Quick Saltwater.

[wrightme43]

Hey everybody. Have you all ever needed a batch of saltwater mixed, areated, and ready to go RIGHT NOW?
Ever seen those plastic paint mixers with the thing at the end that looks like a squirell cage? You hook it up to your handy dandy cordless drill. Give it a minute on high, give it a minute to settle out the bubbles, and give it another minute. Check salinity, and adjust if needed. Run it one more time. Then test it. Ph 8.3, Dissolved O2 at saturation, ready to go.
Now for the WHAT DO YOU THINK STAGE.... LOL
I have been wrong before so what do you all think. I have been doing this for a while now, it has worked perfectly for me so far. If you all want next time I get a chance I will post photos of the way it works.

 

[tike]

I say if it works.....what the hell. I use IO and when I tried to mix it quickly i still have some particulates that haven't hydrated. Normally takes me 24 hours to mix a batch! More power to you!!

 

[nasher8860]

For really small batches,that would work Great!!Most of the time while working, I don't make enough and end up having to drag the #%^$*&% garbage can back to the sink and fill and mix again(pain in the yoohoo).
I would love to see some pic's.

 

[spongebob lover]

i think it sounds good dood !! .
Hey it takes me about 2 days to do water and another one to mix it with a powerhead and get it where i want it.

 

[Al G.]

You can find it at TapPlastics. $10.95 for the 5gallon version.

Someone years ago pointed this out on RC. So, I bought one. It works, but I still
use the old powerhead to mix salt.

 

[Scooterman]

Hey you left out heating it to running temps. lol
Sometime when your in a bind you gotta do what you gotta do but normally I like to let it settle out or like I use to do is just keep sw batches made all the time.

 

[Krish]

That's cool Steve...

 

[terryh]

I have heard that you should let your ph stabilize.(Let it sit for 24 hours.)

 

[steve-s]

Sometimes you just have no choice (emergencies) so it's good to have options that can be considered. Otherwise I would still suggest the tried and true.

Cheers
Steve

 

[wrightme43]

Yes I would totally agree that it is best to have it mix overnight, or even better a week.
I do maintence on tanks as my business. So I have to make it on spot. I have a powerhead in my rodi make water bucket, and a heater. It comes out and I put it into 5 gallon jugs. I put the jugs into my truck and tote them to the site. I take out my new saltwater brute, and pour the water first thing, add salt and mix it with the stirrer. Then leave it running with a powerhead, while I clean, and service the tank, blow the rocks off, and clean everything. The last step before leaving is the water change. I use my dirty water bucket to take water out, and then bring in the clean water bucket. It tests out ph 8.3. No particulates left in the bucket.
I do it this way, because most people dont have rodi, holding tanks, mixing tanks, and such and the like at their houses, nor do they want them. I charge by the hour, and this is the most time/cost effecient way I could come up with. I have never had a reaction from the fish, or corals doing it this way.
Down sides of this are, The water leaves here in the morning at 78 f. When its cold out it drops all day, so I use their stove to heat rodi pure to boiling and add it back to the salt mix. In the summer, its in the shade but the temp still climbs all day. Not alot but it does go up. I put all the jugs together at the front of the bed, so that they are touching, it seems to help keep it more stable since they are all touching.
This was just the best way I have come up with under the constraints I have. I have seen the way the other company does it. Same brute as for dirty water, fill with tap water, pour in salt out of the bag, mix with a stick, let the power head run till its clear, and pump in the tank.
I have not really come up with a way to have as much saltwater as I need mixed all the time. I go thru alot of it.

 

[MarineTeng]

i've never waited overnight, i usually wait about 30 mins, i use oceanic btw, i just stirr with a huge spoon till it looks all dissolved, i usually don't test it for anything either, i've never lost anything or seen anything bad from doing this, i'm not the best plan ahead person so mixing water before hand doesn't happen

 

[fishermann]

I change 5 gals twice a week in my 230 and just mix up a batch in a 5 gal bucket and put a pwr head in for 1/2 hr to 1 hr, and put in tank. Have done it this way for along time even with my other tanks in years past. I would think it
matters how much you are changing in relationship to what your tank volumne is, I used Kent before and now use Trpic Marin Pro and both seem to desolve very quickly

 

[terryh]

I too service tanks and use a 50 gallon tote from tractor supply.Fits perfectly in the back seat of an ext.cab truck.I mix the water usually 2 days before i go.The powerheads in the mix can usually provide enough heat so no heater is needed.I use the mag 9 to pump the water from the truck to the tank with a garden hose,used just for changes.

 

[Pauls]

If you need a quick way to heat water, goto your local? farm & ranch supply store and pick up a stock tank heater. Depending on the size it should heat the water really rapidly. the salesperson should be able to help with sizing the unit. Years ago we used them when we needed warm or hot water in the wintertime on construction sites. we had a 220 unit that would heat 50g of water from almost freezing to steaming in about 45 minutes. One really important side note is to use a thermometer and watch it really close so you dont overheat the water, no one likes boiled fish!
Its much better on the BBQ!!