mixing water and salt

[loopy]

If you are mixing water and salt without all the fancy equipment, how do YOU do it? I would like to hear all the different methods.
Thank you

 

[promisetbg]

In a five gallon bucket w/ a powerhead or a small pump with an airstone dropped in for circulation.Aerate for at least 24 hours.If you need more than one bucket...{I have done this in the beginning} you can set up an area with several buckets...split the airline tubing several times to run an airstone into each one.You will still need a PH test kit,and a refractometer or hydrometer...no way around that.
At the LFS I work at,we have the salt water ratio down to a science foe making 5 gallon buckets for customers{using tropic marin salt} for FO tanks we do 1 3/4 coffee cup..for reefs we do 2 1/4 coffee cup...now that is basic...

 

[joker_ca]

IMO you dont need a air pump if your usina a powerhead, i use 5 gal buckets and heaters then i use the power heads to pump the water into the tank very simple

 

[brian1]

I skip the mixing and buy packaged saltwater. For approx. $10.00 I buy "REAL OCEAN WATER" at local shop. saves lots of hassle.

 

[thomas712]

30 gallon mixing tank,
Add RO/DI water, bring to temp with heater, start mixing salt, bring to 1.025 or 35ppm using refractometer, let sit for 2 or 3 days while it aerates. I use a maxi jet 1200 and use the airline tube to shoot jets of bubbles for the aeration.
I then unplug the heater and use the same MH1200 to pump water to the main after draining whatever amount needed for a change, then replace the same amount after cheching temp, and salinity one more time.
Thomas

 

[loopy]

thanks

 

[rubberduck]

i would rather mix than buy already mixed stuff

 

[promisetbg]

The way I do my water changes now is similar to Thomas'.{I thought the question was how to do it without fancy equipment}
This has been the best method for me...because lugging buckets was a real pain in the.....
I keep a 30 gallon tank just for WC's.It is hooked directly to my RO/DI..and has a manifold of valves...so all I do is open a valve and it fills up.It has a float valve...so if I forget or fall asleep while it is filling,it won't overflow.I have a submersable pump...which aerates,and also in itself heats the water to the proper temp.When I am ready to do the WC..all I do is open a valve...and the water goes right to my tank.

 

[bailey52]

hey promis.. sounds like a really nice hookup.. do you have pics to post

 

[promisetbg]

I will have to resize...hold on.

 

[promisetbg]

whole tank

 

[promisetbg]

Float valve and pump

 

[promisetbg]

Close up of manifold

 

[bailey52]

Wow that looks so sonfusing, ha so all the valves on the top of the tank are FROM the RO unit.. and then at the bottom the pump pumps it into the aquarium?

 

[promisetbg]

It pumps up through that tube...into the manifold...and by turning a valve...it can go either to the sink{to clean it out} or to the tank...empties into the sump.It does look confusing..my BF built it.It took me several tries just to understand how it worked.

 

[loopy]

:notsure: It WAS about how to do it without fancy equipment....lol. Think I'll stick to my method, seems to be working fine...just take the salt shaker and go at it with table salt.
J/K......

 

[chawawa]

i use a 36 gal rubbermade tub fill it up with H2O and throw in a PH and a heater let it mix w/out salt for a day to age the water alitle then add salt and let age another day. i hook a hose to the pump after draining the reef tank to the disered level and fill it again. total time spent doing something is about and hour with changeing filter pads and cleaning pumps and things works good for me.

 

[osufarker]

I have two 35 gallon trash cans. One is for RO top off water. The other I fill with RO water and dump the salt in 35ppt. I leave an airstone running in it all the time. I let it aerate for at least a day before using.
I don't heat my water when I do water changes. I probably should, but my systems have so much volume that the water from the change makes the system change less than half a degree.