Making salt water

[White Hair]

After 4-5 months i’m getting tired of going to the lfs and buying my salt water. Have several questions, as long as you buy quality salt are they basically the same, some suggestions on which salt to buy, if you make more than you need, how long can you keep it,,and any other tips or tricks you can think of, thanks.

 

[Billldg]

First thing, if you plan on making your own salt water, which I do feel is the only way to go, then I recommend getting a RO/DI system, it makes life so much easier. As far a salt brand, they all are good in some way. It depends on what you have in your tank and what you keep your parameters at, so you don’t have to adjust it much if any. When it comes to keeping salt water, I mix 33 gals at a time and have kept it as long a 2 months, you just have to check salinity as you will evaporate the water and raise the salinity over time. I do keep a pump and a heater in my mixing container when I have saltwater in it to keep it heated and circulated so nothing separates.

 

[Alexreefer]

^^^ He nailed it!

 

[Mikedawg]

After 4-5 months i’m getting tired of going to the lfs and buying my salt water. Have several questions, as long as you buy quality salt are they basically the same, some suggestions on which salt to buy, if you make more than you need, how long can you keep it,,and any other tips or tricks you can think of, thanks.

Salt mixes vary somewhat in terms of water parameters they will produce as table below illustrates. Identify the requirements of your corals and choose accordingly. BRS has a recent video on "best" mix in terms of price, solubility, etc., and it would probably help you make your choice. RO/DI is a must.