Setting up new 60 gallon tank. Mixing initial water question

[Elmareefer]

I have a new 60 gallon AIO system on the way
TBS package to follow

I’m using Red Sea salt. I need the tank filled with water before TBS ships arrives
My question is Red Sea says don’t mix for more than 4 hours. It m getting a Brute 32 gallon can so I’ll be filling this for 2 days. Probably a couple days before the tbs package arrives
Based on Red Seas mixing instructions should I shut the power heads off until the tbs shipment arrives?

 

[wvned]

Yes
Mixing incorporates CO2 from the air into the water and would just make the pH of the new water go down over time. In a tank the aragonite sand and rock work to maintain the pH at a stable value.

 

[smoorman1]

So mix for a couple hours then shut off?

 

[wvned]

I mix it until it is clear. Sounds tricky but after you do it a couple of times it will easy. If everything is room temperature the salt will dissolve very quickly.
It is a bit subtle but the water will go from looking slightly white to clear all the way down to the bottom.
Making water takes takes minutes, not hours. This is with Red Sea salt. Others can be a bit different. I generally start using it in 45 minutes. Once the salt dissolves further mixing doesn't do anything. If I have to heat the water I leave the mixing pump on. I probably don't even need to do that though.

 

[smoorman1]

Thanks

 

[Elmareefer]

I mix it until it is clear. Sounds tricky but after you do it a couple of times it will easy. If everything is room temperature the salt will dissolve very quickly.
It is a bit subtle but the water will go from looking slightly white to clear all the way down to the bottom.
Making water takes takes minutes, not hours. This is with Red Sea salt. Others can be a bit different. I generally start using it in 45 minutes. Once the salt dissolves further mixing doesn't do anything. If I have to heat the water I leave the mixing pump on. I probably don't even need to do that though.

So in a new tank without anything do you keep the pumps off? Until the sand and love rock come? Tank needs to be ready for TBD shipment

 

[wvned]

I generally add them at the same time. I fill the tank halfway first. That way you dont end up with an overfull tank from the water displaced by the rocks. I add more if I need to keep the rocks covered. Last I fill the tank to its running level with everything off. It is fine to do that now.

The water is going to be mixed the entire time it is in the tank so the idea something bad will happen is somewhat silly. But telling people to not mix it keeps them from calling Red Sea and telling them it is not meeting stated values when water is made.
CO2 dissolves into water and makes carbonic acid. This effect brings the pH down and can have a substantial effect if you live in a tightly closed home.
CO2 scrubbers and outside air to the skimmer fight this effect. During a holiday when many people are at the house the tank pH will trend down.
pH is a scale from 0-14 with 7 being neutral. It indicates the relative level of hydrogen ions in the water. We try to keep the pH slightly above 8.
At first your tank will try to be at 7.4 but this effect will go away with time. The buffering capacity of your tank will increase.

Once you add the live rock let the tank run for a while. There will be ammonia. This is caused by things that die during shipping. Once that goes away you are good to go. Ammonia tests are tricky and read poorly around zero. So dont worry about that. You will have a lot for a while but then it will just go down over a day. Your tank is fine then even if you cant get a test to read zero.
I am being somewhat general here because exactly how long things take depends on many factors like how well the rock traveled, your tank temp, how much flow is in the tank and things I am probably forgetting.

 

[Elmareefer]

I generally add them at the same time. I fill the tank halfway first. That way you dont end up with an overfull tank from the water displaced by the rocks. I add more if I need to keep the rocks covered. Last I fill the tank to its running level with everything off. It is fine to do that now.

The water is going to be mixed the entire time it is in the tank so the idea something bad will happen is somewhat silly. But telling people to not mix it keeps them from calling Red Sea and telling them it is not meeting stated values when water is made.
CO2 dissolves into water and makes carbonic acid. This effect brings the pH down and can have a substantial effect if you live in a tightly closed home.
CO2 scrubbers and outside air to the skimmer fight this effect. During a holiday when many people are at the house the tank pH will trend down.
pH is a scale from 0-14 with 7 being neutral. It indicates the relative level of hydrogen ions in the water. We try to keep the pH slightly above 8.
At first your tank will try to be at 7.4 but this effect will go away with time. The buffering capacity of your tank will increase.

Once you add the live rock let the tank run for a while. There will be ammonia. This is caused by things that die during shipping. Once that goes away you are good to go. Ammonia tests are tricky and read poorly around zero. So dont worry about that. You will have a lot for a while but then it will just go down over a day. Your tank is fine then even if you cant get a test to read zero.
I am being somewhat general here because exactly how long things take depends on many factors like how well the rock traveled, your tank temp, how much flow is in the tank and things I am probably forgetting.

Thanks
It was more of not having 2 32 gallon cans as I’ll need 50-60 gallons for the first fill. Plus it’ll take some for my RODI filter to make

I’ll guess I’ll do one water batch a couple days prior(30g) put that in the tank then do another batch leave that ready in the can until the TBS rock and shipment comes