Water mixing discussion

[Texreefer]

So I was mixing some water earlier and accidentally put too much salt in the water... so it started to precipiiate calcium and that got me thinking .... I know.. bad Idea.. anyway. 2 questions :
1. other than lowering the available calcium levels and probably PH for a while.. would you still use it.
2. everyone swears that saltwater must be mixed for a minimum of 24 hours before use...some go as far as to say 3-7 days...I have been running tanks for YEARS and have always used fresh mixed saltwater. I just wait till its clear, make sure temp and salinity match and use it... never had a problem.. so do you do this...
Just thought it would make for some intersting discussion

[Big_Pun]

I do the same, mix until clear and then test temp and salinity and then use it. I've been doing this since i entered the hobby.

[Mr Cob]

As much as it pains me to be honest here....I have never waited when mixing saltwater, just long enough to make sure all of the salt has dissolved and I get an accurate salinity reading. It's always mixing on the fly when I have a few minutes to do a quick water change.

I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to be more careful and plan this out. But...everything I do is on the fly. My entire life balance is unbalanced.

We (MCC) did recently purchase Jesse's old mixing station so that should help with some of the inbalance in my life. lol

I'd be curious to find any facts supporting the "wait".

[Mike]

+1 for us... We do mix up and put heater in a brute, but only because of the big water changes we do. When making 50-70 gallons of salt water, it has to sit somewhere, usually overnight. During the time we drain too much or need a few more gallons we just mix it and wait until it clears.

[Europhyllia]

I mix it ahead of time simply because I always have a 44g Brute full of it ready to go. I never really change more than 40g at a time.
So mine is well aged...
If I make it a tad too strong though I just top off with RO to get it just right.

[BSJF]

For the most part I mix mine in advance, but in a pinch I would use it after it cleared.

[ErikH]

LOL I must be lazy.

I mix it fresh, some buckets have higher salinity than others, and the temp is usually off. I don't really know though because I don't check it.

I drain my sump, and refill it all there. I kick the return back on and let 'er rip.

After an hour or so, I check the salinity. If it's low, I just put some scoops into the body of my skimmer. If it's too high, I drain a bucket and fill it back with fresh rodi.

[Bill S]

LOL I must be lazy.

I mix it fresh, some buckets have higher salinity than others, and the temp is usually off. I don't really know though because I don't check it.

I drain my sump, and refill it all there. I kick the return back on and let 'er rip.

After an hour or so, I check the salinity. If it's low, I just put some scoops into the body of my skimmer. If it's too high, I drain a bucket and fill it back with fresh rodi.

This sounds vaguely familiar to me! I do changes on my nano (one coming tonight) that are massive.

[bfoleyiii]

Mine is mixed up after I do a water change so it usually sits for a week or 10 days depending. I just kinda like having it on hand should something happen.

[hobogato]

1. other than lowering the available calcium levels and probably PH for a while.. would you still use it.

i would still use it


2. everyone swears that saltwater must be mixed for a minimum of 24 hours before use...some go as far as to say 3-7 days...I have been running tanks for YEARS and have always used fresh mixed saltwater. I just wait till its clear, make sure temp and salinity match and use it... never had a problem.. so do you do this...


since i only do small water changes twice a week (5 gallons), i put the salt in the bucket and stir when it is about half full. by the time it is full (7 minutes), it is clear and that is usually when i am ready to put it in the tank. if i am doing a larger water change, i will usually mix with a powerhead until clear before using.

[Europhyllia]

I just kinda like having it on hand should something happen.
Same here. If something catastrophic happened I could dump all of my stuff into the 44g brute. since the thing takes up space no matter what it might as well be full...

[cowboy572]

Currently since I do 12 gallon changes every two weeks on a 110 tall, I use clean 5 gallon salt buckets. Usually the day before I get them made and let them mix for a day. But if I am pressed for time I'm like Mr. Cobb once it goes clear its good.

[BSJF]

Same here. If something catastrophic happened I could dump all of my stuff into the 44g brute. since the thing takes up space no matter what it might as well be full...


I have done just that in the middle of the night with my large Palani Tang who was taking his last breathe. Oxygen depletion killed all other fish. He is still alive today (with someone else though) as a result of having SW in my brute. Makes me nervous when it gets empty.

[Scream311]

LOL I must be lazy.

I mix it fresh, some buckets have higher salinity than others, and the temp is usually off. I don't really know though because I don't check it.

I drain my sump, and refill it all there. I kick the return back on and let 'er rip.

After an hour or so, I check the salinity. If it's low, I just put some scoops into the body of my skimmer. If it's too high, I drain a bucket and fill it back with fresh rodi.

Looks like you and I Share the Exact Same Regiment Erik ! I do my WCs 30 gallons at a Time, straight out of a 30 gallon Brute Drained, Mixed and Refilled, Topped Off as Needed. No Harm Done.

[Scream311]

however I was told by another memeber that adding salt directly into your sump while doin water changes will kill benefecial bacteria and cause spikes in system. I tend to agree there.

[BSJF]

however I was told by another memeber that adding salt directly into your sump while doin water changes will kill benefecial bacteria and cause spikes in system. I tend to agree there.

Don't tell anyone, but I mixed my salt directly in my sump for 8 years, using tap water no less. Obviously that was before I found forums like MAAST to guide me along the way. It was a pretty simple sump though (no sand bed or macro algae, just a filter sock, skimmer, return pump) and I wasn't doing high end corals either.

[Bill S]

however I was told by another memeber that adding salt directly into your sump while doin water changes will kill benefecial bacteria and cause spikes in system. I tend to agree there.

Bacteria are not likely to be killed by salt. Slow them down? Yeah. Kill? No.

[ramsey]

I try to mix mine a day early to let it mix 24 hours.

On this same topic, how long would you let salt water sit in your mixing container (with pump and heater) before you deem it "bad"? I've noticed it starts to smell after a while.

[tebstan]

I've had it sitting for weeks with no smell forming.

In the winter, I had the brute out on the patio. When I left the lid on to keep out cat hair and cats, it would develop a smell in a matter of days, and the ph would drop.

When it's warm out, I keep it in a pet-free room, lid off, humongous pump running, and a heater. I test it for salinity, temp, and ph before each use, and always keep it full and ready. I do water changes every 2 weeks.

Every two months, I empty the brute and run vinegar water through the whole thing. I hate the build up that forms. It's much less since I switched from Oceanic to Reef Crystals, but I'm a bit of a clean freak and want my bucket shiny.

[FireWater]

I used to have some always mixing in the Brute in the garage. Now that I do a 5 gallon change once a week on the tank at work I got lazy. I usually take the stuff up there a day a head of time and let it mix overnight and do the water change before work or right after. So, I guess 12-24 hrs is the norm for me.

Like others I have had to "just let it clear up" and dump it in before.

[ramsey]

Maybe that's what it is. I also cover it with a lid to prevent dust and other nastiness from mixing in. I think I'm going to change the way I do water changes though. I typically do about 30G every month. The problem with this is 1) stability and possible drastic parameter changes and 2) it becomes this epic ordeal. After reading Ace's 5G twice a week post, I think I'm going to do the same. It's easier each time and would not change water parameters since it's such small amounts each time. I would really like to figure out a way to automate the whole process. :)

[FireWater]

Ramsey, in response to the 2 changes a week - it works. On my old 90G I did twice a week 5G changes. A benefit that I found was that I had no need to dose anything extra either.

[ramsey]

Ramsey, in response to the 2 changes a week - it works. On my old 90G I did twice a week 5G changes. A benefit that I found was that I had no need to dose anything extra either.

That's good to know that you've been successful doing it. It seems like it's a better way to go since you wouldn't be dumping a ton of trace elements in the tank all at once but instead you're slowly adding them back constantly. I'm gonna give it a go!