Useful salt mix calculator

Cory · Jul 4, 2020

If you ever wonder if your using enough salt, or if your device is broken and you need to weigh the salt, this calculator was nearly perfect!

Direct Salt Addition Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the amount of solid salt required to raise salinity to a target level.

www.hamzasreef.com

Brandon Smith · Jul 4, 2020

Cory said:
If you ever wonder if your using enough salt, or if your device is broken and you need to weigh the salt, this calculator was nearly perfect!

Direct Salt Addition Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the amount of solid salt required to raise salinity to a target level.

www.hamzasreef.com

The only issue I see with it is that you can't select what brand or version of slat mix you are using.

Cory · Jul 4, 2020

Brandon Smith said:
The only issue I see with it is that you can't select what brand or version of slat mix you are using.

Im not sure the brand matters much. I used instant ocean. Worked like a charm!

Fernthereefer · Jul 4, 2020

Cory said:
Im not sure the brand matters much. I used instant ocean. Worked like a charm!

I don't think it matters, as long as you keep the same salt mix your paramseter must be adjusted to them. Of course, if you chose to adjust parameters higher from what your salt provides, that's another story....

Brandon Smith · Jul 4, 2020

I was just thinking that some salt mixes saying it makes so many gallons at like 1.023 and don't others advertise they make so many gallons at 1.025?

Cory · Jul 4, 2020

Brandon Smith said:
I was just thinking that some salt mixes saying it makes so many gallons at like 1.023 and don't others advertise they make so many gallons at 1.025?

Yes your right. Iirc its just because of how much water is in the salts. Thus causing weights to be different. But most salt mixes likely use the same ingredients to make theirs, perhaps just different purities.

Buckster · Jul 4, 2020

I use instant ocean reef crystals and it's recommended to add 1/2 cup per gallon. I'm at 1.026 with that amount, once I tested 1.025. I then added a 1/2 cup and it was enough to raise it to 1.026. I also bought the Milwaukee digital refractometer and I'm very pleased with the accuracy and digital readout. I'll spend the extra to make the hobby easier. Good Luck!

Cory · Jul 4, 2020

Buckster said:
I use instant ocean reef crystals and it's recommended to add 1/2 cup per gallon. I'm at 1.026 with that amount, once I tested 1.025. I then added a 1/2 cup and it was enough to raise it to 1.026. I also bought the Milwaukee digital refractometer and I'm very pleased with the accuracy and digital readout. I'll spend the extra to make the hobby easier. Good Luck!

Its accurate but not precise. I have it and think its not very useful for making salt water.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 4, 2020

It won't be accurate for salt mixes that use anhydrous ingredients. Brightwell, for example:

" NēoMarine may have a slight sulfurous odor when the container is first opened; this is a result of the use of anhydrous magnesium chloride and sulfate and will dissipate. "

Brightwell Aquatics - NeoMarine

Cory · Jul 4, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It won't be accurate for salt mixes that use anhydrous ingredients. Brightwell, for example:

" NēoMarine may have a slight sulfurous odor when the container is first opened; this is a result of the use of anhydrous magnesium chloride and sulfate and will dissipate. "

Brightwell Aquatics - NeoMarine

Is there any way to know?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 5, 2020

Cory said:
Is there any way to know?

Only by looking at the box for the comments or directions, or possible by whether the water gets warm when mixing the salt into it.

Cory · Jul 6, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Only by looking at the box for the comments or directions, or possible by whether the water gets warm when mixing the salt into it.

Im sorry but what would the comments or directions likely say? What does io use?

tehmadreefer · Jul 6, 2020

3 level cups equals 5g at 1.026

Greg P · Jul 6, 2020

I agree, which brand you use will dictate your outcome.
Each brand has a different dose mix to reach 1.026

DeputyDog95 · Sep 27, 2021

I have a faulty (to some degree, it's within the MOE but it has been calibrated) Milwaukee unit that is reading about 2ppt too high. Thus making my tank about 2 PPT too low. Shame on me for not verifying... ICP tests (33.2 PPT) originally brought it to my attention. Subsequent comparisons and reference solution checks confirmed it. I even went to far as to reactivate and calibrate my Apex salinity probe and it reads 33.2 PPT as well, matching the ICP.

However, the calculator does not seem to be working for me. I'm going slow with the process of raising it, so I guess it doesn't matter. My ATO res is about 4 gallons and I go through about 1.5 gallons per day.

However, the linked calculator and the BRS one both indicate it will take about 3 pounds of salt to bring my tank to 35ppt from 33PPT. I've added around 2.5 pounds to my top off water and it's barely budged in two days. Going from 33.2 to 33.7.

BRS calculator indicates that they are basing their numbers on the red sea coral pro salt. I use the red sea blue bucket, but it should be close.

I think this is going to take about double what they are suggesting... Should I take the calculators with a grain of salt? Pun intended

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 27, 2021

DeputyDog95 said:
I have a faulty (to some degree, it's within the MOE but it has been calibrated) Milwaukee unit that is reading about 2ppt too high. Thus making my tank about 2 PPT too low. Shame on me for not verifying... ICP tests (33.2 PPT) originally brought it to my attention. Subsequent comparisons and reference solution checks confirmed it. I even went to far as to reactivate and calibrate my Apex salinity probe and it reads 33.2 PPT as well, matching the ICP.

However, the calculator does not seem to be working for me. I'm going slow with the process of raising it, so I guess it doesn't matter. My ATO res is about 4 gallons and I go through about 1.5 gallons per day.

However, the linked calculator and the BRS one both indicate it will take about 3 pounds of salt to bring my tank to 35ppt from 33PPT. I've added around 2.5 pounds to my top off water and it's barely budged in two days. Going from 33.2 to 33.7.

BRS calculator indicates that they are basing their numbers on the red sea coral pro salt. I use the red sea blue bucket, but it should be close.

I think this is going to take about double what they are suggesting... Should I take the calculators with a grain of salt? Pun intended

I'd just top off for evaporation with 35 ppt seawater, and stop when you get where you want to be, rather than calculating the dry amount and adding that somehow.

That said, calculators will not be off by as much as the salinity devices that hobbyists use.