Need advice on mixing salt.

[ewurm]

Whats going in the tank Ewurm?

I thought you said "what's going on in the tank"

As far as that goes, nothing.

I plan on putting in clownfish, and hopefully later a lionfish which will sting me and produce a cool scar.

 

[Justin_James]

I am using Instant Ocean, thanks for the tip.

Well then whats the big problem. Just stir it up and pour it in.

 

[ewurm]

Well then whats the big problem. Just stir it up and pour it in.

I thought it had to be at temperature, I guess I am a SW idiot. When I do a water change, that's what I'll do.

 

[dr_sudz]

I have been told not to add water to the salt, but salt to the water. Reason being it messes the chemistry of the water up. not sure how but just a warning. When doing a new sw tank you can add the water in then add salt afterwards. 1.019 is good if your doing fish because it helps keep the parasites off the fish.

 

[ewurm]

I am going to go to 1.022, then add Caribsea Aragonite. Next, live rock. After a week I will add inverts, then a damsel to test the water. If everything goes well, I will add Ocellaris Clowns.

 

[Justin_James]

I thought it had to be at temperature, I guess I am a SW idiot. When I do a water change, that's what I'll do.

Well I wouldn't say your an idiot. Nobody knows everything right away. For regular water changes your water is perfectly fine at room temp. I have great tap water and I just add the salt to my bucket, adjust my water temp to warm by touch, place the bucket under the tap, stir with a wooden dowl for a minute or two, test the salinity with my refractometer, and then just pour it in the tank. I have a few tanks with inhabitants ranging from bamboo sharks, eels, lionfish, to clownfish, and green manderins. I have been doing my tanks water changes like this for years now and never had a problem yet.

I keep all my tanks at 1.025.

 

[Justin_James]

I have been told not to add water to the salt, but salt to the water. Reason being it messes the chemistry of the water up. not sure how but just a warning. When doing a new sw tank you can add the water in then add salt afterwards. 1.019 is good if your doing fish because it helps keep the parasites off the fish.

The whole "salt to the water and not water to the salt" thing is completley not true. I'm sure you were told this and when looking for info it's hard not to take information from more experienced sources to be the truth but being misinformed is very common in this hobby.

 

[ewurm]

Well I wouldn't say your an idiot. Nobody knows everything right away. For regular water changes your water is perfectly fine at room temp. I have great tap water and I just add the salt to my bucket, adjust my water temp to warm by touch, place the bucket under the tap, stir with a wooden dowl for a minute or two, test the salinity with my refractometer, and then just pour it in the tank. I have a few tanks with inhabitants ranging from bamboo sharks, eels, lionfish, to clownfish, and green manderins. I have been doing my tanks water changes like this for years now and never had a problem yet.

My water is hard, 120 ppm gH. I am using RO, in containers of 7 gal, which don't allow for mixing. My room temp is 70, which is what my RO water is at. I thought the salt wouldn't dissolve well at that temp. If you think it's ok, I will mix in a bucket. If you think it's too cold, I will get a heater, then mix in the bucket.

Also, what temp do you keep your tank at? And what specific gravity?

 

[RuXPiN]

ewurm, what the heck are you doin', we dont know jack about salt water fish in minnesota, where you gonna go collecting at, the zoo?

 

[ewurm]

That's a good idea! Think they would notice? I have to do this to prove to my self that I can keep anything alive in water. My Chinchilla is so pissed about living in a 10 gal planted. LOL