Adding Mixed Stored Water to New System

[needyreefer]

Hi everybody,

I’m finally getting around to setting up my tank. About a month and a half ago I mixed up 2 batches of reef crystals in 2 brute containers (rinsed out the trash cans before adding RO). Life got in the way and I never got around to setting up the tank. The trash cans now have a pretty strong brown film on them and the water smells ummm, less than ideal. Is this normal? I would start all over but it’s 80 gallons of water and I’m still needing to cycle the tank. Would this water at least be safe to use to get the tank started? Obviously nothing will be added to the tank for a month or so! FWIW, each trashcan has a maxi jet 1200 in it.

Thanks!


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[NO3]

Originally Posted by needyreefer

The trash cans now have a pretty strong brown film on them and the water smells ummm, less than ideal. Is this normal?

The brown stuff is Calcium Carbonate. This happens to stagnate SW as the Calcium ions and the carbonate ions BOND together to form Calcium Carbonate.

Your SW batch....unfortunately....is a BUST.

Yeah you can use it but the Calcium ppm and the Alkalinity ppm will be LOW bc calcium carbonate has already bonded.

Not a good batch of SW to start your tank with.

Imo.....dump the SW and start with a new mix

[needyreefer]

Ay yi yiii. Less than great news. Would there be any issue with testing the Ca and Alk and just dosing to replace? Or is there more to it, chemically?

I appreciate your advice!


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[NO3]

Well.... Would your drink beer that's been sitting in a Brute container for months. Of course not bc it would give you food poisoning.

I explained the "brown slime"...... But God only knows what your SMELLING.

if you put the SOURED saltwater in your tank you could be fatally introducing unknown bacteria that has formed killing any fish or coral you add later.

Imo....your SW is sour....unusuable....and should be poured down the drain.

But....utlimately it your decision

[neilp2006]

Yeah- what NO3 said.

The calcium carbonate formation doesn’t account for the smell. Plus it’s more of a powdery film, or literal brown flaky crystals. It’s shouldn’t be ‘slimey’.

Slime is going to be a bacterial biofilm- and the fact it smells funky just reinforces that it probably isn’t a ‘good’ bacteria.

No idea what it is or how it was introduced= toss it. An 80 g batch of salt water costs much less than potential 6 months of trying to figure out how to get rid of that new strain of brown slime bacteria that all over your sand and rocks.


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[needyreefer]

Originally Posted by neilp2006

Yeah- what NO3 said.

The calcium carbonate formation doesn’t account for the smell. Plus it’s more of a powdery film, or literal brown flaky crystals. It’s shouldn’t be ‘slimey’.

Slime is going to be a bacterial biofilm- and the fact it smells funky just reinforces that it probably isn’t a ‘good’ bacteria.

No idea what it is or how it was introduced= toss it. An 80 g batch of salt water costs much less than potential 6 months of trying to figure out how to get rid of that new strain of brown slime bacteria that all over your sand and rocks.


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Thank you for your input as well, the trashcan is certainly not slimy, it’s powdery. With that said, despite thinking that the cycling water is going to be as gross as this would be and letting my protein skimmer do it’s thing, I’m still going to error on the safe side and start a new batch. Just money and time right 🤪. Thank you both for the guidance!


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[NO3]

Good decision, my friend

[homer1475]

RC and brown scum, Its an anti caking agent added to the salt and a known issue with storing "reef" salts like RC. Calcium carbonate would be white or an off white color, I have certainly never seen it brown.



With that said, given that it if it smells funny, I probably would not use it.

[Dmorty217]

Brown is bad unfortunately. I mix up water all the time, months in advance typically but keep it moving with a pump or serious aerator. Getting ready to do a water change with water I mixed up a month ago, but the water is always moving

[needyreefer]

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

Brown is bad unfortunately. I mix up water all the time, months in advance typically but keep it moving with a pump or serious aerator. Getting ready to do a water change with water I mixed up a month ago, but the water is always moving

Yeah pretty frustrating. I have a maxi jet 1200 in both but, it’s no better than low flow - not much surface agitation. They smell is a faint smell of cat urine, I’m guessing ammonia?


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[LeJeune981]

Whenever I mix up salt water.. even with surface agitation and water movement.. if I keep the lid on.. it will smell of ammonia in a week or so.. once I open the lid.. I leave it off for a day with the pumps and heater running.. the smell always seems to go away..

I always get the brown dust too from reef crystals

Calcium carbonate is deff whitish.. looks like undesolved salts at the bottom of my brute


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[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by needyreefer

Yeah pretty frustrating. I have a maxi jet 1200 in both but, it’s no better than low flow - not much surface agitation. They smell is a faint smell of cat urine, I’m guessing ammonia?


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The smell of ammonia isn’t good.

[needyreefer]

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

The smell of ammonia isn’t good.

But is it terrible if you’re trying to cycle a tank anyway?


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[BrettDS]

For what it’s worth, I mix new salt water in a 45G grey brute trash can in my garage. My auto water change system adds a bit less than 2G per day to my 300G system, so the mixed water will last for about 3 weeks before it needs to be refilled. I use the regular instant ocean salt and not reef crystals, but I have noticed that I definitely get a bad smell if I keep the trash can covered. At first I thought it was something in the brute trash can, so I cleaned it and bleached it, but the same thing happened after that. If I leave the cover off then there is no smell to the water at all.

I’ve been using this water, smell and all in my 300G system for 2.5 years now with no ill effects. I still don’t know what it is, but it really doesn’t seem to cause a problem at all.

I recently set up a small 8G invert Q tank and I have a 5 gallon bucket that I’m using as a NSW reservoir for the AWC on that system and I’ve discovered the same thing. The new water definitely has a smell if the bucket is left covered. But I’ve been using the stinky water without issues in that tank as well.

If the water has been covered and develops a smell then once I uncover it and let it air out for a little while the smell goes away. So if you had kept the water covered and the smell goes away after you uncover it, then I wouldn’t worry about it and I’d use the water anyway. If it still has a smell after it’s been uncovered for a while, then I might be a bit more concerned.

[sde1500]

Brown build up with reef crystals is normal. The smell may also be normal. I notice a smell in both my mixed water and fresh water barrels. If you search around you'll find other threads asking about Brute cans smelling. They do, its weird, but no harm. You had pumps so it wasn't a stagnant problem.

[kevin21]

Reef crystals can leave a light brown film if sitting for long periods of time based on the additives in it. I believe the vitamins/minerals/elements. I mix 5g and sometimes if I leave the salt for more than a day, I will see the brown film as well. Normal. Used this water multiple times with no issues. However, I have always heard of people storing saltwater for long periods of time. You did have water movement with the 1200 in there, so I am not so sure the water was completely useless.

[Fourstars]

I always get the brown, Reef Crystals uses something to bind any heavy metals and I always assumed this is the brown film. Use it as is, might want to check alkalinity and calcium and bring up to spec.

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by BrettDS

For what it’s worth, I mix new salt water in a 45G grey brute trash can in my garage. My auto water change system adds a bit less than 2G per day to my 300G system, so the mixed water will last for about 3 weeks before it needs to be refilled. I use the regular instant ocean salt and not reef crystals, but I have noticed that I definitely get a bad smell if I keep the trash can covered. At first I thought it was something in the brute trash can, so I cleaned it and bleached it, but the same thing happened after that. If I leave the cover off then there is no smell to the water at all.

I’ve been using this water, smell and all in my 300G system for 2.5 years now with no ill effects. I still don’t know what it is, but it really doesn’t seem to cause a problem at all.

I recently set up a small 8G invert Q tank and I have a 5 gallon bucket that I’m using as a NSW reservoir for the AWC on that system and I’ve discovered the same thing. The new water definitely has a smell if the bucket is left covered. But I’ve been using the stinky water without issues in that tank as well.

If the water has been covered and develops a smell then once I uncover it and let it air out for a little while the smell goes away. So if you had kept the water covered and the smell goes away after you uncover it, then I wouldn’t worry about it and I’d use the water anyway. If it still has a smell after it’s been uncovered for a while, then I might be a bit more concerned.

I also get a bad smell in my rodi brute can. I just cleaned it last week. The smell is back. I'd really hate to not cover it and get tds from dust.

[sde1500]

Originally Posted by oldhead

I also get a bad smell in my rodi brute can. I just cleaned it last week. The smell is back. I'd really hate to not cover it and get tds from dust.

We only care about tds in water because we don’t know what those solids are. And many are different metals. Post RODI water getting some tds from dust is inconsequential to the tank. Dust gets in our tanks anyway.

[LeJeune981]

Originally Posted by sde1500

We only care about tds in water because we don’t know what those solids are. And many are different metals. Post RODI water getting some tds from dust is inconsequential to the tank. Dust gets in our tanks anyway.

Agreed... I used to be ocd about keeping my rodi water covered at all times..same as fresh salt water.. then I thought about it..and realized whatever dust falls in there... is no different than what is falling into my tank

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