To heat or not heat salt mix

[Just_Pete]

So I've been using Red Sea Coral Pro for the last 8 months or so. Everything in the tanks seems to be "normal". My weekly 4 gallon water change in my IM 20 gallon seems to be producing happy fish and coral.

I usually mix my salt the night before, I stir it, place a pump and heater set to 79 degrees and loosely cover the bucket until I'm ready the next morning. I've been reading that RSCP doesn't need to be heated and or mixed for so long because of precipitation. Mixing with a pump until the salt is dissolved is enough, usually for a few hours only.

My question is about the heater. I store my RODI water and mixing supplies in the basement. This time of year my basement is pretty cold. If I don't heat my freshly mixed salt water to the same temp as my tank, which is at 79, wouldn't the cold salt water mix have a negative effect on my livestock?

 

[NanoCrazed]

So I've been using Red Sea Coral Pro for the last 8 months or so. Everything in the tanks seems to be "normal". My weekly 4 gallon water change in my IM 20 gallon seems to be producing happy fish and coral.

I usually mix my salt the night before, I stir it, place a pump and heater set to 79 degrees and loosely cover the bucket until I'm ready the next morning. I've been reading that RSCP doesn't need to be heated and or mixed for so long because of precipitation. Mixing with a pump until the salt is dissolved is enough, usually for a few hours only.

My question is about the heater. I store my RODI water and mixing supplies in the basement. This time of year my basement is pretty cold. If I don't heat my freshly mixed salt water to the same temp as my tank, which is at 79, wouldn't the cold salt water mix have a negative effect on my livestock?

IMO, always heat the final water you pour into your tank to as close to the same temp... less shock to the system and those in it.

 

[Potatohead]

IMO, always heat the final water you pour into your tank to as close to the same temp... less shock to the system and those in it.

There are some YouTube videos on mixing RSCP, I believe the instructions say you're supposed to mix it around 72 degrees for about an hour, then bring up to tank temp and do your water change.

 

[Tautog]

Why would you think it’s OK to dump cold water into a warm environment?
Just like your outdoor garden, a cold blast will kill them

 

[cloak]

I've never heated my water before. Unless your doing a MASSIVE water change or the make up water and the DT are miles apart it's not really needed IMO. A 10-20% water change is not going to have much of an impact (if any) on the overall temperature.

 

[jda]

I always mix cold and then put a heater in later. Stuff will dissolve better with less precipitation with cold water.

If you do a really small change and your corals do not retract or slime, then it probably is not a big deal, but it is also not a big deal to heat it up for a while.

A 10% water change with 55 degree water (the temp of my fish room) in 78 degrees drops it more than I want and takes several hours to catch up. I might not heat 2 or 3 gallons, but I definitely would heat more than this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It depends on how much you change at once. I did slow and continuous water changes and never heated my water.

For a mix like Coral Pro, you might heat it right before use for substantial changes.

 

[Just_Pete]

Why would you think it’s OK to dump cold water into a warm environment?
Just like your outdoor garden, a cold blast will kill them

If I were to potentially do a 4 gallon water change that isn't up to the same temp as my DT... I don't know if it's ok, thats why I'm asking. My basement is cold but not freezing so the temp of the water is probably 60-65. I mean whats an acceptable temperature fluctuation? Obviously I know I don't want it to increase pass 79, but how cold can water coming into the tank be?

Also, are there any negative side effects to the salt mix being heated for a long time?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If I were to potentially do a 4 gallon water change that isn't up to the same temp as my DT... I don't know if it's ok, thats why I'm asking. My basement is cold but not freezing so the temp of the water is probably 60-65. I mean whats an acceptable temperature fluctuation? Obviously I know I don't want it to increase pass 79, but how cold can water coming into the tank be?

Also, are there any negative side effects to the salt mix being heated for a long time?

The concern is precipitation of calcium carbonate. It is less soluble at higher temperatures. If that doesn't happen (perhaps because your home air has a lot of CO2 that drives down pH and reduces the potential for precipitation), then there's no issue.

 

[Potatohead]

I'm not a rocket surgeon but heating up X amount of water takes X amount of energy. If you heat it up in your barrel or whether the tank heaters heat it up, I imagine it's just about a wash, but if you pre-heat it you're not risking shock to livestock.

 

[Just_Pete]

Thank you Randy and JDA!

As I mentioned, I do 4 gallons on a 20 gallon tank. I stir in the salt by hand first (10-15 seconds), then add a pump and heater to a cold mix. I'll try mixing cold first and then heat. I was just wondering if there where any negative effects for the water being heated at the same time as its being mixed.

 

[srm077]

My water changes are right at 150 gallons and I will wait until my RODI water comes to room temp (72) then mix the salt with it, then put heaters in overnight for a morning water change. its usually around 76 by morning which is fine.

 

[Potatohead]

Thank you Randy and JDA!

As I mentioned, I do 4 gallons on a 20 gallon tank. I stir in the salt by hand first (10-15 seconds), then add a pump and heater to a cold mix. I'll try mixing cold first and then heat. I was just wondering if there where any negative effects for the water being heated at the same time as its being mixed.

That's the way I do it because by the time the water is heated the salt is long mixed.

My water changes are right at 150 gallons.

 

[srm077]

That's the way I do it because by the time the water is heated the salt is long mixed.

Yup.... This is the reason I am converting to the Triton Method. People think 10 gallon water changes are a PITA.... If they only knew.

 

[Larry L]

Red Sea recommends to mix using cool (i.e. room temp) water and only mix long enough for the water to clear (). I do that and while it finishes mixing (maybe 1.5 to 2 hours total) I like to bring it up to tank temp before doing my water changes. But with that being said:

Why would you think it’s OK to dump cold water into a warm environment?
Just like your outdoor garden, a cold blast will kill them

I agree keeping temp stable is nice if possible, but in general coral can certainly withstand pretty significant temp swings. On pretty much every reef I have snorkeled there are times when the currents cause temps to change dramatically and rapidly.

Unless your doing a MASSIVE water change or the make up water and the DT are miles apart it's not really needed IMO.

Agree. I have a friend (a past Tank of the Month winner from that other forum site) who owns an LFS and aquarium maintenance business, and they don't heat the big tanks of water that they truck around from client to client. They do big weekly water changes to reduce the amount of other maintenance and dosing that would otherwise be necessary, and their clients' tanks look amazing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Red Sea recommends to mix using cool (i.e. room temp) water and only mix long enough for the water to clear (). I do that and while it finishes mixing (maybe 1.5 to 2 hours total).

FWIW, Red Sea has some inconsistencies in their rationale for the lack of aeration and stirring, and at least the tech rep that answered my question about it lacks an understanding of the situation, so I’d be wary of taking their advice too literally.

 

[jda]

How do you get the PH up from adding Muratic Acid if you don't let it mix/aerate for a few days? ...sorry, I could not resist.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How do you get the PH up from adding Muratic Acid if you don't let it mix/aerate for a few days? ...sorry, I could not resist.

lol

 

[pdiehm]

I do 12gallons of my total 125 (give or take). it drops my temperature about 1.3 degrees.

I do not heat the water any longer, unless I'm doing a large water change (ie: 30%)

 

[SashimiTurtle]

On the occasion I do a water change, I mix red sea blue bucket in a 5g tote with room temp RODI. I keep my house at 70 in "winter" and 72 in summer, for reference on room temp. I add all the salt, 240gph koralia and a 50W internat thermostat heater. Once it's at 78*(red light goes off on heater) the salt is dissolved and it goes directly in the tank.

Right now I have a 5g tote, with lid on, premixed sitting in the dining room for the last week and there is no precipitate. I was doing a re-scape on my 35g cube and didn't know how much water I'd need, or have to get rid of... made it up just in case.