Yellow film of detritus in my water change station, is my water not safe to use?

[Leon Gorani]

So I have a brute trash can holding my rodi water and another one next to it holding my mixed salt water. I only leave mixed saltwater in the brute can for when I actually use it and I only mix enough for one use. Lately I have noticed this film of algae or goo along the bottom of the brute can. It is also on my power head I use to circulate the water. (I will attach images) Today I made some saltwater and when I went back to look at it after an hour there was this yellow gunk or film of stuff along the bottom. Should I dump all the water that is in that can now since it is mixed with that stuff? The water does look somewhat murky when looked closely.
Should I take that brute can and wash it outside and clean it? I don’t want to have this stuff coming back. Anyone know what it could be? It started showing up on my power head. Is it dangerous to use water with this stuff in it?

 

[AcroNem]

Looks like carbonates building up, some salts also use a clay binder(completely inert) that will settle in a mixing station, Reef crystals is one of them. Vinegar should clean it off the pump quickly. What salt are you using? Is your container sealed or have a lid when you're not using it?

 

[Leon Gorani]

Looks like carbonates building up, some salts also use a clay binder(completely inert) that will settle in a mixing station, Reef crystals is one of them. Vinegar should clean it off the pump quickly. What salt are you using? Is your container sealed or have a lid when you're not using it?

I am using Red Sea reef salt. Okay I will try to clean it with vinegar. Otherwise it should be okay to use this water you think? I usually keep it closed both with and without water in it but I have left it open for a few days at a time.

 

[AcroNem]

it's probably fine, if it's white and crusty ish then it's likely just carbonates

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is very common to have solid precipitates, and IMO, that's no concern.

It is less common to have algae or bacterial growth. Is it covered to keep out light? Do you use tap water?

In any case, I doubt it is hurting anything.

 

[Cory]

Red sea is one of the salts that actually has significant bacteria according to one article i read. Its actually why i just bought a bucket in the hopes of getting rid of dinos with bacterial diversity. That yellowing may just be bacterial organics or bacteria themselves on calcium carbonate precipitate.

 

[Leon Gorani]

It is very common to have solid precipitates, and IMO, that's no concern.

It is less common to have algae or bacterial growth. Is it covered to keep out light? Do you use tap water?

In any case, I doubt it is hurting anything.

No I don’t have any light going into that can directly, it is covered most of the time. I just wasn’t sure if it was something like bacterial which would hurt my tank if I used that water.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I use fritz blue box salt and haven’t noticed any precipitation unless the water is warm when mixed or I add too much salt at once. I also take my brutes and clean them with bleach and tap water in between uses.

 

[Leon Gorani]

Red sea is one of the salts that actually has significant bacteria according to one article i read. Its actually why i just bought a bucket in the hopes of getting rid of dinos with bacterial diversity. That yellowing may just be bacterial organics or bacteria themselves on calcium carbonate precipitate.

so it should be okay to use that water even tho it has little particles of it floating around? Or should I make a new batch?

 

[Cory]

so it should be okay to use that water even tho it has little particles of it floating around? Or should I make a new batch?

Id use it if the parameters are normal.

 

[Nano sapiens]

so it should be okay to use that water even tho it has little particles of it floating around? Or should I make a new batch?

Should be okay. I use a 50/50 mix of Red Sea Blue Bucket and Tropic Marin Classic. My mixing container gets the yellowish sediment/coating and goes a year without cleaning. I've never had any problems. You can pre filter the particles out before the water change, if desired.