Mixing saltwater in a 55 gallon drum

S

Smknnoakland

New member
Hello everyone. I'm pretty new to the hobby. I had my tank up and running a few years ago, but did it totally wrong. From using tap water, to not preheating and mixing saltwater for water changes. Anyways, I've had my tank up and running for 2 1/2 weeks now. It's a 72 gallon bow front. I've got 40 pounds of live sand, roughly 80 pounds of live rock. I've got a coralife 125 super skimmer, and a fluval 405 canister filter. Been testing my water regularly. Water looks real good! I've got 4 chromis and 2 damsels in there now.

On to my question now. I'm mixing/ storing saltwater in a 55 gallon food save brute drum. I've got a powersweep 228 powerhead in there, a heater, and digital thermometer. I'm using instant ocean salt. Anyways, I've got about 35 gallons of ro/di water in there. I put 17 1/2 HALF CUPS of salt in there. Waited a day, and low salinity. I've added 4 more cups, and the salinity is still low. There should be plenty of salt in there. I'm just wondering why the salinity is so low. About 1.012. Just wondering why it's so low? Any help would be appreciated... thanks
 
By 17.5 half cups do you mean 8.75 cups or did you mean 17.5 cups? Also, what are you using to measure salinity?
 
I've got a measuring cup, that is a half cup. I put 17.5 of those in. That's a half cup per gallon. I've added 4 more now too. I'm using a refractometer(ATC), and I have a coralife hydrometer.
 
OK so you have a measuring cup that is 1/2 cup. In total you put 21.5 of those in. That salt mixes to 1.025 SG with 1/2 cup per gallon. You put in 21.5 half cups which would take 21.5 gallons of freshwater to 1.025 SG. You need to add 13.5 more half cups to get to 1.025 SG in 35 gallons of fresh water.
 
Got it.. Feel like an idiot now...lol. Thanks for the help and quick response. I'm starting to get brown algae in my tank now, which I've read on here is normal during the cycling. Do you have any tips on getting rid of that? Should I just leave it? I ordered chemi-pure elite, it will be here tomorrow. I saw people saying do a water change. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of cycling and building up bacteria though? Thanks again
 
Algae is perfectly normal in a new tank. I imagine you are at the end of the cycle which would mean you can do a big water change to try to export of of the nitrates that had built up during the cycle. Water changes will not remove bacteria. They live in the rock and sand. Very, very little bacteria live in the water column relative to the other surfaces. More flow will help stem the growth of algae in the future, as will regular water changes. The goal is to keep nutrient levels down so you should identify all nutrient inputs and regulate them (generally fish food and fish waste). It is important to note that you will have to clean that canister filter regularly, as in weekly or more, to keep it from trapping all kinds of detritus and contributing to the nutrient problem.

Though if you are just starting it may not have cycled yet in which case you really don't want to do a water change. So:

When did you set this up and what are your current readings for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate?
 
I set it up 2 1/2 weeks ago. I tested the water yesterday. Nitrite, and Nitrate were 0. Ammonia was about .25. One last question about mixing the saltwater. How should the powerhead sit in the container? Just laying on the bottom? Stuck to the side of the container? I have the suction cups stuck to the bottom of the container, so the powerhead is facing towards the top of the water. I read this helps aerate.
 
the algae is all part of it. every new tank gets it. also, you're moving a little too fast. your tank is not yet cycled so you should not have any livestock in it.
 
If you have a 55 gallon drum, fill it with ~40 gallons of water and put in a whole 50 gallon bag of IO. Mix for 24 hours and check salinity then add more water if necessary. No need to count cups or 1/2 cups of salt.
 
I use a 55g barrel and (usually) IO. It takes 1 50g bag + 2 x 12oz jif jars full to = 1.025

Keep adding slowly until you get it there.

Also - with Ammonia at .25 your tank is not only just begun to cycle, it is toxic to the livestock. They need to be removed - return the to the LFS. If they are a reputable store, they will take them back from you without issue, especially if you explain your mistake and desire to do it right.

Use good test kits to test your water every few days. (NO test strips!) Once Ammonia and Nitrite are both at 0, you will begin to see Nitrate. That will be the signal that your tank is ready for a couple fish.

Also - you may want to do a little research on skimmers - the one you have doesn't get the best reviews. Look for something rated for at least 2x the water volume.

Is your tank drilled for a sump? Unless you are planning a FOWLR or just a couple easy corals such as mushrooms, zoanthids, and softies, the canister filter will end up being way more trouble than it's worth. I had the same one on my 60g cube for ~22 years - I didn't realize who much it was holding me back until I upgraded last summer. It can be used for a carbon filter, but there are better options for that also.

hth
 
Thanks for all the tips. I talked to 3 different LFS, and they all said it was fine to have damsels and chromis in there now to help cycle. My wife's brother said the same thing, he's been doing this for a long time. As far as the canister filter, I'm planning on having fish only for awhile, till I feel confident enough to get corals. I've read the same thing about my skimmer, but it seems to be working pretty good. Pulling lots of dark skimmate out. Probably getting a 1 1/2 " or more every 3 days. Just tested my water again, and still the same readings.
 
Just added 2 bags of chemi pure elite, to help with algae. Is there a right direction to point the powerhead when mixing salt in a container?
 
Patience is key in this hobby and i would recommend running GFO if you can, it will help with the algae too. Good luck and you are on the right track.
 
Smknnoakland said:
Thanks for all the tips. I talked to 3 different LFS, and they all said it was fine to have damsels and chromis in there now to help cycle. My wife's brother said the same thing, he's been doing this for a long time. As far as the canister filter, I'm planning on having fish only for awhile, till I feel confident enough to get corals. I've read the same thing about my skimmer, but it seems to be working pretty good. Pulling lots of dark skimmate out. Probably getting a 1 1/2 " or more every 3 days. Just tested my water again, and still the same readings.
Click to expand...
All these LFS and your friends apparently don't like fish very much. With ammonia present your fish are being tortured. You should really get them out.
Also, I would strongly suggest you listen to advice being given here - your skimmer is junk and you should also ditch your canister filter. You got good advice, but you're not listening.
 
acabgd said:
All these LFS and your friends apparently don't like fish very much. With ammonia present your fish are being tortured. You should really get them out.
Also, I would strongly suggest you listen to advice being given here - your skimmer is junk and you should also ditch your canister filter. You got good advice, but you're not listening.
Click to expand...

+2 OP you are still doing it wrong. you need to test your parameters and when the cycle is done then put animals in...... CUC helps alot.

At least you are in the new to hobby section :fish1:
 
As others have said, you should remove the fish until your cycle is compete. It is not fair or humane to leave them in the tank with the ammonia in the tank.
 
I removed the fish about a week ago. My water is looking good. In about 4 days it will have been a month my tank has been cycling. The brown algae is starting too go away! How long til I can add fish?
 
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