What The Heck Is This

I noticed last time as I was nearing the end of the bucket black junk was on the bottom of my bucket that I prepare my SW in. So I dumped it out and cleaned powerhead and heater even though they were clean along with the bucket. So today, two weeks later from when I made it last the stuff is back again. It looks like small black flakes that sink to the bottom. All the equipment is clean and there's a lid on the bucket 24/7. Is the salt I'm using bad or is this what happens when I don't have my powerhead on 24/7. I was told that you don't need to run a powerhead all the time but do you?

Here's my equipmet:
5 gallon bucket
heater
maxi-jet 600 powerhead
red sea salt

Thanks

Austin

Black? White or gray would make sense, but black is not normal...

Is it possible a piece of equipment's paint is chipping off? Sometimes this happens with my heater.

I guess it could be the maxi-jet. What would white or gray mean?

Calcium carbonate deposits from either a salt mix with too high alkalinity,, using tapwater, or from improper mixing.

hmmm. Well I don't think it's improper mixing unless I need to leave powerhead on 24/7 once the salt is all mixed up for 24hrs? I use distilled water not tap, and I don't know about alkalinity, don't have a test kit for that yet, reason why I don't have anymore corals. I do plan on changing salt mix to reef crystals once I use up this stuff. They definately are not white or gray though, definatley light black to brown tiny flakes.

Huh, got me

Well I'll try to get some pics when I get a new digital camera this weekend if all goes well. So far I've been using the water for a month now and I have no problems so I have no idea.

thanks though

I haven't been on much, was on vacation and been busy as soon as I got back but here's a picture of it. I checked powerhead and heater but don't see any difference in color throughout them. The flakes are thin so it's possible I may not be able to see it. Anybody know what it is? Couldn't find anything bout it in books that I read on vacation. I'm going to the sw store by me and picking up another mini-rio to swap with the maxi-jet and leave it running all the time and see if that helps.

thanks

Same sorta thing hapened to me, i assumed it was algae so i washed the bucket and whatever it was hasnt come back (it was olny like a week ago) does it move in the flow of the powerhead?

Ya it moves, and I cleaned the bucket awhile ago, couple weeks later it was back. I just bought a mini-rio and going to leave it running all the time now. Hopefully that will help. If anybody know's what it is though..