mixing up water for changes

[morg59]

Does anyone have a link somewhere that can show me the ricipe for mixing up my water. Currently I am ploping in a heater and once my RO/DI water reaches the temperature of my tank I start adding salt and powerhead and adjusting it slowly to where my tank is. Isnt there some recipe for example 3 cups per gallon or something somewhere that works every time. I know I have been doing this the hard way for way too long.

 

[liquid]

Here's a pretty good link: http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm ... efault.asp

Shane

 

[hdtran]

2 cups of salt for 4 gallons of water gets you pretty close to 1.024 SG. Use cooking cup measures, not coffe cups, and be sure to make flat cups, not heaping cups.

An alternative to the Nalgene propellers is to find a craft store which sells plaster (for plaster sculptures). They sell a stainless steel stirrer which attaches to your drill that doesn't entrain bubbles (like hardware store paint stirring attachments, but made of stainless, with a fairly long shaft).

I stick to the good old powerhead in the bucket approach, but with a piece of tubing attached to the powerhead, so that I can point it at undissolved salt.

 

[dwall174]

Nice link liquid!

I uasally weigh my salt! I get my salt by the case (3 x 50 gal bags) I found that 1/2 of a bag 7.5 lbs. & 23 gallons gives me a SG of 1.025
I'm new to this board & haven't tried to post a pic yet so here goes!

 

[Mogo]

I remember asking the same questions when I was setting up and I never got a real answer, not even from my lfs :wink: . So after alot of trial and error I now know that 1 1/2 largish porcelain coffee cups to a near full pail of water gets me very close to 1.025. If I were to get even more scientific, I would measure by weight.

 

[dwall174]

Here's a pretty good link: http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm ... efault.asp

Shane

That looks like a better way to mix your salt! Also gives me some ideas :lol:

 

[fishfanatic2]

I weigh mine, but my SG always comes out a little low. :?

 

[reefann]

I get a 30g rubbermade tube and filter RO/DI into that. I then throw in a old rio 2100 and start dumping salt in. I know the approx amount, I then just take a hydrometer and add more as needed.
Are you letting your water mix for a little while before you add it?
JJ
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Blindfire
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Honda Crossroad

 

[dwall174]

My water from my RO/DI during the winter is around 42 degrees so I have a heater that heats it up to 78 degrees before I add my salt. I use a small power head for circulation & let it aerate for a day before adding it to my tank.

 

[mountainbiker619]

I now use ocean water..so no more worries for me

 

[Mouse]

Ok, time for a top tip here. Adding salt and trying to mix it doesn't work because your allways waiting too long for the salt to disolve. This is why when you come back later on its allways higher than you expected.

These instructions are based arround a five gallon bucket.

Take 2/3rd's of a bucket of RO/DI

Mix in enough salt to make up nearly 5 gallons but a little less, my cup worked out at 4 cups to 5 gallons(ish)

so 2/3rd full bucket, 4 cups of salt and airate and curculate for couple of hours and youll have a bucket 2/3rds full or Hypersaline water.

Then de-salinate or Dilute untill the desired salinity is reached, youll find you can add water and test allmost straight away without waiting for the salt to melt. And youll also find when you come back to it later the salinity wont have bounced from undisolved particles gradually disolving.

Whatever you do, dont put salt in the bucket and then add water, youll make an exothermic binding reactory thingamy doobs thats no good for your salt or trace elements.

Cooks may see the similarity between this and mixing a cake, same deal.

I now use ocean water..so no more worries for me

except for unwanted pathogens, deseases, polution, contaminants, heavy metals, Hitchhikers, Algal spores, sewerage.........

 

[mountainbiker619]

http://www.catalinawater.com/

 

[Anonymous]

There should be instructions on the bag or bucket of salt.


Istant ocean recommends 1/2 cup per gallon of water. I use a 5 gallon water cooler jug and 2.5 cups of salt. My refractometer always reads 1.024-1.025.