Pre-Mixing High Salinity Salt Water, has anyone done this

[terraincognita]

I'm contemplating mixing a sealed 20G container to say 78PPM, I would have this mixed for 48 hours, and then stored at that range in an air tight sealed container.

Then when I need saltwater, Technically I should be able to take out say 2.5Gallons and add 2.5Gallons of RODI, mix for an hour or so and have 35PPM or adjustable as needed Saltwater ready to go, thereby saving space more or less.

Has anyone done something like this? and any issues or problems with doing this?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I think you will get really wacky numbers doing this due to precipitation...

 

[xxkenny90xx]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Biglew11]

Problems with mixing that high will be that the elements calcium, alkalinity and magnesium will also be extremely high and will precipitate out of solution

 

[terraincognita]

Problems with mixing that high will be that the elements calcium, alkalinity and magnesium will also be extremely high and will precipitate out of solution

Do you think then maybe by using a sterile RODI Spray bottle to rinse off the lid and precipitation back into the mix?

I mean this would be then basically 40G of water, doing 5G water changes weekly would result in 2 months of supply. Do you think in 2 months it would really have that big of an effect?

Additionally when I got halfway through it, I would then just add 10G of freshwater and balance it out. so really it would just be like this for 1 month, and then to 35PPT and then stored for another month like this.

Do you think just by having the numbers so high would make it precipitate faster? otherwise technically storing it at 35PPT or 78PPT wouldn't matter if that wasn't the case.

It's also in a "vacuum" sealed container, so the precipation will be greatly, greatly reduced.

 

[Biglew11]

No, the Crystal's around the top will be salt creep. Your elements will form into hard crystals that can not be re-dissolved into solution.

 

[terraincognita]

No, the Crystal's around the top will be salt creep. Your elements will form into hard crystals that can not be re-dissolved into solution.

Gotcha, You mean just because of the high levels it gets to it will be doing that regardless to obtain some type of balance? or just the duration mixed with the high levels?

For the sake of saving space would any higher level say 45 or 55PPT be the same effect??

additionally regarding the levels vs length of storage at 35ppt vs higher levels etc if anyone knows about that.

 

[Biglew11]

Think of the calcium scale deposits on heaters and stuff. It wont dissolve back into the water.

 

[Brandon3152134]

When you mix it your going to notice it doesnt completely dissolve or if it does then it's going to be pretty cloudy. Sounds like a great waste of salt imo

 

[cshouston]

Gotcha, You mean just because of the high levels it gets to it will be doing that regardless to obtain some type of balance? or just the duration mixed with the high levels?

For the sake of saving space would any higher level say 45 or 55PPT be the same effect??

additionally regarding the levels vs length of storage at 35ppt vs higher levels etc if anyone knows about that.

Most salt mixes advise not making concentrated mixes because of precipitation that will not redissolve.

there are no loopholes. Just don’t do it.

 

[terraincognita]

Think of the calcium scale deposits on heaters and stuff. It wont dissolve back into the water.

gotcha.

 

[Hugh Mann]

For storing regular 1.025sg water, I've heard it's fine to do so for weeks at least. Over months I was told the minerals can precipitate out, but if you're doing a month to month basis, shouldn't be a problem.

Myself, I have a big rubbermaid with 30 gallons, heater and powerhead. Manually top it off to adjust the SG. Take a bucket out, put a bucket back in.

 

[terraincognita]

For storing regular 1.025sg water, I've heard it's fine to do so for weeks at least. Over months I was told the minerals can precipitate out, but if you're doing a month to month basis, shouldn't be a problem.

Myself, I have a big rubbermaid with 30 gallons, heater and powerhead. Manually top it off to adjust the SG. Take a bucket out, put a bucket back in.

Yeah reading more about what causes precipitation exactly it isn't just evaporation, I thought it was mainly due to evaporation but didn't realize that by just mixing it to such high levels with High PH and other factors now in the water how it reacts with the water and then will automatically precipiate basically at a much higher rate thus reducing my needed elements for a good tank. so yeah, bad idea. Probably could work in some capicity but ultimately I'd be reducing my quality of my water which is just stupid.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Interesting idea, but I have the same concern as others- the manufacturer provided mixing instruction for a reason. I too worry mixing salt higher/lower than the recommended range may cause some unintended chemical change to the salt mix.

 

[Biglew11]

Interesting idea, but I have the same concern as others- the manufacturer provided mixing instruction for a reason. I too worry mixing salt higher/lower than the recommended range may cause some unintended chemical change to the salt mix.

no issues mixing at a much lower levels, people keep brackish water tanks.

 

[Coralsdaily]

no issues mixing at a much lower levels, people keep brackish water tanks.

True, why didn't I think of that. But you think there is risk mixing at higher level?

 

[92Miata]

I have done this accidentally by using cups instead of half-cups when mixing salt. When I diluted it down to normal levels of salinity, it was about 5dk (I didn't bother to test anything else) - and this is RC - which is normally about 12-13 dkH.

This was at roughly 1.052.

(as an aside - it mixed just fine - maybe a little slow - but didn't stay cloudy or anything like that)

 

[terraincognita]

I think the main problem with mixing it to a high levels is longer term effects.

While maybe for 1 hour or 2 hours it's not going to be a big deal, for a month or so, the high levels of Calcium and Magnesium and other miinerals in the water will naturally try to be binding and doing other chemical reactions rather than staying stasis in the water, these terms are probably not the exact scientific terms to use, just my laymens understanding of reading many long articles last night.

Stopping any evaporation would help slightly, but the high levels on their own would cause this to happen just due to the levels of minerals found in the water and what they do after being introduced to H2O.

I'm sure someone could find safe levels and ways to do this potentially, but I'm not the one to dedicate my thousands of dollars to science.

 

[92Miata]

I think the main problem with mixing it to a high levels is longer term effects.

While maybe for 1 hour or 2 hours it's not going to be a big deal, for a month or so, the high levels of Calcium and Magnesium and other miinerals in the water will naturally try to be binding and doing other chemical reactions rather than staying stasis in the water, these terms are probably not the exact scientific terms to use, just my laymens understanding of reading many long articles last night.

Stopping any evaporation would help slightly, but the high levels on their own would cause this to happen just due to the levels of minerals found in the water and what they do after being introduced to H2O.

I'm sure someone could find safe levels and ways to do this potentially, but I'm not the one to dedicate my thousands of dollars to science.

My issue was about 10 hours - mixed at night - checked salinity in the morning. Already had precipitated out 60%+ of the alkalinity in the salt.


Dry salt is the best way to store concentrated salt water.

 

[melanotaenia]

This sounds like a horrible idea.