Mixing Salt Water

[Gho5t]

I built a salt water mixing station last weekend and originally thought I would leave the pump on circulating the salt water, however I just read on the Res Sea Pro Salt instructions that it says do not mix for more than 4 hours.

I’m not sure why leaving the pump circulating the salt would be an issue, but is it better to keep the salt water circulating or not?

 

[Jekyl]

I built a salt water mixing station last weekend and originally thought I would leave the pump on circulating the salt water, however I just read on the Res Sea Pro Salt instructions that it says do not mix for more than 4 hours.

I’m not sure why leaving the pump circulating the salt would be an issue, but is it better to keep the salt water circulating or not?

The worry is that it will precipitate. I use coral pro and mix overnight without issue though. I don't store it so not sure on that front.

 

[Joe31415]

Something (that I don't claim to understand) about constant mixing will cause some of the salt/sludge to come out of solution that doesn't happen when there's nutrients in the water.
I leave the pump running for a day or so and then unplug it. The salt won't settle out, so there's no point in wasting the electricity, wearing out the pump and causing extra evaporation, so why not.

 

[Gho5t]

Thanks for the responses and I’m glad I asked!
As a follow up, how long is it ok to store salt water? I’ll generally be making enough for 2 - 3 weeks worth of water changes at a time.

 

[InactiveAcct]

BRS has good videos on how to prepare different salt brands and how long they last. All of the mixes have unique instructions.

Something I don’t understand with Red Sea is how you’re supposed stop mixing after a few hours to prevent it from precipitating - won’t it just precipitate out when it gets in our tanks?

 

[Jekyl]

BRS has good videos on how to prepare different salt brands and how long they last. All of the mixes have unique instructions.

Something I don’t understand with Red Sea is how you’re supposed stop mixing after a few hours to prevent it from precipitating - won’t it just precipitate out when it gets in our tanks?

There are other nutrients and such that get mixed with the water after it enters the tank.

 

[Gho5t]

BRS has good videos on how to prepare different salt brands and how long they last. All of the mixes have unique instructions.

Something I don’t understand with Red Sea is how you’re supposed stop mixing after a few hours to prevent it from precipitating - won’t it just precipitate out when it gets in our tanks?

Thanks for the tip about the video. It’s pretty interesting that they still recommend 24 hours of mixing before pulling the plug based on residual buildup. I found a video from Red Sea that’s 8 years old that demonstrates mixing for longer periods can cause precipitation.