Mixing salt

Mallard

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Yes, but make sure to rinse it out well and wouldn't hurt to do some base line testing to make sure nothing got in it while it was in the store. But you should be fine so long as you rinse it out before mixing your salt.
 

JR's Reef

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Yes thats fine and if you ever need something bigger. You can use brute trash cans. I think thats what alot of us do with bigger tanks
 

beaslbob

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Or better yet go to local backeries and see if they have 5g buckets they are tossing each week.
 

JoeBob

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Home Depot are fine get the ones with the gallon markers on the side they are white and it makes thing easier.
 

650-IS350

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HD buckets, or I just use the empty buckets that come with the Salt.
 

mfinn

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It mixes better




I've had no problems with it mixing.
I use Instant Ocean and it mixs within a very short time.


No matter, we all have our way of doing things.
What works for one, may not work for another.
Doesn't make it wrong.
 

gparr

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I put water in 5-gal. buckets; turn on the MaxiJet, or whatever, mixing pumps to get the water moving; then add the salt. Mixes better, faster, and I don't get any deposits at the bottom of the bucket. Don't forget to put heaters in the buckets to warm the water to tank temperature. I prefer to mix the water for 24 hr. But, depending on my schedule, use water that has mixed between 8 and 24 hr. Minimum mixing time for me is 8 hr.
Gary
 

Railrider1920

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If you have the space for one, you can also use a 10, 15, or 20 gallon plastic storage container. While you are not using it to mix water, you can use it for storing any extra's for the tank that you have laying around. What ever you use to mix up water, cover it for the 8, 10, 24 hrs you are mixing up the water so that nothing gets into the water (dust, cat, dog, spilled milk etc)
 

ReeferRob

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No matter, we all have our way of doing things.
What works for one, may not work for another.
Doesn't make it wrong.[/QUOTE]

True, there is ten ways to skin a cat!!

I've been using the Lowe's buckets for years. I got the ones with the nice cushy foam handle too. While your in that isle pick up one of those cheap plastic paint mixers for your cordless drill. Makes mixing a breeze.
 

benny z

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Why would that be?

I've been putting the salt in my containers, then the water, for many years now.

think of how high the element concentration must be when you first start adding water to salt. the issue is that calcium and other elements will oversaturate and precipitate out. always always always add salt (slowly) to water.
 

mfinn

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think of how high the element concentration must be when you first start adding water to salt. the issue is that calcium and other elements will oversaturate and precipitate out. always always always add salt (slowly) to water.



I don't know what to say, except I set my first saltwater tank up in 1985 and have had a tank ever since. Reef tank for 19 years. I only say this because, I've been doing things the same way for a long time.
I've stayed with soft corals only because I like the motion in the water.
I now have a 240 gallon soft coral tank and a 40 gallon zoanthid tank, and do water changes using 44 and 20 gallon brute garbage containers.
I also will continue to do things as I do now, why? Because my corals are healthy, the fish are healthy and everyone that has seen my tanks usually will tell me that I'm doing something right.


What I can do is to mix up two barrels of water, one with the salt added in advance and the other, add the salt to the mix and then test both barrels and see what I can find
out. Might be interesting.
 

benny z

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there's more than way to do about everything in this hobby. by all means, do what has worked for you. :) i always strive to sprinkle salt into the full container so that it mixes before it hits the bottom for this reason, too. don't want it piling up on the bottom.
 

mfinn

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there's more than way to do about everything in this hobby. by all means, do what has worked for you. :) i always strive to sprinkle salt into the full container so that it mixes before it hits the bottom for this reason, too. don't want it piling up on the bottom.

I meant what I said about doing it both ways.and then testing. Maybe I'll learn something new. Again. :)
 
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