Mixing water

kukulkan67 · 01/31/2015, 03:35 PM

Hello there new to the forum, I'm starting a 75g FOWLR tank with 20g sump. The question I have I'm mixing salt for 50g then will fill up with saltwater from LFS , can I mix 50 g of salt on 10g of RO water " just to mix it" , then add it to the main tank , then finish filing with the RO water to compensate for the 50g of salt mix in the 10g . Do I make sense.
Thanks

Phildirt · 01/31/2015, 05:47 PM

Not 100% sure of the question....but you should mix your water so that your close to natural seawater salinity. If you are wanting a concentrated solution to dilute at a later date that will not work. This is mainly due to the fact that you will saturate certain elements which will precipitate out if solution and be unusable.

gone fishin · 01/31/2015, 06:43 PM

If I understand you are going to mix 50gal worth of salt into 10g of water dump into the tank then fill with freshwater to get your salinity correct. Then make up the rest from the LFS.

If so, it is not ideal but for a first fill up you could get away with it. Just make sure you have good circulation it may take quite awhile to dissolve all the way.

Why not mix the proper amounts as you get the fresh water and fill it that way?

phenom5 · 01/31/2015, 06:57 PM

That'll work...as long as you don't have any liverock/ fish/ corals/ inverts in the tank.

Agree with gone's question though...why not mix it all at once?

kukulkan67 · 01/31/2015, 11:01 PM

Thanks for the replies. My main concern is the saturation if the elements as mentioned above. Why not mixing all together space and the right container. This is just the first time fill of the tank. So I'm looking for options! !

PhaneSoul · 01/31/2015, 11:24 PM

why not just fill the tank with ro/di water then add salt? let mix for a week and done.

CStrickland · 01/31/2015, 11:32 PM

When I first filled my tank, I tried heating up small amounts in a pot on the stove and adding the salt to that to dissolve it, and then mixing with cold water in a 5g bucket to even out before pouring into the tank. Sounds like a similar idea to yours?

I got impatient pretty quick, and learned that the salt dissolves in cool water much better than I expected. I was thinking it would be like table salt where it doesn't mix in until the waters hot. I guess it's ground finer? So then I just mixed the salt (IO, if that makes a diff) into the new water 5g's at a time just by stirring it with a big spoon. I put it in the tank with a heater over night and double checked the SG in the morning. It was fine.

I don't get where the SW from the LFS fits in?

kukulkan67 · 01/31/2015, 11:35 PM

Sounds good , then sand an then the live rock any extra water drain to the sump.

CStrickland · 01/31/2015, 11:44 PM

Rock first, if it sits on the sand it will shift with it. Setting it on the tank floor is a stable base.

01/31/2015, 03:35 PM	#1
kukulkan67 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 74	Mixing water Hello there new to the forum, I'm starting a 75g FOWLR tank with 20g sump. The question I have I'm mixing salt for 50g then will fill up with saltwater from LFS , can I mix 50 g of salt on 10g of RO water " just to mix it" , then add it to the main tank , then finish filing with the RO water to compensate for the 50g of salt mix in the 10g . Do I make sense. Thanks

01/31/2015, 05:47 PM	#2
Phildirt poisson voyeur Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 490	Not 100% sure of the question....but you should mix your water so that your close to natural seawater salinity. If you are wanting a concentrated solution to dilute at a later date that will not work. This is mainly due to the fact that you will saturate certain elements which will precipitate out if solution and be unusable. __________________ "Better is the enemy of good." Voltaire Current Tank Info: 29 Gal Reef

01/31/2015, 06:43 PM	#3
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	If I understand you are going to mix 50gal worth of salt into 10g of water dump into the tank then fill with freshwater to get your salinity correct. Then make up the rest from the LFS. If so, it is not ideal but for a first fill up you could get away with it. Just make sure you have good circulation it may take quite awhile to dissolve all the way. Why not mix the proper amounts as you get the fresh water and fill it that way? __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

01/31/2015, 06:57 PM	#4
phenom5 Unregistered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,096	That'll work...as long as you don't have any liverock/ fish/ corals/ inverts in the tank. Agree with gone's question though...why not mix it all at once? __________________ Rob Current Tank Info: DSA 155 Pro \| ATI Sunpower \| ATB 840 v2 \| Apex \| Wav

01/31/2015, 11:01 PM	#5
kukulkan67 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 74	Thanks for the replies. My main concern is the saturation if the elements as mentioned above. Why not mixing all together space and the right container. This is just the first time fill of the tank. So I'm looking for options! !

01/31/2015, 11:24 PM	#6
PhaneSoul Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 949	why not just fill the tank with ro/di water then add salt? let mix for a week and done.

01/31/2015, 11:32 PM	#7
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	When I first filled my tank, I tried heating up small amounts in a pot on the stove and adding the salt to that to dissolve it, and then mixing with cold water in a 5g bucket to even out before pouring into the tank. Sounds like a similar idea to yours? I got impatient pretty quick, and learned that the salt dissolves in cool water much better than I expected. I was thinking it would be like table salt where it doesn't mix in until the waters hot. I guess it's ground finer? So then I just mixed the salt (IO, if that makes a diff) into the new water 5g's at a time just by stirring it with a big spoon. I put it in the tank with a heater over night and double checked the SG in the morning. It was fine. I don't get where the SW from the LFS fits in?

01/31/2015, 11:35 PM	#8
kukulkan67 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 74	Sounds good , then sand an then the live rock any extra water drain to the sump.

01/31/2015, 11:44 PM	#9
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	Rock first, if it sits on the sand it will shift with it. Setting it on the tank floor is a stable base.