Red Sea Coral Pro salts

abinder · May 2, 2016

I may start mixing my own salt water for my tank.

I'm thinking of using the Red Sea Coral Pro salts.

I read somewhere that people state the mixed salt water should be left sitting for about 24 hours before adding it to your tank, otherwise it will burn your corals.

However, I've read somewhere that the Ref Sea Coral Pro salts mixed water should be added to the tank in less than 24 hours. Actually, it seems like I read somewhere that it should be used as soon as the mixed salt water is clear.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Allen

CodyRVA · May 2, 2016

I've heard the "let your freshly mixed saltwater sit" thing before. Honestly, I use that same salt and I never do and I never have had any issues. The only reason I let it sit is so my heater can warm it to the necessary temperature so I don't have temp swings when I do water changes.

zoomonster · May 2, 2016

Honestly its usually never more than a few hours (most any salt) for me and that's with a big batch like 40-50g. Hand mixed with a stirrer and then left circulating with a pump at least as long as it takes the heater to heat the water. When temp and salinity are right and no salt visible in barrel then its good to go. Small amounts like 5g just get mixed in a bucket and used pretty quickly. Other than temp the main thing is that the mix has completely dissolved and salinity has stabilized and been measured.

That does bring up a good question though. A lot of people keep mixed water in a tank for an extended period before using so the type of salt may matter (if that really matters). Some may mix in mixing tank and use within a day or so anyway for fixed water changes. For a auto water changer where you are changing small amounts daily, weekly etc. mixed water is going to sit for an extended period of time. I'm planning an auto changer so I will have to think on that one.

joshkirkland83 · May 2, 2016

According to red sea, they say dont let it sit for more than 4 hours. I use mine within 30 min. Been doing it a year and a half like that.

Sabellafella · May 2, 2016

abinder said:
I may start mixing my own salt water for my tank.

I'm thinking of using the Red Sea Coral Pro salts.

I read somewhere that people state the mixed salt water should be left sitting for about 24 hours before adding it to your tank, otherwise it will burn your corals.

However, I've read somewhere that the Ref Sea Coral Pro salts mixed water should be added to the tank in less than 24 hours. Actually, it seems like I read somewhere that it should be used as soon as the mixed salt water is clear.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Allen

Dude if you keep redsea coral pro mixing for more then 5 hours it turns to snow. You could also mix it up for an hour and then store it stagnant, but then you have about 12 hours before it turns to snow

Sabellafella · May 2, 2016

I liked rscp because when i switched to it, my corals looked better. But i have holding vats and like to have sw already made days in advanced. My advice would be to mix it up, heat it test sg after an hour or 2 and make the exchange

WLDSHARK · May 2, 2016

I started using the Redsea Coral Pro for the past 7 months, and it mixes pretty fast, I usually let it sit for no more than 45 min. to one hour and so far no ill effects.

zoomonster · May 2, 2016

Sabellafella said:
Dude if you keep redsea coral pro mixing for more then 5 hours it turns to snow. You could also mix it up for an hour and then store it stagnant, but then you have about 12 hours before it turns to snow

Based on what you said I have to ask... so what keeps the mixed water from turning to snow once its in the tank and being circulated?

CodyRVA · May 2, 2016

zoomonster said:
what keeps the mixed water from turning to snow once its in the tank and being circulated?

My thoughts exactly. I have had 5 gallon buckets of mixed Red Sea saltwater sitting for weeks before use and have never had any issues.

jsker · May 2, 2016

when my 5 gallon is a third of away full with RO/DI I have a power head in the bottom, I drop in my measure of salt (5 cups) and let the water mix while the bucket fill to the 5 gallon mark. I test for 1.0025 salinity and if I am there I do my water change.

Sabellafella · May 2, 2016

zoomonster said:
Based on what you said I have to ask... so what keeps the mixed water from turning to snow once its in the tank and being circulated?

Freshly mixed rscp has a ph of almost 9.0 and basically stays that way unless you airate the ph down to your typical room c02/02 level. Also alk is over 12. That also contributes to precipitating.

CodyRVA said:
My thoughts exactly. I have had 5 gallon buckets of mixed Red Sea saltwater sitting for weeks before use and have never had any issues.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 2, 2016

zoomonster said:
Based on what you said I have to ask... so what keeps the mixed water from turning to snow once its in the tank and being circulated?

In addition to the lower pH compared to many mixes, organic matter and phosphate get onto the growing calcium carbonate crystal surfaces, reducing precipitation, but it does happen on warm objects like pumps and heaters.

FWIW, the precipitation in the mixing container is not a big deal, IMO, and many people might like the lower alk you get as a result anyway.

abinder · May 2, 2016

Thanks to everyone for your input. It's greatly appreciated and I'll welcome even more input.

My apartment owner gave me the 'go ahead' with my getting a RO/DI unit. I want to get as efficient one as possible so I waste the least amount of water as possible.
(That will be my next project to do; hopefully within the next 2 weeks.)

petemichelle · May 3, 2016

get the BRS one with the double membrane.

abinder · May 3, 2016

petemichelle said:
get the BRS one with the double membrane.

Is that better than the SpectraPure RO/DI setups?
(Some of them are advertised to have a waste to good water ratio of 2:1)

Thanks for the input. It will definitely give me more to look at.

Thanks again.

Allen

sromero287 · May 3, 2016

Look at Melev's reef they have a really nice RO-DI systems with an electric pump, saves u time and customers service with Marc the owner is just the best, I'd been using mine for over a yr and honestly 100% satisfaction and TDS 0 all the time.

Kungpaoshizi · May 4, 2016

The whole 'mix for 24 hours' was mainly back in the day when salt didn't mix very well, at all.
Have to say I love the red sea salt. Saw some colors come out of a couple frags I never saw before, only change was salt.
Though now I use a combo of the RSCP and the blue bucket to alleviate the ~12 alk. (and the blue bucket is on hand if I have an emergency)
Otherwise just store DI water, and keep 2 heaters on hand with a strong pump. Then you'll be set for last-minute emergencies if you don't have an extra area to setup an empty tank.

For a rodi though, just get the .5 micron sediment and .5 micron carbon block (use 2 to make your membrane and DI last longer) from marine depot. And preferably 75gpd or less membrane. If you go above 75gpd membranes, the efficiency drops from 90%ish, to 82%? Something like that.. (you'll use less DI resin). Otherwise get anion silica resin from filter guys, then 2 DI canisters. Then put an inline TDS between the DI canisters, and you'll be able to see when the first exhausts, then you can change it out to prevent silica entering your tank. As soon as DI resin exhausts, it leaks out silicates. By the time you see 1 on the tds meter, some has already come out.(hence 2 di canisters)

Between filter guys website and marine depot you can build your own RODI for much cheaper than what companies charge.
Just my .02$ on the best unit I've built. Hardly use any DI resin anymore, because that stuff gets expensive...

abinder · May 5, 2016

Kungpaoshizi said:
The whole 'mix for 24 hours' was mainly back in the day when salt didn't mix very well, at all.
Have to say I love the red sea salt. Saw some colors come out of a couple frags I never saw before, only change was salt.
Though now I use a combo of the RSCP and the blue bucket to alleviate the ~12 alk. (and the blue bucket is on hand if I have an emergency)
Otherwise just store DI water, and keep 2 heaters on hand with a strong pump. Then you'll be set for last-minute emergencies if you don't have an extra area to setup an empty tank.

For a rodi though, just get the .5 micron sediment and .5 micron carbon block (use 2 to make your membrane and DI last longer) from marine depot. And preferably 75gpd or less membrane. If you go above 75gpd membranes, the efficiency drops from 90%ish, to 82%? Something like that.. (you'll use less DI resin). Otherwise get anion silica resin from filter guys, then 2 DI canisters. Then put an inline TDS between the DI canisters, and you'll be able to see when the first exhausts, then you can change it out to prevent silica entering your tank. As soon as DI resin exhausts, it leaks out silicates. By the time you see 1 on the tds meter, some has already come out.(hence 2 di canisters)

Between filter guys website and marine depot you can build your own RODI for much cheaper than what companies charge.
Just my .02$ on the best unit I've built. Hardly use any DI resin anymore, because that stuff gets expensive...

I'm thinking of getting this one:
http://m.marinedepot.com/products/sp12291/spectrapure-maxcap-ro-di-system-w-manual-flush

Would that be a good setup?

I measured my tap water coming out of the faucet with a TDS meter I picked up from Marine Depot today and it said my tap water was 525!!!!!
(Used the same TDS meter at work today on some bottled water that gets delivered and it was only 44.)

Keep the info and suggestions coming everyone.

It's all appreciated.

Allen

CodyRVA · May 5, 2016

abinder said:
I'm thinking of getting this one:
http://m.marinedepot.com/products/sp12291/spectrapure-maxcap-ro-di-system-w-manual-flush
Would that be a good setup?

Probably is, but I never understood why people spend hundreds of dollars on RODI systems. I have an AquaFX Barracuda RODI unit with a BRS water saver upgrade which you really don't even need up front, it's a considerably cheaper setup. I've been using it for well over a year with great success. There are many other cost effective options out there.

abinder · May 5, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Probably is, but I never understood why people spend hundreds of dollars on RODI systems. I have an AquaFX Barracuda RODI unit with a BRS water saver upgrade which you really don't even need up front, it's a considerably cheaper setup. I've been using it for well over a year with great success. There are many other cost effective options out there.

Thanks for the info.
(Greatly appreciated.)

Allen