How do you mix your water

[JMcGarva]

How do you guys mix your water? I bought a paint stirrer bit and put it on my Corded drill. I mix it in a 55 gal drum. But, I get a lot of splash and it gets into the drill and I'm tired of getting zapped. Im looking for a new drill currently but I was also thinking of better ideas..

I have a small pump that I use to keep the water circulated but its not enough to mix it from scratch.

Thanks

 

[\Clownfish/]

Powerhead, heater and 5 gallon buckets.

 

[top shelf]

^^^^^ +1 to this, except instead of a powerhead I use my old sicce multi quite 1800 pump. Mix 1/2 cup at a time of salt into cold rodi water then throw in a heater for the night.

 

[Mythicalelf]

Power head 15 gallon tub

 

[smedlin]

Reef Central Thread on Salt Water Mixing Stations

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[hobbzz]

Mag12 and 50 gallon drum. But for smaller tanks an old powerhead like koralia, sicce, aqueon, or maxijet with mod kit and container. More gph the better.

 

[disc1]

I use an old maxijet as a mixing pump and I have a length of hose on it for delivering water to the tank. With the hose on there, I can sort of direct the flow around the bottom of the barrel to get the salt all blown around and dissolved.

 

[CStrickland]

Idk how many watts my heater is, but I just put the salt and water in a 5g and plug in the heater and an old nano power head. It's rtg in a couple hours.

Can I ask why you are mixing 55 at a time for a 65g tank? Seems like you could make things less dramatic by just doing smaller batches. Your little ph might be able to manage it that way?

Ps I think if you use the new drill for this you will be looking for another new drill pretty soon

 

[homer1475]

5 gallon bucket, a korralia 425, and a small heater. Usually ready to go in a couple hours, unless I don't have the RO/DI ready, then it takes a good day.

I typically get my RO/DI water ready the day before I do a water change, then add the salt, power head, and heater in the morning. BY late afternoon(usually after I've worked all day) its ready to go in my tank.

 

[kmbyrnes]

Mag 7 in a 32g Brute

 

[Goldndoodle]

Triton 5 pump, 32 gallon Brute can, 200W heater

The Triton 5 actually has enough oomph to get the mixed water out of the barrel in my basement, up the stairs and into my tank when I do water changes. Much easier way to get 25 gallons of water out of the basement and into the tank!

As was mentioned above, it's best to mix the salt slowly with room temp RODI. I usually add about a cup every 20 minutes to 30 gallons of water, with the Triton 5 running. Once all the salt is in the barrel with the water, I let the pump run for several hours before turning on the heater and letting it come up to temp overnight.

As a side note about Brute barrels - only use the grey, white or yellow Brute cans for mixing salt water - they are rated for food handling. The black, blue, red & green cans are only rated for refuse.

Lowes sells the grey barrels and the wheels that can be attached to the bottom.

 

[kegogut]

I use an MJ1200 in a 55g drum. When Im ready to do my WC I stick a hose on it and run it to my tank. I stick the end of the hose in my filter sock and change it when I'm done with the WC.

 

[design1stcode2n]

I have a 20g trash can with an eheim pump (I should have gotten a stronger pump as it takes a good day to mix in the salt). I had heaters but they are in use on my two tubs for TTM. I like a pump because I can just connect a hose and transfer it to a 5gal bucket for a water change (or if you have a strong enough pump and long enough hose you can just go to your tank or sump)..

 

[Dundermifflin]

I use two MJ1200's in my 55 gallon drum. One MJ1200 running 24/7 to mix the salt. The other is used to pump the water to my sump. I cut open a flap about 8"x8" and put a hinge on it for easy access. I have two MJ1200's in there along with a heater and digital thermometer.

 

[kegogut]

I dont heat my water until about an hour or so before Im going to do the WC,otherwise Ive always got saltwater mixing and ready to go 24/7

 

[hbrochs]

Mix saltwater

Mix saltwater

5 Gallon bucket, heater, powerhead

 

[Roccus]

sumps in the basement... 35 gallon trash can ( with lid.. and fed by my R/O unit) 350 GPH power head 15- W heater... 650 GPH pump to pump into the sump next to it( through a filter sock).. and let the return pump fill the DT tank...I draw 5 g. per change from the 35 mix station for the 20 G sea horse tank up stairs..

 

[smedlin]

45g brute for RO/DI water. Transfer it to the 45g brute for salt mixing.

A big pump sucks the water out of the bottom of the can, throws is (very forcefully) into the top of the can, mixing it up.

I have a big hose that I can redirect the water into. The hose will reach into the house and to my tank.

I'd really like to plump it to have the water go up into the attic, across maybe 30 feet, then down to my tank. That would be good.

.

Like others have said, ditch the drill. Or.. actually, since it's already broken (from getting water in it).. instead of spending the money to replace the drill, get a powehead that will circulate it for you.

Look for a used one.

My RO/DI, booster pump, and big blue circulating pump where all used. I spent less $300 on the entire project, maybe around $250... and $100 of that was for the two cans.

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