Need help please

[Db1060]

i’m new to saltwater and need some help. This morning i woke up walked into the room with my tank and heard some noise from the tank. So i check the built in sump and saw that the return pump hose looked like it was loose. I shut the pump off and fixed the hose put it back into the tank and turned it back on. All of asudden its spitting cloudy stuff “i think salt” into the tank. I looked at the bottom of the RP chamber and noticed the crystaled salt. How should i resolve this problem?

Should i move my heater into the return pump section?

My build is
- 10gallon innovative nano tank
- koralia 240 Powerhead
-aquatop titanium 100w heater “set at 78”
- kessil a80

Salinity is at 1.027
Please help
-dAn

 

[kgstei]

Hi Welcome to reefing. Your salinity seems to be on the high end, so if it is salt, you don' need it. You could siphon it out or suck it out with a turkey baster. How long have you been set up? Was your saltwater completely premixed before you added it to your tank?

 

[aresangel]

Remove water and add DI to bring the salinity down to your desired goal (1.023-1.025 is where I aim to keep mine). Check salinity frequently to ensure none of the precipitated salt becomes dissolved.

When you add new salt water during a water change do you thoroughly mix it or add the salt directly to your tank? If the water is not to tank temperature not all will dissolve and may leave behind residue. Also if salt water sits still for too long I find you may get some precipitate but not in crystal form.

Work on stabilizing the salinity now and lets us know how you mix salt/do water changes, Top offs, and maybe a picture or two might help diagnose the problem. To me it sounds like settling of some precipitate... but again that would not be a crystal instead it would be a milky white bottom.

Good luck!

 

[Db1060]

I put a powerhead in the bucket with the heater waited till the water was crystal clear booted my tank up tuesday. Check my ammonia and nitrite levels thare were none so i stuck 2 clown in.

If i suck the salt out of the back of the sump isnt that going to effect the salinity?

 

[Db1060]

I understand my salinity is high i have been keeping it at 25-26 my only concern right now is the salt blowing through the tank. I put 1/2 cup of ro water in the tank and it brought it down to 1.026.

 

[Db1060]

i mix everything in a 5gallon bucket right now.i put a powerhead and a heater in the bucket and wait for the water to become clear and no sign of salt at the bottom. What is it like a mininum of 2-3 to mix best to mix water over night?

 

[jah-hoeva]

You started your tank Tuesday and you already added fish?

 

[Db1060]

I used instant ocean bio-spira

 

[kgstei]

Your salt mixing protocol seems to be okay you better if you let it sit overnight in the bucket with the power head running. Your big problem is that your tank isn't cycled which means as you add food for your fish and they poop in the water there isn't a sufficient amount of bacteria to break down the organic matter . Your ammonia levels are going to go up I don't think your two clowns would survive that in a 10 gallon tank.

 

[kgstei]

I'm not sure if adding bio spira is sufficient. Perhaps someone with experience using that can chime in.

 

[Db1060]

I’m doing ammonia and nitrite testing right now

Ammonia came out at 0 ppm

 

[Chris A.]

Don’t add any other fish and testing ammonia.
Back in the day tanks were cycled with live fish and most did survive the cycle. New methods have come but you can’t use them with fish in the tank.
If ammonia does climb a lot do 50% water change

 

[kgstei]

You are good for now. Like Chris says have some water mixed and ready in case your Ammonia spikes. Maybe someone who used that bacteria booster will give us some more info.

 

[kgstei]

How are things going?

 

[Db1060]

Take is doing good I’m just doing water changes 1 - 2 times a week and watching my nitrates. My ammonia and nitrites are still coming up as zero. January 12 will be my 1 month for the tank being up