Should I mix or just use?

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Randy, I had an experience with a certain salt mix. I mixed 10 gallons worth of salt as per instructions, from 200 gallons salt box. Read ph and ph was off 7.6 should of been 8.1. Contacted manufacturer, their answer was "shack/mix salt before using". I thought to myself, Instructions don't say that.

My point is, should all powder products sold for our hobby, be mixed before we use? Please help. Many thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

pH after mixing is not an attribute of the salt mix itself, but a mathematical combination of the total alkalinity and the CO2 level in the air it is aerated with.

Appropriate alkalinity is really the only thing the mix can provide.

That said, taking a small sample from a larger amount can lead to variation as the mix may settle during shipping, and some people do mix the solids up. I usually just tried to make up a large portion of the bag at a time.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

pH after mixing is not an attribute of the salt mix itself, but a mathematical combination of the total alkalinity and the CO2 level in the air it is aerated with.

Appropriate alkalinity is really the only thing the mix can provide.

That said, taking a small sample from a larger amount can lead to variation as the mix may settle during shipping, and some people do mix the solids up. I usually just tried to make up a large portion of the bag at a time.

So the other products out there in powder, should we mix whole batch(dry mix), in case something settles?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So the other products out there in powder, should we mix whole batch(dry mix), in case something settles?

What product? Most dry products are not complex mixtures like a salt mix.

A product like calcium chloride or sodium carbonate does not settle into different components.