When/How do you add new water to your existing salt water?

[Andy Wenzel]

Using 2 65 gallon containers for my mixing station, 1 RODI, 1 Salt Mix. I'm curious when do you add new RO/DI and salt to the existing salt mix container, and how do you keep track of how much water is added so you know how much salt to add?
I keep thinking it would be so much easier to have a 3rd container.

 

[Pistondog]

Using 2 65 gallon containers for my mixing station, 1 RODI, 1 Salt Mix. I'm curious when do you add new RO/DI and salt to the existing salt mix container, and how do you keep track of how much water is added so you know how much salt to add?
I keep thinking it would be so much easier to have a 3rd container.

Many of us use a brute trash can. Fill with rodi, turn on heater and mixer. Add some salt. Wait 15 minutes measure salinity. Add some salt wait 15 minutes...
You get the idea. Some do batch operations and weigh salt. I never make exactly the same and salinity check is always required anyway.

 

[DC Reefer]

I usually make salt water when my mixing container is close to empty. I know about how many scoops of salt it takes to get my desired salinity. I fill with RODI, heat, add salt and mix and then check salinity. Dial in the salinity by adding additional salt or RODI water until I get desired salinity.

 

[Andy Wenzel]

Many of us use a brute trash can. Fill with rodi, turn on heater and mixer. Add some salt. Wait 15 minutes measure salinity. Add some salt wait 15 minutes...
You get the idea. Some do batch operations and weigh salt. I never make exactly the same and salinity check is always required anyway.

Maybe I'm just trying to be too scientific. Add 40 gallons, add 'x' grams of salt.

 

[Pistondog]

Maybe I'm just trying to be too scientific. Add 40 gallons, add 'x' grams of salt.

You should check salinity to be sure, anyway.
Someone else might chime in that no salinity check is OK, but I've never done it.

 

[Andy Wenzel]

You should check salinity to be sure, anyway.
Someone else might chime in that no salinity check is OK, but I've never done it.

Yea, I'm sure I'll be checking. Was thinking of a more scientific way of knowing exactly how many gallons I added to determine the weight of salt needed. But I think everyone is right, I'll be adding/checking anyhow.

 

[atomos]

As everyone mentioned, I'll add my powerhead and heater in the container. then add my measured out RODI.....then add salt mix. I like to leverage Hamza's calculators for how much salt mix to add....I've been pretty fortunate the target SG I'm looking for is never +2 from the mark

 

[dwest]

One bag of IO to 44 gallons of RODI is my formula. When my 105 gallon container gets down to the “line“, I add the salt and water, circulate for 5-10 minutes and done. I often don’t even check the salinity of the new batch

 

[Pistondog]

Yea, I'm sure I'll be checking. Was thinking of a more scientific way of knowing exactly how many gallons I added to determine the weight of salt needed. But I think everyone is right, I'll be adding/checking anyhow.

You could totally empty the mixing tank each time and fill to a known mark 50 or 60 gallons, then add measured salt.

 

[Gedxin]

As soon as I get to about a gallon or two left in my brute, I just dump a bunch of RODI in and then pour in the salt/mix/test, rinse and repeat.

Right now though I'm noticing a lot of algae on the bottom of my saltwater brute. Debating on if it's worth emptying and cleaning it all out before I refill. Anyone clean their brutes regularly?

 

[Pistondog]

As soon as I get to about a gallon or two left in my brute, I just dump a bunch of RODI in and then pour in the salt/mix/test, rinse and repeat.

Right now though I'm noticing a lot of algae on the bottom of my saltwater brute. Debating on if it's worth emptying and cleaning it all out before I refill. Anyone clean their brutes regularly?

Get a lid to reduce light and evaporation.

 

[WVNed]

Practice. I make water in a 100 gallon stock tank. I add an unknown amount of water to fill it to the same level every time. Then I add salt with an old 4 cup plastic cooking measure that doesnt have the marks on it anymore. Depending on how low it got I know I have to add 7-8 scoops to the stock tank. Then I turn on the pumps and heater and come back in 2 hours. Quite often I get it exactly right the first time.
I am doing small daily AWC on a large system. If it isn't exactly right but close it doesn't even matter. I can fix it later.

 

[mrlavalamp]

Im in the camp of making saltwater only when I need it. Some folks keep their tanks full and ready at all times.

If your containers are transparent enough to see the levels inside, you can use a measuring cup, pitchers or buckets and essentially "graduate" the side of your container at whatever intervals you like. Then you will be able to see your current volume and then final volume to figure out the gallons added.

If they aren't see through, you could always use a piece of PVC as a "dip stick".

 

[Rick Mathew]

Good question...I work to make my salt mixing as quick and easy as possible. I do auto continuous water changes direct from my salt mix tank. (Tank on the right see below) So this is my procedure to minimize the effort and it has worked well for me for quite a while. I "calibrated" my salt mix tank and marked the level of every gal. as you can see from the photo below. When it is time to mix more salt water I just look to see how much I have in the salt tank subtract that from 50 and that is how much RODI water I will pump over from the tank on the left...I use the chart below that I produced by mixing my salt in 1 gal of water until I got my desired PPT (35). I then calculated the amounts for the other volumes. So for example if the amount of salt water left in the salt mix tank was 20 gal then I would need to mix up 30 gal. I would weigh out on a scale 2 12gal amounts (1845.6 grams X 2) and one 6 gal amount (922.8 grams) I would add these amounts to the salt tank as the RODI water is being pumped over into the salt mix tank...I let it mix for 2 hours or so then test the salinity...I am usually very close and often do not need to make any adjustments...entire process takes 15-20 min tops

 

[Rmckoy]

Maybe I'm just trying to be too scientific. Add 40 gallons, add 'x' grams of salt.

Always add salt to the water .

I wouldn’t worry about measuring by weight as the volume of water can change enough to not mix to the proper salinity .

 

[Andy Wenzel]

One bag of IO to 44 gallons of RODI is my formula. When my 105 gallon container gets down to the “line“, I add the salt and water, circulate for 5-10 minutes and done. I often don’t even check the salinity of the new batch

Ahh.. I like the idea of a line. Makes sense

 

[Andy Wenzel]

Good question...I work to make my salt mixing as quick and easy as possible. I do auto continuous water changes direct from my salt mix tank. (Tank on the right see below) So this is my procedure to minimize the effort and it has worked well for me for quite a while. I "calibrated" my salt mix tank and marked the level of every gal. as you can see from the photo below. When it is time to mix more salt water I just look to see how much I have in the salt tank subtract that from 50 and that is how much RODI water I will pump over from the tank on the left...I use the chart below that I produced by mixing my salt in 1 gal of water until I got my desired PPT (35). I then calculated the amounts for the other volumes. So for example if the amount of salt water left in the salt mix tank was 20 gal then I would need to mix up 30 gal. I would weigh out on a scale 2 12gal amounts (1845.6 grams X 2) and one 6 gal amount (922.8 grams) I would add these amounts to the salt tank as the RODI water is being pumped over into the salt mix tank...I let it mix for 2 hours or so then test the salinity...I am usually very close and often do not need to make any adjustments...entire process takes 15-20 min tops

Perfect, thank you for the excellent write-up

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I took a Plastic Yardstick, and Filled the Container 5 gallons at a time. Marked the Yardstick with a Paint Marker at these increments. When I use part of the saltwater, I have a pretty good idea on how much RO/DI water to add to the remaining Saltwater. When I initially add my Salt, I add no more than 2/3 at first, 1/2 during the Winter. I gradually add the remaining Salt. The reason I do this is for a better absorption of the Calcium. Winter it’s initially, less due to the new RO/DI Water being colder. I do have a Heater in my Mixing Container, and I use my Danner #2 pump, on the mixing process. It’s the same one I use to pump the change water into the Aquarium. BTW, I have a friend that had a mixing Station like yours. He Flip Flops the RO/DI - Saltwater Barrels. He fills the RO/DI Barrel, when the Saltwater Barrel gets low, he adds Salt to the RO/DI Barrel. When the First Salt Barrel is Empty, that becomes his RO/DI Barrel.

 

[Jib]

Here is a good resource that has some excellent calculators for all things reefing. Including salinity.

Aquarium Calculators

An index of useful aquarium calculators and converters.

www.hamzasreef.com

 

[Rick Mathew]

Perfect, thank you for the excellent write-up

Most welcome...any time