How to tell if salt is dissolved?
- Thread starter glowplug
- Start date
S
sinner's girl
Guest
it doesn't take 24 hours to dissolve, the 24hours is for ph and sg to stablize. I did water changes for many years using 1 gallon jug, mixing it, then adding it to the tank. However, water changes also tended to stress my fish. Then I started letting it sit... Lately, since I have more time (and I'm trying to fix a problem) I've airited the water and salt for at least 24 hours before doing a water change.
IO disolved rather quickly, I'd put the top on and shake the gallon, and it was dissolved.
IO disolved rather quickly, I'd put the top on and shake the gallon, and it was dissolved.
glowplug
Member
Yeah I have a maxi jet 600 in about 2 gallons of water, so Im thinking after 4 hours I could do a ph test and go for it if the numbers are right? Also I have the powerhead shooting up at an angle creating an off axis fountain ...(sorta!) Is this good for getting oxygen in the water?
S
sinner's girl
Guest
so ok, ill wait, but exactly what are we waiting for?!
Like I said, I never did in the past...I haven't noticed a difference. But I don't have corals or fish. I like to let it sit to make sure the sg is correct, but after few hours (or even less), the sg is what it's going to be, I've never noticed a difference b/w hour 1 and the next day.
Everyone else is doing so I thought I'd try it?
I mix it, let it sit and then a water change when I have the time.
I got a bucket that can hold what I need for a 10% water change, I'm getting another one today so I can mix more. I use a picher to get the water out till I can life the bucket. (bucket has top on it so I can keep the kitty out). I just use an old airator thing I found under the tank, no ph or heater (may need a heater in the winter, but right now, tank's room temp and the so is the room, so new water is the same temp). Not sure why need ph. I test the water, a few times during the 24 hours and never saw a difference. The first test was after a few hours, the next test was the next day.
what size tank do you have? just wondering why you're only mixing 2.5 gallons at a time.
Also, what's in your tank?
I'm in the process of mixing water now. I started less than an hour ago. I added salt to the water, let it sit (water was cloudyish), just check water, water clear, sg a little high, added more water. In a few I'll check sg again. Imo, I could do a water change today if I wanted to, but I'm not till tonight or this weekend.
Everyone else is doing so I thought I'd try it?
I got a bucket that can hold what I need for a 10% water change, I'm getting another one today so I can mix more. I use a picher to get the water out till I can life the bucket. (bucket has top on it so I can keep the kitty out). I just use an old airator thing I found under the tank, no ph or heater (may need a heater in the winter, but right now, tank's room temp and the so is the room, so new water is the same temp). Not sure why need ph. I test the water, a few times during the 24 hours and never saw a difference. The first test was after a few hours, the next test was the next day.
what size tank do you have? just wondering why you're only mixing 2.5 gallons at a time.
Also, what's in your tank?
I'm in the process of mixing water now. I started less than an hour ago. I added salt to the water, let it sit (water was cloudyish), just check water, water clear, sg a little high, added more water. In a few I'll check sg again. Imo, I could do a water change today if I wanted to, but I'm not till tonight or this weekend.
glowplug
Member
its a 20g long, with 13lbs live rock, feather dusters, cleaner shrimp, clown, emerald crab, 2 small mushrooms, various snails, some small green star frags. Maybe im just being too curious but i really dont think it needs all that time if you have a serious amount of flow in the bucket, if you cant see any residue or actuall undisolved salt, and the levels are ok....why wait so long, but I know EVERYONE does allmost!
S
sinner's girl
Guest
why wait so long,
again, no clue. When I first started, I never heard of anyone doing that, then a few years ago and esp now, everyone says to. Your tank, your choice. I'm just letting mine sit right now because I want to do the water change yet. I started letting it sit because I had a problem with alk and ph (bad bag of salt), so I've been trying to fix the problem. for years, I mixed one gallon at a time, and then added it to the tank, this year I started mixing 10 1 gallons and letting them sit (no ph or airator or heater), then adding them. But mixing it that was is a pain, esp when I'm doing weekly changes right now. So I bought a bucket, much easier, I'm using the airator since I can't shake the bucket to mix the salt. this way, I can keep water mixed if I need it.
again, no clue. When I first started, I never heard of anyone doing that, then a few years ago and esp now, everyone says to. Your tank, your choice. I'm just letting mine sit right now because I want to do the water change yet. I started letting it sit because I had a problem with alk and ph (bad bag of salt), so I've been trying to fix the problem. for years, I mixed one gallon at a time, and then added it to the tank, this year I started mixing 10 1 gallons and letting them sit (no ph or airator or heater), then adding them. But mixing it that was is a pain, esp when I'm doing weekly changes right now. So I bought a bucket, much easier, I'm using the airator since I can't shake the bucket to mix the salt. this way, I can keep water mixed if I need it.
dmjordan
Active Member
Originally Posted by glowplug
Yeah I have a maxi jet 600 in about 2 gallons of water, so Im thinking after 4 hours I could do a ph test and go for it if the numbers are right? Also I have the powerhead shooting up at an angle creating an off axis fountain ...(sorta!) Is this good for getting oxygen in the water?
Whenever you do a water change you want the new batch of water to match in temp, ph, spec. grav.(salinity) and be well oxygenated (sp?). Your ph might test ok but what about the temp. If the water you add is not the same temp you can stress your fish. I throw a heater, powerhead and an airstone in a tote with 6 gallons of RO water 2 days before my weekly water change. A hobby is something you enjoy doing so why rush it?
Yeah I have a maxi jet 600 in about 2 gallons of water, so Im thinking after 4 hours I could do a ph test and go for it if the numbers are right? Also I have the powerhead shooting up at an angle creating an off axis fountain ...(sorta!) Is this good for getting oxygen in the water?
Whenever you do a water change you want the new batch of water to match in temp, ph, spec. grav.(salinity) and be well oxygenated (sp?). Your ph might test ok but what about the temp. If the water you add is not the same temp you can stress your fish. I throw a heater, powerhead and an airstone in a tote with 6 gallons of RO water 2 days before my weekly water change. A hobby is something you enjoy doing so why rush it?