How long? A; long as it takes, but agitation helps it go faster. Hand stirring is right out, when you go 5 g and above. Use a mixing pump---an ordinary submersible pump dropped into the container. I've used a Mag 5 in a 32 gallon Brute trashcan. If you can keep the water IN the container, that's an ok pump to use. When the water is clear and there's no residue in bottom, it's good to go.
IN AN emergency: if you don't have ro/di, use Prime to dechlorinate tapwater and use the strongest pump you've got: a paint stirrer on a power drill is not out of the question. Again, when it's really clear, it's good to go.
What to watch: undissolved salt crystals can burn fishy gills and coral tissues. Once everything is dissolved, the water is clear.
Temperature is somewhat important, but if you're using it as an addition, it's going to be mixed with so much other water, the temperature is far less important. If you're going to transfer a fish INTO a much colder temperature, best bag the fish and float him for 15 minutes, which will ease the transition. If you are using Primed or Amquelled tapwater, it IS ok to inject some hot water from the tap, if it's ice cold.
In any instance, if you think about it, breathing is massively important, and if the water the fish is in is depleted of oxygen, new water is better.
NEVER get caught without enough salt in the house to replace at least a third of your current system, and without something to mix water in and a pump to do that.
IN AN emergency: if you don't have ro/di, use Prime to dechlorinate tapwater and use the strongest pump you've got: a paint stirrer on a power drill is not out of the question. Again, when it's really clear, it's good to go.
What to watch: undissolved salt crystals can burn fishy gills and coral tissues. Once everything is dissolved, the water is clear.
Temperature is somewhat important, but if you're using it as an addition, it's going to be mixed with so much other water, the temperature is far less important. If you're going to transfer a fish INTO a much colder temperature, best bag the fish and float him for 15 minutes, which will ease the transition. If you are using Primed or Amquelled tapwater, it IS ok to inject some hot water from the tap, if it's ice cold.
In any instance, if you think about it, breathing is massively important, and if the water the fish is in is depleted of oxygen, new water is better.
NEVER get caught without enough salt in the house to replace at least a third of your current system, and without something to mix water in and a pump to do that.
