Guest Bevo5 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I just pulled a pump out of my mixing bucket and it's covered in a really sticky grey sludge. It's coarse like a thin layer of clay and is covering absolutely every part of the pump. The water that goes in is 100% RO an I mix using IO reef crystals. I've never had this happen before. Anybody have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I would imagine it could be precipitate forming because of heat and possibly too high of levels. Although, I don't think that precipitate is usually sticky. Did you add water to a pile of salt or did you add the salt to the bucket full of water? The former would cause precipitation issues due to extremely high levels of calcium carbonate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bevo5 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hi thanks for the response. I added salt to the bucket of water and tossed the pump in. I've been doing it that way for months and the water is always crystal clear/blue after a day. This time is was bit murky brown and then that sludge just coated every part of the pump like a perfect powder coating. Heat probably factored in. I mixed it a week ago and left it in my laundry room which doesn't get air. So that could explain it. I also added an older box of salt to my bucket. That salt was kind of chunky and maybe that was a problem? Either way - if I test the levels and everything seems normal is it ok to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I was told once that if the salt has got hard (from moisture) that it was no good anymore. Not sure it's truth or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bevo5 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Ah...dang. Is that true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoringDave Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Clay? Here is a link. https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/making-seawater-this-is-a-no-brainer-right/ I have read about clay being used as a anti-caking on other sites also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bevo5 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Yeah it for sure seems like clay. It had the same color and consistency as what I would assume clay would have. The question is really just whether or not it's OK to use. I am going to test the levels today and see - I guess I made a mistake by mixing in that old salt. Sucks because I had 1/2 a bucket left and just dumped in like half a box of the clumpy stuff. Everything I'm reading online is split between 'don't use it, some sort of reacdtion has occured" and "just break it up, it's fine.' But the water I mixed had that weird clay stuff and it wasn't pure clear/blue. I think I'm just going to chalk this up to a learning mistake and get a new box of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bevo5 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Just as an update for anyone who finds this thread later - I read all sorts of stuff online yesterday about what to do with clumped salt. And the consensus was "eh, who knows" So I went home and checked out the new bucket I had just mixed the night before. There was a SLIGHT brown tinge to it but nothing crazy. I tested the params and everything was coming up just fine - nice and high alk, cal and ph. I was going to test for MG but forgot. I did a small water change using that bucket and things seem to be just fine. So far no ill effects (knock on wood). I then mixed up another bucket and this morning it was 100% clear and blue as usual. I ordered a bunch of new salt as well and I'm going to mix it all up together. That way I will only ever be using like 1/5 of the clumped up salt. Hopefully that works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanktop74 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 This happens frequently with Kent salt. I don't know why but my 100 gal tub always has this brown coating that I cleaned out every now and then. Happens worse when I use to add extra alk to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titus'reef Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Same with mine. I never had an issue with it being like that. I will just rinse it once in a while. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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