Salt mixing : How do you get the same salinity every time?

[ColinAbi]

Great ideas guys, thanks for the tips.

 

[billdogg]

I mix my water in a 55g barrel. It holds ~53g I think. I dump in 1 full bag of IORC + 2 x 12oz jif jars full. That mixes to 1.024-5. I rarely check it anymore. Been doing it so long I already know what it's going to be.

 

[jmm]

Right. If you measure your salt accurately and you measure your water exactly, the salinity will be the same every time. Double check if you're nervous about it, but it works if you're consistent.

Also, I find it dissolves faster in cold water than in warm.

 

[forddna]

I've always used a large Brute can. Fill it up with ro/di then just start scooping salt and adding it. I start with less than I know it'll need, and add small amounts and recheck every 10-15 min with a refractometer. I use a powerhead and heater in it with the powerhead positioned to have the most turbulence at the bottom to be sure no salt is just settling at the bottom.

I've never bothered to actually keep track of how many scoops it took. lol But I might start when I get this new setup going.

 

[ColinAbi]

Yea I have 2 , 32 gallon brute trash cans with a heater and an eheim 2000 pump mixing the salt. Just made my first batch of salt water last night.

 

[forddna]

Awesome. Good luck. It's a bit of a pain, but you always know what you're getting. Be certain you have 0 TDS out of your ro/di.

 

[ColinAbi]

Yep, it is 0 tds coming out of the Rodi.

 

[kmbyrnes]

Try this.....
A 32 Gallon Brute has a ridge about 4 inches from the top. That line is close enough to 26 gallons that adding 13 cups of salt will get you to 1.024 - 1.026 almost every time.

When I got my brute, I used 5 gallon jugs to fill it and marked a line at each addition. Now I know how much water is left when doing multiple WC on TTM or QT tanks, or when making less than a full batch of salt water.

 

[ColinAbi]

Try this.....
A 32 Gallon Brute has a ridge about 4 inches from the top. That line is close enough to 26 gallons that adding 13 cups of salt will get you to 1.024 - 1.026 almost every time.

When I got my brute, I used 5 gallon jugs to fill it and marked a line at each addition. Now I know how much water is left when doing multiple WC on TTM or QT tanks, or when making less than a full batch of salt water.

I marked off some measurements on the trashcan but I can't see through the trashcan to see the water. I have the grey brute

 

[kmbyrnes]

What I did was use a wide black Sharpie to mark the water line on the inside of the grey brute barrel after each 5 gallon addition.
After 2 years some of the lines are faded or covered in precipitation. May be time to remeasure, but since I rarely make anything other than 26 gallons anymore it's not high on my list of things to do for my tanks.

 

[892972774]

I use a 100g tank to mix salt, with a same bowl, a full tank of RO water with 6 and 1/2 bowl salt will just meet 1.025

 

[ColinAbi]

What I did was use a wide black Sharpie to mark the water line on the inside of the grey brute barrel after each 5 gallon addition.
After 2 years some of the lines are faded or covered in precipitation. May be time to remeasure, but since I rarely make anything other than 26 gallons anymore it's not high on my list of things to do for my tanks.

But how do you see the water from the outside of the can?

 

[seamonster124]

I add 16 cups to a 32 Gallon brute and micro adjust after 12 hours

 

[ColinAbi]

I add 16 cups to a 32 Gallon brute and micro adjust after 12 hours

I'm planning to do the same next batch.

 

[BillNye]

Try this.....
A 32 Gallon Brute has a ridge about 4 inches from the top. That line is close enough to 26 gallons that adding 13 cups of salt will get you to 1.024 - 1.026 almost every time.

This is what I do. I fill it to about 2 inches below ( around 30 gallons?) and dump 15 cups to start with. I then let it mix and heat up before checking and adjusting.

 

[ColinAbi]

But how do you see through the trash can? I have a gray one and I can't see the water inside of it.

 

[Sk8r]

Measure. 1 gallon of salt is 16 cups. 32 gallons of water requires 32 half cups of salt, which is 16 whole cups, at least of the Oceanic mix I use. Read your labels.
Do ONE super-accurate measure of water. Then mark your mixing bin so you know where that is. Always level the measures with the pass of a knife or lid---has to be averagely packed and even with the top of the measure.

 

[kmbyrnes]

But how do you see the water from the outside of the can?

Please note the marks are on the INSIDE of the barrel not the outside.

 

[shaggss]

Please note the marks are on the INSIDE of the barrel not the outside.

I use some old tunze magnets to indicate 5G. I know exactly how much salt by weight I need and just add that each time. Easy.

 

[ColinAbi]

Please note the marks are on the INSIDE of the barrel not the outside.

So the sharpie is safe when it's try ?