohio 44060
The number and address should be on your package of Instant Ocean. Hopfully they will be able to test and replace the product
if they find a problem with it.
Keep track of who you speak to and write it down, keep track of what they say and write youself notes afterward.
Good luck
 
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thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by dreeves
Thomas you say you rinsed it out on the deck and left it there to dry? Any chances of any foriegn stuff getting in there while it was drying...like a neighbor spraying Malathion 50 or something?
No nothing like that happend, good sunny day that day and the neighbor Joe was at work.
Thomas
 
guppy slayer

guppy slayer

Member
Do you guys use buffers?
I had an experience once where i mixed the buffer right in with my salt water i had set up for the change and I got the white crusty stuff. Later I talked to my LFS and they told me that the buffer should be mixed (completely disolved) in FW then added to the mix. Also the water needs to be cool. And the water will cloud up BUT if it doesnt clear in like 15 min. to toss out. It a bad batch
anyway sorry 4 your loss and I hope things work out:eek:
 
kelldog4

kelldog4

Member
I don't use any buffer when I am mixing water. I do use dechlorinator/conditioner before I add the salt though.
 
guppy slayer

guppy slayer

Member

Originally posted by kelldog4
I don't use any buffer when I am mixing water. I do use dechlorinator/conditioner before I add the salt though.
doesn't declorinator remove all of the good stuff in the water as well as thebad stuff and buffer puts it back in
Is there enough nutrients in IO were i wouldn't need to use the buffer at all? Just like reef crystals has more in it than IO has because -- should be used in a reef tank and IO should be used in a fish only.
 
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