mixing reef salt

[Sea Turtle]

I have a question in regards to mixing my reef crystals. I usually take a five gallon pale add the water, then add the reef crystals. I mix it with my hand and cary to my tank and pour it in. Is this bad? Should I be waiting longer? Could this cause problems with my corals?

 

[Anonymous]

I mix vigorously until the water is clear. I also make sure the temp is the same. I added water that was too cold and the snails spawned, the skimmer went crazy.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I have read a lot about people mixing 30 gallons or so in a large pale with a powerhead and a heater overnight or for a couple hours. Is this important to do? In other words, do people have success with just the quick mix and dump method?

 

[rbursek]

First water temps should match and the salt will dissolve easier in tank temp water, so I would bring the water up to temp before adding the salt, then mix till clear to let the PH come to propper levels, when salt is first added PH is usually a bit higher then you would want to add to the tank.

 

[skyfreak73]

I've read that one of the biggest mistakes made by marine aquarists is using freshly-mixed salt water too soon. Bob Fenner recommends using salt water mixed up several days to a week in advance.

Generally, I do a 5G (10%) water change every other Saturday. On the Monday before my WC day, I'll mix up a 5G batch of saltwater. I'll pour about a cup of old water into it, circulate with a power head, aerate with an air stone, and keep at tank temperature (79 degree F for me).

 

[iseeweed]

IMO, the most important thing is matching the salinity, ca, alk, mg and temp of your fresh mix to the levels of the existing water in your tank. I use a plastic (keg cooler) bucket with an airstone and heater. I mix in the proper amount of ca and mg and let it mix for about 24 hours. I have found that if I let the mix go for a few days, the water gets kinda brown from some type of algae.

 

[Anonymous]

I mix the water till clear and test it to make sure the parameters are the same. I then microwave the water in smaller containers and add until the temp is the same. I use within hours of mixing.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I think that I am going to change my habit of adding the mix too soon.

 

[Anonymous]

I mix my water/salt and heat it up at least a day or two before adding it to the tank. I want to make sure the temp/salinity are the same.

 

[Sea Turtle]

This is a mehtod that I am going to start using with my tank. Might take some time to see results but I think that it will be worth it. I always worry as I am pouring the mixture into the tank that has only sat for about 30 seconds. Hopefully this will help the corals a bit more.

 

[Saltlick]

Yes, you should invest in a 13-15 gallon trash container. I did this the other day mainly to
give me somewhere to store RO water. I have an undersink model that dumps to a 2.5 gallon
tank, so if i do not think ahead, I don't do water changes. So I got the tall trash can, and then
I realized that I usually add top off water at whatever temp I find it, but that if I was making
water change water, might as well heat it and add the salt. So I have 5-7 gallons of salt water
at the ready almost every day, and I can make up to 15 gals at a pop, 20 if you count my 5 gal
bucket, lol. But that is my drain container, so 15, lol. But I am having detritus/substrate issues
now, as I am curing some LR in the tank, and I vacuum the floor with a half inch hose and drain to
a bucket, and either pour the water back in after 4 gallons or toss it out the window for a water
change. I really need to stop killing my neighbor's grass.