How long does everyone leave the water change water mixing? Everytime I add the new water it is cloudy and causes the corals to slime. I add a bag of IO (50 gallon mix) to a pail of water and put a heater and korolia pump in for 2 days. It always stays cloudy. I dump the bag of salt in all at once. Is that the problem?
Water change water
- Thread starter tent boy
- Start date
Capt_Cully
Active member
This is just me, but I think you need more circulation. Can we get some other info?
What temp do you leave it at?
What SG is it at before you add it to your tank?
FWIW, I mix mine anywhere from 24hrs to a couple of days depending on time restraints and laziness.
What temp do you leave it at?
What SG is it at before you add it to your tank?
FWIW, I mix mine anywhere from 24hrs to a couple of days depending on time restraints and laziness.
Henry Colf
New member
Sounds like you have more salt in the bucket than the water can dissolve, I would use a larger container to mix the salt in or use more buckets and less salt in each bucket. The water in a 5 gal. bucket can only handle a certian amount of salt before it becomes fully saturated the rest won't dissolve and will just sit on the bottom. I would be worried about burning the corals with the undissolved salt. personally I use five buckets to do the water changes on my system. This way all the salt is dissolve and mixed throughly.JMO/JME
GMaquarium
New member
try pouring the salt into the full water container slowly. If you dump it all at once and it cakes up on the floor of the drum until dissolves some of the minerals may precipitate. When I mix salt I avoid having any solid salt hit the bottom of the barrel.
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Sir Edward
New member
I use a large tub, that holds 50 gal. I bring the water up to temp with my korolia pump running first. Then add the salt, mixing it as I go.
mr.maroonsalty
New member
I am confused too; are you mixing this to a specific salinity? If you are pouring the bag in to 50 gallons of water, clouding may be a from the salt not dissolving fast enough and sitting at the bottom, or perhaps the chemistry of the make up water is off with its Ca, Alk, or pH causing precipitation. Water changes make most peoples corals happy with the best polyp extension the first couple days after.
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Alas noted, rate of salt addition and amount of water movement could be a factor. I have a 30 gallon brute that has a 1200 gph power head on the bottom pointing up with two heads, and a mag 9 which pulls from the bottom and returns to the top. I add about 7/8 the amount I know I need 2 cups at a time spreading out over the top of the water (don't just dump it in). Takes less than an hour to clear up. Then check with refractometer and add.
Next time you mix get the salinity stable, then add a cup and not how much it goes up. This will make adjustments easier for you if you used a little much or less than usual on the last water change.
Next time you mix get the salinity stable, then add a cup and not how much it goes up. This will make adjustments easier for you if you used a little much or less than usual on the last water change.
REEFROOKEE
New member
are you mixing salt with RO/DI water? or tap?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I use a 50 gallon bag of IO at a time- it's never cloudy... even if I keep the new saltwater circulating in the mixing tub for a week or more.
Perhaps the reason your's is cloudy has something to do with the way you prepare it.
I dump the whole bag in all at once before it gets up to temp. Sounds like it is clumping and the minerals are precipitating out. Sounds like I need to pour it in alot slower. I just figured it would disolve eventually even if it clumped. I test the salinity after a couple of days of mixing and add water if it is too high. I do use a 55 gal drum.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I use a 55 gallon drum filled with about 46 gallons of aerated RO water. (I use a Mag 7 to mix saltwater and I get the water moving at least an hour before adding saltmix.)
Pour the saltmix in slowly and evenly to disperse it. Mix for at least an hour (I usually mix it up for 12-24 hours) before use and bring up to temp.
I think this will solve the issue of cloudiness but please let us know if it solved your problem.
Pour the saltmix in slowly and evenly to disperse it. Mix for at least an hour (I usually mix it up for 12-24 hours) before use and bring up to temp.
I think this will solve the issue of cloudiness but please let us know if it solved your problem.
