Mixing station's

[@rmyvet]

Hello guys I'm back again asking questions. This is my go to when I'm really stuck and I'm going crazy here thinking too much. Anyway I got almost everything I'm almost ready to start my tank now I have two 58 gallon barrels and my RODI 6 stage I fill one with fresh RODI water and the other one is filled as well but I haven't added the salt yet.

1) My question is this when I mix the saltwater barrel and fill up my 90 gallon tank and the sump do i fill the barrel with saltwater again and just let it mix till I need it again or do I just empty the barrel clean it and just wait for the water change.

I will always have freshwater in the other barrel so when I need to mix saltwater I have it on hand so I don't have to wait for the RODI machine to make freshwater.

2) Another question when i do water changes its with SW and when i top off its with FW am i correct?

3) One more question if I do have both barrels filled one with SW and the other with FW do i use powerheads for both and do i leave the powerheads on all night and all day or do i use a timer to mix so many hours. Also do i use a heater on both or just the SW.

These are the things that go through my head over and over that's why it's taking so long for me to start I want to make sure everything is done right. Thanks all for your feedback. @rmyvet.

 

[first29gallon]

Hello guys I'm back again asking questions. This is my go to when I'm really stuck and I'm going crazy here thinking too much. Anyway I got almost everything I'm almost ready to start my tank now I have two 58 gallon barrels and my RODI 6 stage I fill one with fresh RODI water and the other one is filled as well but I haven't added the salt yet.



1) My question is this when I mix the saltwater barrel and fill up my 90 gallon tank and the sump do i fill the barrel with saltwater again and just let it mix till I need it again or do I just empty the barrel clean it and just wait for the water change.



I will always have freshwater in the other barrel so when I need to mix saltwater I have it on hand so I don't have to wait for the RODI machine to make freshwater.



2) Another question when i do water changes its with SW and when i top off its with FW am i correct?



3) One more question if I do have both barrels filled one with SW and the other with FW do i use powerheads for both and do i leave the powerheads on all night and all day or do i use a timer to mix so many hours. Also do i use a heater on both or just the SW.



These are the things that go through my head over and over that's why it's taking so long for me to start I want to make sure everything is done right. Thanks all for your feedback. @rmyvet.

1) you can mix the salt water right before you need to do a water change. Give it a few hours to heat up and the salt to mix. I start making my salt water the night before. (Just starting a batch now)

2) use SW for water change and FW for top off. You are correct.

3) if you make SW it has to be constantly mixed, which is why I only make it the night before, same with heater. FW does not need to be mixed constantly and you never really need a power head in FW.


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[ramseynb]

1. It's up to you. I personally don't like to store saltwater for very long so I mix it the same day or a day before I need it. You'll find others that keep some mixed up for weeks. I've done it as well with no real ill-effects, I just mainly worry about precipitation of elements as I've seen calcium build up on pumps/heaters/etc when I've left it for weeks.

2. You are correct.

3. It's up to you. I don't heat or circulate my RO water and don't heat or circulate my water change water if I'm storing it longer term. I change about 5G in my tank a week and made up about 10G yesterday so I do have some sitting at the moment. I have the circulation pumps and heaters turned off. Before my next water change, I'll turn them both back on and let it heat back up and circulate a good bit before doing my WC.

 

[ramseynb]

3) if you make SW it has to be constantly mixed, which is why I only make it the night before, same with heater. FW does not need to be mixed constantly and you never really need a power head in FW.

Why is that? I leave it sitting and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Just curious.

 

[first29gallon]

Why is that? I leave it sitting and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Just curious.

I'm sure there are no ill effects but I feel that if it's just sitting there it will not be as fresh


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[ramseynb]

I'm sure there are no ill effects but I feel that if it's just sitting there it will not be as fresh


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Ah ok. I keep it covered with a lid inside. I just feel like there's no point in keeping a heater and pumps going for a week straight. I should probably get a timer on the pumps and have them stir it a few times a day though.

 

[thegrun]

It depends on your salt mix as to if it can be stored for a long time or should be used soon after mixing. Salt mixes without organics can be stored indefinitely without heat, aeration or a power head for mixing it. I use Instant Ocean salt and I mix up over a months worth of saltwater at a time and store it without issue. Some other salts contain organics like amino acids and it is recommended to use those salts within a few hours of mixing it.
Use saltwater for water changes, fresh water to top off the tank due to evaporation loss.
Your RO/DI freshwater does not need to be stirred or heated.

 

[@rmyvet]

1) you can mix the salt water right before you need to do a water change. Give it a few hours to heat up and the salt to mix. I start making my salt water the night before. (Just starting a batch now)

2) use SW for water change and FW for top off. You are correct.

3) if you make SW it has to be constantly mixed, which is why I only make it the night before, same with heater. FW does not need to be mixed constantly and you never really need a power head in FW.


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Thanks for your feedback first29gallon.
It's a good idea to make it the day before for a WC. I had powerhead with SW and FW I didn't know I was going nuts. So I will take out the FW powerheads and as for the SW I'll do it before WC.

Question whats the required or at least a ballpark number of percent of WC I should do weekly or monthly.

Thanks again @rmyvet.

 

[first29gallon]

20% every two weeks is a good ball park, but you can do less if you don't have a high bio load or have an algea reactor running.


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[@rmyvet]

1. It's up to you. I personally don't like to store saltwater for very long so I mix it the same day or a day before I need it. You'll find others that keep some mixed up for weeks. I've done it as well with no real ill-effects, I just mainly worry about precipitation of elements as I've seen calcium build up on pumps/heaters/etc when I've left it for weeks.

2. You are correct.

3. It's up to you. I don't heat or circulate my RO water and don't heat or circulate my water change water if I'm storing it longer term. I change about 5G in my tank a week and made up about 10G yesterday so I do have some sitting at the moment. I have the circulation pumps and heaters turned off. Before my next water change, I'll turn them both back on and let it heat back up and circulate a good bit before doing my WC.

Thanks ramseynb,
I will keep in mind your feedback. I want to be good to go on everything I over think things so much and I never get started.

Question: when I setup everything that I need and the tank has its SW can I buy a piece of LR to get my deadrock all LR. Is that even a thing and when in the process do i put in the sump those poly things . Sorry don't know the exact name of whats that called that's why I'm still a newbie.

Thanks again @rmyvet.

 

[@rmyvet]

It depends on your salt mix as to if it can be stored for a long time or should be used soon after mixing. Salt mixes without organics can be stored indefinitely without heat, aeration or a power head for mixing it. I use Instant Ocean salt and I mix up over a months worth of saltwater at a time and store it without issue. Some other salts contain organics like amino acids and it is recommended to use those salts within a few hours of mixing it.
Use saltwater for water changes, fresh water to top off the tank due to evaporation loss.
Your RO/DI freshwater does not need to be stirred or heated.

Thank you thegrun,
I'm using Reef Crystal from instant ocean. Hopefully with everyone's feedback I can start making SW.

Thanks again @rmyvet.

 

[@rmyvet]

20% every two weeks is a good ball park, but you can do less if you don't have a high bio load or have an algea reactor running.


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Great sounds good. Now that you mention algea reactor I'm going to have to look into that I don't know what it is. First time I hear of it. Thanks again for your feedback.

@rmyvet