Anybody mix their salt in a 5 gallon bucket

[heathlindner25]

I use a orange home depot 5 gallon bucket and a maxijet 1200 pump. works great and mixes quickly and cheap. I then use the maxijet to pump the water right into the tank during a water change. 2.5 cups of reef crystals added gives 1.026 salinity. nice and easy.

Just for the record the orange buckets are not food grade, but they do sell white 5 gallon buckets that are

 

[heathlindner25]

I mix the day before and have 2 el cheapo nano korralias in my bucket to aerate and mix, next morning before work I throw in a heater. When I get home its perfectly mixed up and at the right temp. Then I use a maxijet 1200 to pump it into the tank.

Its super simple, and exactly 2 1/2C of RC mixes to exactly 1.025. :thumbsup:

I usually have to put closer to three cups to get 1.026 in a five gallon bucket with reef crystals
1/2 cup per gallon should mix to 1.022

 

[JMorris271]

Is there a limit to the amount of salt that a 5 gallon bucket of water can dissolve ?

 

[heathlindner25]

I have put as much as 5 cups of salt in a five gallon bucket and it has dissolved

 

[JMorris271]

Right now my salt is reading 1.005. I need to get it to the proper 1.025-6. Is there another way to do this beside hit or miss? I haven't figured out how to disclude the gallons displaced by rock making use of the salinity calculator not exactly true.

 

[heathlindner25]

I would just add salt water instead of fresh water for evaporation until you reach the level you want, how did it get so low on you?

 

[CStrickland]

As long as the water is clear, I use it unless I'm changing more that 20%. I'm more careful with larger changes.
I use one of these to mix it http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...powerhead&qid=1452303502&ref_=sr_1_11&sr=8-11
It's one of my DT powerheads. The way it attaches to its clip you can just pull it off and let it hang down into the bucket to mix. You can get them for like $6 on ebay I think.

Just for the record the orange buckets are not food grade, but they do sell white 5 gallon buckets that are

Those food grade labels are just a thing you can buy. The HD buckets not having them doesn't mean there's anything diff about the plastic, just that they didn't pay for the stamp cause they aren't making buckets for food.

It's a common idea that there is something better about "food grade" plastic, or certain recycling codes, but I'm pretty sure its a myth. There certainly are dangerous things in plastic, but I don't think food grade, or the numbers, tell us much about that at all. After all, PVC passes neither test but we use it all the time, and BPA's are common in "food safe" plastic even though they are terrible for you.

 

[thelawnwrangler]

I am going to do my first salt mix Monday I went with Tropic Marine Bio Active- LFS sold it that was carbon dosing said would need to mix it and use it or lose carbon aspect.

I need to read label and research.

going to try and move water with the pump off a HOB filter.

Might have to get something more will see how it goes.

 

[CStrickland]

That stuff is pretty expensive. You can probably step down to a $40 bucket of instant ocean next time. If you get to where you want to carbon dose, there's cheaper ways that allow you more control.

 

[heathlindner25]

I love Tropic Marin, btw

 

[thelawnwrangler]

That stuff is pretty expensive. You can probably step down to a $40 bucket of instant ocean next time. If you get to where you want to carbon dose, there's cheaper ways that allow you more control.

I need to study carbon dosing- my very rough understanding is that it is going to increase bacteria a help lower my nitrates and get kicked into my skimmer

why are how is a black hole need to study.

I am at 20ppm still a month old tank was thinking of working them down, and then probably going Tropic Marin Pro.

I think if I am aggressive I will be doing 20 gallons a month (weekly 15% changes) so I will need to think about pricing but figured salt cost not to be so material.

 

[newbie2014]

I use a orange home depot 5 gallon bucket and a maxijet 1200 pump. works great and mixes quickly and cheap. I then use the maxijet to pump the water right into the tank during a water change. 2.5 cups of reef crystals added gives 1.026 salinity. nice and easy.

Same here.

I use IO, so it's about 2.75 cups for 1.025.

 

[newbie2014]

The problem with this is that there are buffering agents in salts that take time to fully dissolve. Most manufacturers require there salt to mix for 24hrs before adding to the display. When this is not done, the additives in the salt will either precipitate out or not fully establish. I do not know the ins and outs of the chemistry behind this but I have had a much easier time keeping parameters stable once I started doing this.

Didn't know that. I just let the MJ1200 pump work its magic for 45-60min. Water clears up, and it gets pumped into the tank.

 

[heathlindner25]

As long as the water is clear, I use it unless I'm changing more that 20%. I'm more careful with larger changes.
I use one of these to mix it http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...powerhead&qid=1452303502&ref_=sr_1_11&sr=8-11
It's one of my DT powerheads. The way it attaches to its clip you can just pull it off and let it hang down into the bucket to mix. You can get them for like $6 on ebay I think.



Those food grade labels are just a thing you can buy. The HD buckets not having them doesn't mean there's anything diff about the plastic, just that they didn't pay for the stamp cause they aren't making buckets for food.

It's a common idea that there is something better about "food grade" plastic, or certain recycling codes, but I'm pretty sure its a myth. There certainly are dangerous things in plastic, but I don't think food grade, or the numbers, tell us much about that at all. After all, PVC passes neither test but we use it all the time, and BPA's are common in "food safe" plastic even though they are terrible for you.

Maybe..... but for my peace of mind I will still use a brute trash can that is" food grade", and 5 gallon buckets that are the same.

 

[heathlindner25]

Didn't know that. I just let the MJ1200 pump work its magic for 45-60min. Water clears up, and it gets pumped into the tank.

Some salts can be used 15 minutes after mixing, I would just make sure and mix for the minimum time on the directions

 

[leviburns89]

Ok so here is my take on mixing and water changes:

I use 35g Rubbermaid tote, and built a dolly with castor wheels.
Tote - $10 walmart
Dolly - $10 home depot/Craigslist.

That combo is still $15 cheaper than a 30g brute, not including the dolly which costs an additional $15.

Amazon has a deal on 2 powerheads rated for 1400gph for only $15. Best option, bar non.

Also use a cheap heater $13 amazon to heat the bucket while you are at work. By the time you get home, the water should be up to temp.

Right before you go to bed, add the recommended salt amount, and let it churn at temp, overnight.

By the time you wake up, everything should be ready to go. Do a test to make sure your salinity is in check, but you can easily do a 35g wc in 15 minutes, first thing in the morning.

I hate brute containers, they are very top heavy, and I have to roll my across a lip, which would surely tip a tall container. But the long and wide body of the Rubbermaid balances perfectly.

 

[JMorris271]

I would just add salt water instead of fresh water for evaporation until you reach the level you want, how did it get so low on you?

I did a 35% water change to lower nitrates to close out the cycle.

 

[Shawn O]

I use a team rio pump in 5 gallon bucket or a 10 gallon tank, depending on the size of water change. Let it mix for a couple of hours, until its clear, then siphon into the tank above a powerhead. It usually ends up being a few degrees warmer then the tank temp of 79f.

 

[garyinco]

I find a cheap digital scale to be invaluable around the house. Around 700 grams for the salt I use gets me where I want to be. That's in a five gallon bucket. No guesswork and pretty consistent.

 

[kmbyrnes]

+2 in 5 gal bucket and MJ1200.
Those were the good old days when all I had was a 12g nano.