why do you agitate the water?

[kimba]

On my bag of salt mix it says to "briefly agitate water". I was curious as to why this is done, but also how long is briefly? 2 minutes, 5?
I only have a 12 gal so I soak 2 gal of RO water in my sink until 80. I add my salt then put a little air pump hose in it and agitate maybe 2 min kr until the temp is 79.

Is that long enough?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd recommend adding the salt to colder water, if it starts that way. The agitation is to dissolve it, which can take a while.

Is that picture showing an airline for bubbling?

 

[kimba]

The airline is to agitate it. I didn't know how else to agitate it so I figured the air bublles would. Is that okay?

my salt disolves pretty quick, I havn't had any problems with salt left over. I add the salt in a glass measuring cup, add water and stir. I pour that back in the gallon jug. I keep pouring the water from the jug into the measuring cup untill all the salt in the glass measuring cup is disoleved. Then I cover it and shake it pretty well, then set it up with the airline for agitation.

 

[klesel]

I just put a small power head in the bucket for 5-10 min wile I get everything ready to change the water by time I get me other bucket and siphon hose n stuff together it's dissolved.

 

[Wankell]

I don't think the air bubbles are doing much for agitation, I would put the cap on and give it a few good shakes, invert the bottle, etc. and you should be good to go. You just need to dissolve the salt particles.

 

[kimba]

I don't have a power head or a bucket. I only do 1-2 gal water changes so I just use the gallon jugs.

 

[kimba]

Okay, so as long as my salt is disolved, that's all that really matters?

 

[klesel]

Yes needs to completely dissolved and same temp as your aquarium

 

[Jlobes]

I don't have a power head or a bucket. I only do 1-2 gal water changes so I just use the gallon jugs.

dang, you must be the only reefer on the planet without an extra powerhead lying around. no buckets? thats crazy talk!

heck, ill send ya a small koralia if ya need it. ive got tons!

and yes, you want your salt to be dissolved and well mixed, with matching temp. also, you want to add the salt to the water NOT the water to the salt. HTH

 

[kimba]

dang, you must be the only reefer on the planet without an extra powerhead lying around. no buckets? thats crazy talk!

heck, ill send ya a small koralia if ya need it. ive got tons!

and yes, you want your salt to be dissolved and well mixed, with matching temp. also, you want to add the salt to the water NOT the water to the salt. HTH

Haha! Okay, truth be told I have buckets, but they are 5 gal barn buckets. I have a farm so I do have buckets, just none I would use for making salt water. I did buy a little koralia one time and didn't like it and took it out. That was like 6 years and 2 moves ago so it was lost. But thanks.

So you would just pour the salt into the gal jug and shake?

 

[Wankell]

Haha! Okay, truth be told I have buckets, but they are 5 gal barn buckets. I have a farm so I do have buckets, just none I would use for making salt water. I did buy a little koralia one time and didn't like it and took it out. That was like 6 years and 2 moves ago so it was lost. But thanks.

So you would just pour the salt into the gal jug and shake?

Shake/whirl it around until its dissolved, yep! I usually do it a few times, waiting a min in between each shake/spin.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The airline is to agitate it. I didn't know how else to agitate it so I figured the air bublles would. Is that okay?

my salt disolves pretty quick, I havn't had any problems with salt left over. I add the salt in a glass measuring cup, add water and stir. I pour that back in the gallon jug. I keep pouring the water from the jug into the measuring cup untill all the salt in the glass measuring cup is disoleved. Then I cover it and shake it pretty well, then set it up with the airline for agitation.

Air bubbling agitation is slow, but fine to do.

 

[Cory]

What i do is stir the bucket with my hand making a sort of whirl pool. This dissolves it all in less than a minute for io.