Cloudy New Water

[wsboyette]

Just mixed up a barrel of seawater using RO water and some ancient years-old seawater mix, and when I pumped it into the tank, it was extremely cloudy, even murky. The bag of mix (Reef Crystals) was about 15 years old, but I had quizzed the mfr on this and they replied it should be OK as long as moisture hadn't caused it to form clods in the bag. Though there were no clods in the mix, it felt moist despite the fact that the bag had never been opened. Been some years since I last maintained an aquarium, but I do not recall newly mixed seawater being so unclear - isn't it usually very clear ?

 

[yote]

I'm betting that some moisture got into the bag.I'm also betting that the calcium precipitated out when you added it to your tank,which would explain the cloudy water.
One way to check is to test the calcium and alkalinity.

 

[Smitty]

Give it a few days to clear up...some cloudiness is normal when setting up a new tank.

 

[wsboyette]

Give it a few days to clear up...some cloudiness is normal when setting up a new tank.

Yes, I had experienced that with a tank containing (well washed !) crushed coral substrate, which I would think to have been the primary cause of the cloudiness . But this is an empty tank, nothing but glass & sealer & plastic in contact with the water. Back when this tank was originally set up, its water was always crystal-clear and I do not recall new water - introduced with water changes - ever causing more than a very slight haze in the tank, which dissipated in a few hours.