when mixing salt - do you account for mass of rock/sand?

[LuizW13]

Hey everyone,

So, i was reading instructions for mixing my salt (tropic marine pro) and i thought to myself "If in the calculator, i input 25usgal, would that number be true if i have rock and sand taking up mass in the tank?"

How much mass does roughly 20lbs of rock, and 20lbs of sand take up? Should I input 24usgal to make up for it, then add small amounts of salt if needed? Should i just input 25usgal (size of my DT)? Should i just stop over thinking it?


Thanks!

 

[Valentini89]

Hey everyone,

So, i was reading instructions for mixing my salt (tropic marine pro) and i thought to myself "If in the calculator, i input 25usgal, would that number be true if i have rock and sand taking up mass in the tank?"

How much mass does roughly 20lbs of rock, and 20lbs of sand take up? Should I input 24usgal to make up for it, then add small amounts of salt if needed? Should i just input 25usgal (size of my DT)? Should i just stop over thinking it?


Thanks!

Just don't worry about it.. mix as directed. I have never taken into account rocks and sand and my salinity is never off.

 

[Gladmaker]

It sounds to me like you're mixing for a new setup directly into the tank. You should accurately measure the water per instructions. The mix I use says to use 2 1/2 cups per 5 gallons. I mix it in a 5 gallon bucket so I know how much water I'm using. You could use a 5 gallon bucket and do it 5 times for your 25 gal tank. You will probably have a little left over from the last bucket. After the initial fill of the tank, you should never mix in the tank with livestock in it. Most livestock is sensitive to salinity changes. Always mix it separately and let it set overnight. I put an air stone in the bucket to help it to mix good. If you have some left over, you can save it and use it for a partial water change.

 

[swiftvision]

Don't mix inside the tank.

And why would you need to account for the rock? You'll just have left over water.

 

[LuizW13]

I'm mixing it one of those huge plastic garbage things, i do also have a couple of 5g buckets.

I was just curious; didn't account for left over water that could be used for a later time.

 

[mcgyvr]

huh? calculations of salt amount are based on the amount of water in the container you are mixing that salt into.. If that means you make more water than you need because some rock took up some of the volume in the tank who cares.. cap it off and use it next time..

 

[LuizW13]

huh? calculations of salt amount are based on the amount of water in the container you are mixing that salt into.. If that means you make more water than you need because some rock took up some of the volume in the tank who cares.. cap it off and use it next time..

Yeah, i realized that after i took an extra minute to process my thoughts..:spin2:

 

[thegrun]

It is a very good idea to mix the saltwater in a separate container and then add it to your tank. If you mix it in the tank salt crystals will fall into rock and sand crevasses and can take several days to dissolve. You also want to get an accurate measurement of your true water volume (the actual amount of saltwater in your system) since dosing and medications are based on true water volume, not the tank's listed size.

 

[LuizW13]

It is a very good idea to mix the saltwater in a separate container and then add it to your tank. If you mix it in the tank salt crystals will fall into rock and sand crevasses and can take several days to dissolve. You also want to get an accurate measurement of your true water volume (the actual amount of saltwater in your system) since dosing and medications are based on true water volume, not the tank's listed size.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[duncanpate1]

Displacement has nothing to do with SG!!!


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[ericarenee]

Do you have sand and Rock in your mixing Container?

x amount of Synthetic saltwater mix to xx gallons of water . Mix outside the tank for at least the minimum the manufacture recommends ..

 

[LuizW13]

Everything will be mixed externally, it was just me over thinking again lol. The other member posted something interested about dosing- that i didn't think of.

 

[djbon]

You must have missed your daily vodka dosage, aren't you?. LOL

 

[j.falk]

It never hurts to have some extra saltwater ready to go in case you need it in a crunch....so if you make more than you need, save it for the next time you need it. I have half of a 20 gallon garbage can sitting in my basement right now with premixed saltwater in it in case I need to do a water change. You never what tomorrow will bring and it's always better to be prepared.

 

[LuizW13]

You must have missed your daily vodka dosage, aren't you?. LOL

Shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone! :spin3:

 

[LuizW13]

It never hurts to have some extra saltwater ready to go in case you need it in a crunch....so if you make more than you need, save it for the next time you need it. I have half of a 20 gallon garbage can sitting in my basement right now with premixed saltwater in it in case I need to do a water change. You never what tomorrow will bring and it's always better to be prepared.

Will be doing the same!

I just got everything going this week - so i was bit anxious, thinking about everything at the same time lol.