Gearing up to rebuild: 125g

[reefkprz]

mixing is pretty straight foward
1 fill container with ro water
2 turn on heater and mixing pump
3 when its almost up to temp start adding salt 1 cupfull at a time untill it dissolves, fully then add the next cup untill I reach my taget SG
4 wait untill its completely clear before performing waterchange.
same way I have been doing it for years

 

[reefkprz]

here are pictures from the second harvest of the algae screen
side 1

side 2

ONe full cup of algae harvested this time.

 

[spanko]

YUCK!

 

[valentino82602]

Looking good, I see you have some red Algae eh?

 

[reefkprz]

some on the screen but none left in the tank itself. the cyano is almost completely gone from my tank after about a month of running the screen

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/240#post_3479999
mixing is pretty straight foward
1 fill container with ro water
2 turn on heater and mixing pump
3 when its almost up to temp start adding salt 1 cupfull at a time untill it dissolves, fully then add the next cup untill I reach my taget SG
4 wait untill its completely clear before performing waterchange.
same way I have been doing it for years
If I remember correctly from a post with Bang, the heater should be the last piece.....Mix before increasing temp.......

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/260#post_3480302
some on the screen but none left in the tank itself. the cyano is almost completely gone from my tank after about a month of running the screen
What did I tell yah???

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/260#post_3480305
If I remember correctly from a post with Bang, the heater should be the last piece.....Mix before increasing temp.......
warmer water dissolves things more readily than colder water. to super saturate a solution you boil the water so it can dissolve more than it can normally hold. I would have to disagree on this point.

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/260#post_3480309
What did I tell yah???

you were correct. there is some diatomic ( I believe ) growth on the sand still a little unsightly but not bad considering the holy hell of a cyano bloom I started with.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Thats great. Keep cleaning that screen. Eventually, your screen will turn from brown/red/green to fully green. Just keep at it! As there is less and less nutrients in the tank, it will really start growing green.

 

[acrylic51]

Your theory sounds correct, but I'm quite sure your incorrect as far as mixing procedure goes. Hopefully Bang will chime in, but I'm pretty positive you get better or more complete mixing when the water is cooler vs normal tank temp.

 

[reefkprz]

I know oxygen levels are easier to raise in cooler water, as well as other dissolved gasses, but I know solids disolute easier in warmer waters.
I wonder what the logic behind mixing when cold, most times my tap water comes out about 55 degrees, mixing salt in that is quite difficult.

 

[acrylic51]

I too always mix after warming my water, but supposedly is better if not warm????

 

[smallreef]

I only heat my mix water to about 70 as Im mixing.... and then before I do the out/in I get it to the tank temp....

 

[snakeblitz33]

a heater in a salt mix container?!?! I've never done that sort of thing. lol Even in winter, It stays in the 40s and 50s here in Louisiana and the house is usually kept at 76F. My reasoning is that if I mix the saltwater in the same room as the aquarium, it will be just warm enough to put in the tank without causing any problems. BUT, I will consider it on my 110.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/260#post_3480468
a heater in a salt mix container?!?! I've never done that sort of thing. lol Even in winter, It stays in the 40s and 50s here in Louisiana and the house is usually kept at 76F. My reasoning is that if I mix the saltwater in the same room as the aquarium, it will be just warm enough to put in the tank without causing any problems. BUT, I will consider it on my 110.
Memory fails me but either Bang guy or Spanko said it was better to mix the salt in cold water and not allow the mix to hit the bottom. I used to warm my water too. Something about the calcium seperating and leaving a film or being cloudy.

 

[spanko]

In my reading specific gravity or salinity measurements are temperature dependant. Pre-heating the new water to the same temperature as your aquarium will give you the most consistant salinity
http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/measuring-salinity-and-specific-gravity-your-aquarium

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/260#post_3480482
Memory fails me but either Bang guy or Spanko said it was better to mix the salt in cold water and not allow the mix to hit the bottom. I used to warm my water too. Something about the calcium separating and leaving a film or being cloudy.
Flower I'm following you.....I know it was just a pretty recent thread and I'm almost 100% sure it was Bang that mentioned about the heating issue.....Not doubting what your saying Henry....I've always been a proponent of heating to a degree with the same interpretation of better consistent mixing.

 

[reefkprz]

I always get my water to within one degree for my water changes since most times I do rather large ones, 30 to 50%.
but I generally start adding salt once the water gets up to about room temp so I can be mixing and heating at the same time. I have done it this way for at least 5-6 years, it has never until this salt taken 3 days for it to clear, usually its clear in less than 24 hours (some times as little as 3-4 hours after target SG is reached its clear) I think the fogginess in this case is due to the salt or some component in it as there is no precipitation on the bottom of the container after its emptied. I use a glass aquarium as a mixing container so any residue is readily visible. this is not a problem I ever had with R.C.

 

[lubeck]

I have been using B-ionic salt for the last two months or so and have had perfect alk, cal and mag since then. It only takes less than 30 min to fully dissolve. I do Agree that solids dissolve better in warmer temperatures than cooler.