Brute Mixing Can Smells Like Cat Urine — Why

[nickkohrn]

I have two thirty-two-gallon Brute cans for water-changes. I fill one of them with twenty-five gallons of RO/DI water on Fridays and turn the heater and mixing pump on. On Saturdays, I add salt. On Sundays, I drain twenty-five gallons from the display, and I pump the freshly-mixed saltwater into the display.

After a couple of days of mixing, the Brute can smells like urine. The can is able to get fresh air and it’s constantly mixing, so it’s not stagnating. The five-gallon buckets of RO/DI water that I keep as reserves for my automatic top-off container never emit odors. I’m not sure why, but the Brute can continues to release the odor after being emptied for days. It seems to be the can that saltwater was mixed in; not the can used to drain tank water into.

Do you have the same issue? If so, then have you been able to prevent it?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Do you always keep saltwater on demand?

Brutes don’t seal perfectly, so could be contamination or could be from the nutrients in the saltwater mix.

Using RO/DI water?

 

[skysoblue987]

Someone mentioned brute can leech ammonia. Try testing it and see.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I’ve used them for years. Tested for ammonia once long ago. Negative.

 

[cmcoker]

What salt are you using? I was getting this with red sea blue bucket, I think it may be some organic material producing ammonia. I switched over to tropic Marin and it's not happening anymore.

Red sea uses evaporated salt water as the base if its mix, that why I think it's the salt. But I had used it for years before this started a couple months ago. I don't have any proof that's what it is, but my rodi is fine, and rodi stored in the same bucket is fine, it was only after adding salt.

 

[nickkohrn]

Do you always keep saltwater on demand?

Brutes don’t seal perfectly, so could be contamination or could be from the nutrients in the saltwater mix.

Using RO/DI water?

I don’t keep saltwater on demand due to my apartment setup, so I make it a day before I need it.

I am using the last bit of Fritz RPM, and I’m switching to Instant Ocean Reef Crystals.

I do use RO/DI water, which has been filtered through my recently-purchased seven-stage unit from Bulk Reef Supply.

 

[Flippers4pups]

My fresh water side never smells and always has water in it. Salt side has never smelt. Regular IO here.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Same here, used for at least 7 years.

You have a cat?

I rinse mine out after every use. They still look new. Are you putting prime or anther dechlorinator in? Prime smells like fish butt, so to speak. I put prime it in all my Rodi, only for the benefit of allegedly helping slime coat.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I don’t keep saltwater on demand due to my apartment setup, so I make it a day before I need it.

I am using the last bit of Fritz RPM, and I’m switching to Instant Ocean Reef Crystals.

I do use RO/DI water, which has been filtered through my recently-purchased seven-stage unit from Bulk Reef Supply.

As you switch, clean it with bleach water and rinse. Then try your new salt mix. Let us know how it turned out.

 

[nickkohrn]

What salt are you using? I was getting this with red sea blue bucket, I think it may be some organic material producing ammonia. I switched over to tropic Marin and it's not happening anymore.

Red sea uses evaporated salt water as the base if its mix, that why I think it's the salt. But I had used it for years before this started a couple months ago. I don't have any proof that's what it is, but my rodi is fine, and rodi stored in the same bucket is fine, it was only after adding salt.

Unfortunately, is happened even when I stored only RO/DI water in them before I started using one for mixing saltwater when I upgraded to a larger system.

 

[cmcoker]

Maybe try IO, reef crystals has extra vitamins and stuff added and I'd worry it will do the same thing

 

[cmcoker]

Unfortunately, is happened even when I stored only RO/DI water in them before I started using one for mixing saltwater when I upgraded to a larger system.

Does your city water have chloramines? I use two carbon blocks labeled for chloramine after the prefilter. I was getting ammonia in RODI a few years ago, changing to those blocks helped, at least I didnt have ammonia showing up anymore.

 

[Tautog]

I do the same thing, and had a smell, but wasn’t sure what it was.
Every month I now totally empty my mixing barrel. I use straight vinegar to clean it out with a Dobie scrub pad, then wipe down with a clean towel and air dry
FWIW, a old friend who developed plastic bottles, 2 liter, never, ever, drinks anything from plastic. Plastic will leach out different chemicals, and will eventually give you Cancer. Leaving water bottles in the car, in the sun, only speeds up this leaching. Ask Sheryl Crow

 

[nickkohrn]

Same here, used for at least 7 years.

You have a cat?

I rinse mine out after every use. They still look new. Are you putting prime or anther dechlorinator in? Prime smells like fish butt, so to speak. I put prime it in all my Rodi, only for the benefit of allegedly helping slime coat.

No cats here, and I don’t add anything to the water other than salt when mixing.

Does your city water have chloramines? I use two carbon blocks labeled for chloramine after the prefilter. I was getting ammonia in RODI a few years ago, changing to those blocks helped, at least I didnt have ammonia showing up anymore.

I also use two carbon blocks after the sediment filter. No ammonia after my tests either.

It’s strange. ;Meh

 

[nickkohrn]

I do the same thing, and had a smell, but wasn’t sure what it was.
Every month I now totally empty my mixing barrel. I use straight vinegar to clean it out with a Dobie scrub pad, then wipe down with a clean towel and air dry

Yeah, I think I’ll be doing that until I can try another type of container for mixing. I’m sure that people that have clients don’t use materials that have this issue, so I’m really curious about what it could be. I highly doubt that Mr. Saltwater Tank (Mark Callahan) would be okay with the odor. ;Yuck

 

[SandJ]

Experienced the same thing with my large, grey brute can. I only used it for RODI water. Never has caused any issues and the water does not have the smell, bothers me every time I open it though.

 

[Tautog]

Yeah, I think I’ll be doing that until I can try another type of container for mixing. I’m sure that people that have clients don’t use materials that have this issue, so I’m really curious about what it could be. I highly doubt that Mr. Saltwater Tank (Mark Callahan) would be okay with the odor. ;Yuck

The Brute containers are made of soft plastic, look for a 40-50 gal travel/shipping barrel. These barrels are made with hard, strong plastics and less leaching will occur

 

[nickkohrn]

Experienced the same thing with my large, grey brute can. I only used it for RODI water. Never has caused any issues and the water does not have the smell, bothers me every time I open it though.

I haven’t noticed whether the water absorbs the odor in my case, but the cans are almost intolerable when opening the lids.

 

[Tautog]

I’m cheap, I didn’t buy lids.
Try this:
Remove the lids and cover with a towel, be sure to put something over the barrel before placing towel, I use my mixing stick.
If stuff, hair, bugs, fall into the water, don’t worry, just more protein
Covered plastic cans can smell when opened after only days being closed

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I’m wondering if putting the lids on tight may be the issue. Whenever I use my can I put the top on but leave it just a bit open to allow gas exchange. The smell may be from the freshly mixed salt releasing gases and getting trapped.

Just a thought