Need help....

[CableGuy]

Last week I filled my 220 gallon and sump with RO/DI water and mixed in kent marine salt to a specific gravity of 1.026. The last couple of days a white powdery substace as begun to cover everything. It's all over the glass, my tunze streams and basically over everything else in the tank and sump. There is nothing In the tank at all, except for the equipment and the salt water. My live rock is expected to come on Thursday. What should I do? Wipe everything off and try to siphone out as much of this white stuff as I can, and do a water change before I get my live rock?

I just tested my water parameters and they are:
specific gravity-1.026 (refactometer)
calcium-410 ppm (salifert)
DKH-9 (salifert)
Mg-1455 ppm (salifert)
PH-8.0 (pinpoint controller)
Temp-80F

The white stuff looks like it's calcium that has fallen out of suspension, but the calcium level tested good. What is this and how do I get rid of it?

Colby

[One Salty Dog]

I have seen this a few times in the past with IO salt but not to the extent you are describing. I just wiped it off the glass and did nothing else. There were no problems that I was aware of.
Rob

[CableGuy]

I'm just worried that it will smother the live rock and kill the coraline algea, and other creatures on it. I'm going to do a water change and I hope it will help.

Colby

[Bvoss]

I had a real bad experience with this when I was setting up my tank. I was hooking up my Ca reactor and what was happening was actually precipitation. It stuck to everything. I had to drain the tank and use vinegar to clean the glass.

No damage to the rock. Check your alk level. If it is high that is what is happening. I hope I'm wrong. It was miserable!

[reefmutt]

Bill, his alk is around 3.2- All of you numbers are fine- I wouldn't worry about it. When the live rock comes and starts to cure the ph will drop a little and the powder will likely re dissolve.. I also think the water change won't do you any good, only put you out of perfectly good salt and r.o. water.

[john rock]

I've had this to and its no prob,something in the mixture.

[CableGuy]

Thanks for the help.... I think I'm just gonna wipe everything off and let it settle in the sump, where I will siphon it out.....

Thanks,
Colby

[mike9515756]

What about running carbon?

[CableGuy]

I have the problem solved. I did run some carbon, I also did a water change and siphoned out as much of it as I could. It has not came back, so I assume is had something to do with the new tank syndrome.

Thanks,
Colby