Red Sea Blue Bucket mixing instructions? (Crazy)

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

Hmmmm..... thought I was a reasonably smart person but...

Are there no instructions anywhere for Red Sea Blue bucket salt that tells me units of salt to add to units of water!?? At one point Red Sea dock says to consult the chart, but the chart just shows what they recommend your various water parameters are (salinity etc.). Online calculators. Red Sea care recipes. Etc.

This is nuts.

Online searches say 1/2 cup per gallon RODI water.

Ok... but really- buy an expensive bucket of salt, and there's nothing that tells me how to mix it?

I watched an entire Red Sea video on temperature of the water for mixing, how long to mix, etc. Tips and tricks.

BUT I CAN FIND NOTHING THAT SAYS HOW MUCH SALT TO ADD TO HOW MUCH WATER? What the?

Is it right in front of my face somewhere here and I'm just not seeing it? That font on the bucket is awfully small for my old eyes, but I've read the label- didn't see it. How did folks come up with 1/2 cup per gallon? And is that right?

I sorta feel like this is my first real test and I'm failing.... ;Stop

ROFL

Reef. · Jul 26, 2020

38.2g per litre.

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

@Reef. where does it say that? Just trying to understand... I see that in a chart for SPS dominant, but that's not what I'm shooting for... other charts don't say.

TruckerTami · Jul 26, 2020

I mix a little under 2.5 cups per 5 gallons and then test it.

Reef. · Jul 26, 2020

Trever said:
@Reef. where does it say that? Just trying to understand...

it doesn’t, I agree the tub is not great for instructions, I found the figure online, and it gives 35ppm, the Red Sea site does have slightly better info on mixing but again not great.

Reef. · Jul 26, 2020

As for sps dominated etc, I would ignore that, sea water is near enough agreed to be 35ppm, I’ve not seen any science to warrant going for a different figure.

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

@Reef. I was a chem major in college... but that was a long time ago. So are you implying if I went back and reviewed chemistry, the parts per million- 35ppm- that tells me what I need to know? Doesn't that get complicated- too complicated to come up with simple cups per gallon guideline (how the salt dissolves, different ions etc.- some chemical equilibrium reaction equation)? This is makin' me feel dumb... Guess I need to review my college chemistry. But surely this is crazy for a hobbyist product.... to calculate from some parts per million figure to cups per gallon. Anyways... learning curve double black diamonds here I guess.

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

@Reef. I guess you're talking about/explaining the chart where it does say grams per liter.

jassimps · Jul 26, 2020

4x(746 grams) per 20 gallons is the amount that I use then heat to 78ish

Reef. · Jul 26, 2020

Trever said:
@Reef. I guess you're talking about/explaining the chart where it does say grams per liter.

1.026sp or 35ppm, yes I think I’ve seen the chart you are referring too from Red Sea, I would just aim for the 1.026sp figure, which 38.2g per litre gives you, sorry I’m in the UK I can not get my head around the USA cups system, easy enough to convert though.

PeterLL · Jul 26, 2020

Do we have different Red Sea blue buckets??

Reef. · Jul 26, 2020

PeterLL said:
Do we have different Red Sea blue buckets??

yes.

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

@PeterLL I think we do! But going to go double check.

esther · Jul 26, 2020

Here's what I did the first time I filled my 32g Brute can. I filled the can with RODI while heating it (also have two pumps in for circulation). Once it was full and heated to 79º, I added some scoops of salt. Waited a little bit and then tested salinity & dKH. Then I added more, waited & tested. I did this until I arrived at my perfect salinity and dKH. I documented it as I went along and now I just add my desired salt to the can and it works flawlessly every time.

Trever · Jul 26, 2020

Also.... I'd really like to measure the salt by volume rather than weight since I have no scale for such a purpose... given the consistency of the salt, seems like that should be ok.