Salt Mixing for Water Change

[Ryand63]

So I set up my first saltwater tank and when filling it up I filled it with water and just dumped the salt in after and let it run through the filter and powerheads. Now I need to do a water change and prepared a 5 gallon bucket with saltwater but all the salt will NOT dissolve all the way, I prepared the bucket about 1 week ago, stir it all the time but some just won't mix. Is it OK to have a little bit not mixed completely?

[fawkes]

I prefer to see it mix, but I have had small amounts not mix on occasion. If the salt is fresh - that is it wasn't hard or lumpy from absorbing moisture, and there is only a small amount unmixed, it will probably be OK. I would avoid adding the unmixed crystals (or whatever).

I am sure there will be other opinions...

[cmyrick]

Try adding a heater and power head to mix water

[mike_cmu04]

I always have some salt crystals that are left undissolved and it has never caused a problem

[Ryand63]

O.K. Thanks for all the fast input. When i say most I mean probably 95% dissolves but there is a little that just won't. Maybe tomorrow before my water change do you all think it would be good to take one of my powerheads out of my tank and run it in the bucket for an hour or so?

[Raggamuffin]

thats what I have always done, buy a cheapy 15 dollar powerhead or grab a used one. when you mix let the bugger run for 2 hours, and I let it run for an hour before a change as well with a cheap air stone.

[Megalodon]

If it's cloudy or gets cloudy again when you mix it, that would be something IMO you should be concerned about. If there's just white stuff settled at the bottom, which it sounds like you have, I wouldn't worry so much about it.

[sedor]

I run mine with a pump and a heater for usually 2 - 4 hours before I am going to do a WC. A lot of people let it aerate overnight. You want to make sure your at least mixing your water with a powerhead and a heater. The goal is to match the ph and the temperature of your tank so as to create as little a disturbance as possible.

[Ryand63]

alright, sounds good everyone, thanks for the responses! I'll let everyone know how it goes

[lordofthereef]

I would bet that the undissolved portion isn't even salt, but rather calcium precipitates.

[zero26]

I mix mine the night before with a powerhead and just add the heater a few hours before the W/C.

[Ryand63]

well I threw the powerheard in there about an hour and a half before my WC and most dissolved but still some remained un dissolved, it was such a little amount though I did not worry about it.

[cmacmike]

Just curious, what brand are you using?

I mix mine for 24 hours prior to the change with a very strong pump that actually heats the water in a 58 gallon barrel.

[evsalty]

Just be sure to check the salinity right before you put it in your tank and make sure it matches your tank. Temp changes will alter the salinity readings. As you heat it up it thins out kind of like changing a solid to a liquid to a gas using heat.

[Allmost]

there should not be any left overs, what you see at the bottom is percipitate rather than salt

do you check the salinity ? with a refractometer ?

do you use RO/DI water ?

what is the salt mix you are using ?

salt best mixes in cold water, so ure best bet is to mix it and then heat it. also you need to drive CO2 in or out of the water while mixing, that is done by an air stone, or you can do what I do, I have 2 maxijets inside a 55G barrel, one runs normal, other one, I stick a air line into the intake and the other side ofhte air line above water level, this will work like a venturi and will send micro bubbles into the water mix, so you can get the correct co2 ratio faster. if not enough co2, the carbonate in salt mix wont mix fully.

[Allmost]

Just be sure to check the salinity right before you put it in your tank and make sure it matches your tank. Temp changes will alter the salinity readings. As you heat it up it thins out kind of like changing a solid to a liquid to a gas using heat.


sorry, but that's false info .

SALINITY does not change with temp. but the Hydrometers are calibrated at a certain temp !! so a hydrometer calibrated at 80 degrees, is only showing correct readings when water is at 80 degree. (the relation is linear, so when you read its calibrated at 70 degrees and your water is at 80 degrees, you can guess where salinity actually is)

your best tool is a REFRACTOMETER, it shows you salinity based on the temp :) so you get the correct results :)


ALTHOUGH, if you heat up salt water mix at 1.0264 at 50 degrees to 80 degree, some water will evaporate, and THAT evaporation will increase salinity.

hope u get what I mean :)

[evsalty]

sorry, but that's false info .

SALINITY does not change with temp. but the Hydrometers are calibrated at a certain temp !! so a hydrometer calibrated at 80 degrees, is only showing correct readings when water is at 80 degree. (the relation is linear, so when you read its calibrated at 70 degrees and your water is at 80 degrees, you can guess where salinity actually is)

your best tool is a REFRACTOMETER, it shows you salinity based on the temp :) so you get the correct results :)


ALTHOUGH, if you heat up salt water mix at 1.0264 at 50 degrees to 80 degree, some water will evaporate, and THAT evaporation will increase salinity.

hope u get what I mean :)

HMMMM then I wonder why Coralife has a temp vs salinity chart on their salt bags/buckets? Maybe that graph is only for those using hydrometers or floaters.

[Allmost]

HMMMM then I wonder why Coralife has a temp vs salinity chart on their salt bags/buckets?

to adjust your Hydrometer readings to temp you are reading at :)


http://saltwater-aquarium-guide.net/salinity-and-specific-gravity
good link

[Kham]

So the best way to mix salt is to use a pump to dissolve it? Also what is the best REFRACTOMETER to get?