Mixing saltwater for my first aquarium

[cvpis4me]

I'm putting together my 10 gallon quarantine tank right now and am at the point where I need to mix my first batch of saltwater. I haven't purchased my pump yet for the big tank. Do I really NEED it to mix the saltwater properly? I had just planned on putting the saltwater in the tank and letting it cycle for a bit before adding any fish (and the first one I get will be a firefish).

[Pandagobyguy]

Definitely don't need a pump. Put water and salt in any container mix by hand (what i do), heat to tank temperature, dump it in (just block the "waterfall" with your hand so substrate doesn't fly everywhere). If you don't have anything alive in your tank, you don't even need to heat it before adding to tank.

When you start moving towards larger tank sizes, having an efficient, easy water change system makes everything a lot easier. For me, with a 30 g and 10 g, dumping water and salt in a homedepot bucket and waving my hand works perfectly fine.

[OldReefGuy]

you dont really NEED to do anything. The question is, do you want to do the right thing. How where you planning on getting water movement?
If you are in a hurry, just buy some nsw from your lfs

[rjpotts]

Mixing water by hand got old for me after I filled my tank that way once.
I immediately annexed the bath tub, threw a brute trash can in there. I have two coralia 750's and an mj1200 making a constant vortex lol.
I make about 35g at a time, which lasts about a month in my 36g corner tank.
It is nice to just dump the salt in there and forget about it.
The power heads and mj1200 cost me a whole $20 on Craigslist.
Liberating is the word I would use.
But no, you don't need to have a pump.

[cvpis4me]

Originally Posted by OldReefGuy

you dont really NEED to do anything. The question is, do you want to do the right thing. How where you planning on getting water movement?
If you are in a hurry, just buy some nsw from your lfs

Well this tank comes with a filter that includes a tiny pump that does about 80gph. I didn't plan on buying any fish till the end of the week so that would leave at least 4 days. The problem is that we've already put the dry rock and live sand in the bottom, with a little water from the bag and I'm concerned about it sitting there for a few days while I wait for a pump to get shipped.

[heathlindner25]

This is a quarantine tank?

[Mdj]

I tried mixing by hand was a pain I had small particles that did not mix all the way I used a 80gph pump in a 5 gallon bucket mix over night and is Crystal clear now just my experience

[cvpis4me]

Originally Posted by heathlindner25

This is a quarantine tank?

Yes, I'm starting off with one fish in quarantine for a while, just to get used to taking care of saltwater fish. I'm slowly working on a 65G tank

[OldReefGuy]

if you are worried about the LS, I would hand mix enough water just so it covered. As long as it stay wet, you should be ok for a couple of days

[homer1475]

Originally Posted by cvpis4me

Well this tank comes with a filter that includes a tiny pump that does about 80gph. I didn't plan on buying any fish till the end of the week so that would leave at least 4 days. The problem is that we've already put the dry rock and live sand in the bottom, with a little water from the bag and I'm concerned about it sitting there for a few days while I wait for a pump to get shipped.

First thing first.....

There is absolutely no way a new tank with dry rock and live sand will be ready for fish in 4 days. 4 weeks, maybe, but definitely not 4 days. Please for the love of the fish, do not put a live animal in an uncycled tank!

And as for the live sand, big gimmick IMO.

Honestly think about it, whats left alive after that bag has gone through extreme temperature changes in shipping(last few bags I got were frozen when they got to my house), and been sitting on a shelf in a store or warehouse for god knows how long?

You will be fine just waiting for a pump, or by mixing by hand. When I first started out the first 100 or so gallons I mixed in a 5 gallon bucket by hand.

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by cvpis4me

Well this tank comes with a filter that includes a tiny pump that does about 80gph. I didn't plan on buying any fish till the end of the week so that would leave at least 4 days. The problem is that we've already put the dry rock and live sand in the bottom, with a little water from the bag and I'm concerned about it sitting there for a few days while I wait for a pump to get shipped.

A quarantine tank does not use or need sand and rock. If by mixing the salt properly you mean having a separate container and water movement no. If you mean do you have to worry about salinity, absolutely. Reading over this post my advice is, set up the 65 gallon and get it cycled. While it is cycling read some of the stickies on the forum. Read some more about water parameters and how to set up quarantine tanks, how to acclimate fish and GO SLOW.

[Jon0807]

A small powerhead or circulation pump is fairly cheap and makes life so much easier. Of course, the bigger the container you mix the SW in the bigger the pump you will want. IMO, it's easier and you get a much more complete mix with some sort of circulation

[Jamesmost]

Pump on pulse works well 4 me...jabo cheap