SALT MIX

toneB · Dec 29, 2015

How long do u mix your salt for a water change ???

bevo5 · Dec 29, 2015

Most people recommend at least 24hrs so it's totally dissolved....I usually let it go a bit longer, but only because I make a new bucket when I use the old one. I've also mixed it for like 3hrs in times of need.....you just want it to be completely clear and not have any salt collected on the bottom.

bobman · Dec 29, 2015

I agree with bevo most let it sit for 24 hours. I tend to let it sit longer only because I start mixing today by tomorrow I will surely get busy and wont get to changing my water till Thursday. Plus I always have to make slight adjustments in salinity and then I will uually let it sit over night if I added salt again. If I only added water to bring the salinity down then I just wait about an hour and recheck

toneB · Dec 29, 2015

bevo5 said:
Most people recommend at least 24hrs so it's totally dissolved....I usually let it go a bit longer, but only because I make a new bucket when I use the old one. I've also mixed it for like 3hrs in times of need.....you just want it to be completely clear and not have any salt collected on the bottom.

My calcium way up and my salinity is down that's why I asked

Jlobes · Dec 29, 2015

depends on the salt. I use RSCP, i mix it for no more than a couple hours and into the tank it goes. every once in a while I dont manage to get to my WC, I still use it, but they suggest no more than 4 hours of mixing.

it doesnt take salt 24 hours to dissolve, not rdcp or any salt for that matter.

Pfisherman · Dec 29, 2015

I use reef crystals and I mix it a couple hours. Basically long enough for my heater to warmup the new bucket to the current tank temp.

FindingEmily · Dec 29, 2015

Just wondering, why would it matter if you mix the salt for longer than what is suggested (4 hours in the example above)?

Jlobes · Dec 29, 2015

FindingEmily said:
Just wondering, why would it matter if you mix the salt for longer than what is suggested (4 hours in the example above)?

there are a few threads discussing it in further detail. but the long and short, is possible precipitation.

cmcoker · Dec 30, 2015

Jlobes said:
there are a few threads discussing it in further detail. but the long and short, is possible precipitation.

This^^.
And depending if you use something with organics in it, like tropic marine bioactif. The organics will just be used in the bucket, and Randy has mentioned that its probably not a good idea to let this type of salt sit without circulation, become anoxic or something not good...

And I just had an issue where I made a batch of tropic marin (not bioactif) , mixed and then couldn't get to it a few days. Had whitish, slime in it when I got to it. Thinking bacterial mats, but my usual salt red sea blue bucket never has done that. Only got the TM because the LFS was out of the red sea

AZDesertRat · Dec 30, 2015

I have used Oceanic salt for the last 13 years. I mix it for less than an hour normally. As long as the pH, salinity and temperature approximate the display it is ready to use. On one of the forums FutureDoc did a really good detailed write up a few years ago using some very sophisticated measuring devices and data loggers to track parameters over time and most salts were ready in a matter of minutes and did not change for the better over time. I mix what I need and do not keep any mixed saltwater around but I do keep about 50 gallons of RO/DI on hand that can be mixed up in a matter of minutes in an emergency and can make 135-150 GPD with my RO/DI.

mcarroll · Dec 30, 2015

Sometimes it helps to see it and not simply read it:

Videos:

Mixing saltwater correctly in only 5 minutes using electricity or only using a mixing paddle (or your hand).

(From #9 in the General Interest section of my fav links thread.)

FindingEmily · Dec 30, 2015

Interesting! I'll read up on it. Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 30, 2015

toneB said:
My calcium way up and my salinity is down that's why I asked

The mixing time couldn't have caused that, no matter what it was.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 30, 2015

Jlobes said:
there are a few threads discussing it in further detail. but the long and short, is possible precipitation.

Which, at least as claimed by Red Sea, comes from the heat from the mixing pumps, not from the mixing itself. If you mix without any big input of heat, this won't happen.

jsker · Dec 30, 2015

I mix it as the 5 gal bucket fills with Ro/Di water with a power head, then I let it mix for about another half hour and drop it into the tank.

mcarroll · Dec 30, 2015

jsker said:
I mix it as the 5 gal bucket fills with Ro/Di water with a power head, then I let it mix for about another half hour and drop it into the tank.

5 minutes is all it takes. [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

Check out the video and text links above! [emoji41]