Jestersix

Is my Salt Water ruined?

yellojello

yellojello

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I was making some salt water in my container with powerhead. There was no more water movement when I came back to check on it, and I noticed a slight burning smell...

There was a slight rip in the powercord. Should I toss away the salt water, or is it still safe to use? I'm not sure if the chemical/ion scientific stuff combined with electricity is bad for the tank now...

P1000197_Vga-vi.jpg
 
I will toss it and make a new batch.

Anyways, water still looked clear and no black stuff in the water. Is there a scientific reason when electricity goes through salt water, and can damage the chemical balance, and the calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, iodine, etc is messed up at all? Oxygen or carbon dioxide or anything like that? I have no idea, just wondering...
 
I think chlorine gas is released when you pass electricity through salt water? Or was it just hydrogen?

(Salt + Water + Electricity produces Hypochlorous acid and Hypochlorite ions + Sodium Hydroxide.)
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Huh I thought hydrogen and chlorine :(
 
Guess I should have kept reading...
The formula does not mention chlorine gas, because the chlorine dissolves immediately as part of the reaction. (The elemental chlorine gas produced at the anodes in the electrolysis process dissolves immediately into the water to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions.)

This is the same chemical reaction as occurs at commercial chlorine manufacturing facilities.

It is the hypochlorous acid and to a lesser extent, the hypochlorite ions that perform the sanitizing function in the swimming pool
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http://www.clearwater-usa.com/compare.asp
 
Yep, you get all kinds of nasty junk in there including copper.

The chlorine generated reacts with the copper metal also.

pH probably will be off too.
 
I had something simular happen recently, my powerhead froze up and started melting the epoxy around it, came home to a smell of burning plastic and saltwater.

atleast it was only the SW mixing powerhead and nothing in the display tank. much better to replace a powerhead and make gallons of fresh saltwater than to have your tank crash
 
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