top off water
 

i was just wondering if anyone ever gets a thin layer of an almost scummy surface on the top of their water change water. it just looks like a bunch of little brown floaty things. and if this happens is it ok to still use the water or should i discard it and mix up new?

Normal..... especially with Instant Ocean salt.:biggrin:

huh? are we talking about water change water or top off?

Sounds like your using IO salt. It's normal but I have no idea why. It looks clean before you mix it

yep sure am using io. hahaha thanks guys :)

this just makes me ask why does everyone use / recommend it???? ( ok not everyone but ....... ) i tried it for the first time this year and never again will it be near my tank.

I don't tell people IO is better then other salt brands but I've used IO for the last 15yrs with good success :biggrin:

I've never had any issues with IO. Thousands upon thousands of aquarium reefs use IO.

Cuz its cheap.

When I first started out in the hobby a 50g bag of IO cost me $44, this stuff was white gold :lol:

There is nothing wrong with this salt, it has been proven safe and consistant for many many years; however, I am not saying that there are not better salts formulated to have higher levels of some elements that are more suited to reef tanks vs FOWLR.

I am happy with IO

i can guarantee you that thousands and thousands of successful systems also don't us IO.

it was / is not my intention to bash IO or say there is anything wrong with it. i have only been in SW for about 7 or 8 years and had never used IO. i bought a few pails at the BA's boxing day sale because of the price and all the online praise of the salt. from my testing it was low in all the important params, mixed poorly, had stuff floating on top and left a residue on my heater and mixing pump.

maybe i just expected to much after years of reading how good the stuff was.

A happy IO salt user after I found easy (and still cost effective just to buy Ca and Mg and supplement before adding to tank.

Not always, seems to depend on pail, find a bit of a brown line on my SW mix can after a little evaporation. Never seem to notice a film on the water though.