Exacly how much cups of instant ocean salt for a 5 gallon?

[Dylan5359]

On the side it says 1.5 lbs of instant ocean is for a 5 gallon for a specific gravity of 1.022. i have a measuring cup so whats 1.5 pounds into cups? on google no conversion popped up just someones answer on answers.com they said 3 cups. still doesn't hurt to be sure.

-Dylan

 

[Flake]

It's kinda something you have to find out. As you add salt, test the salinity and see how much salt gets you to your desired salinity.

 

[PrettyFishies]

Keep in mind that the salt has to dissolve to get a real reading. There's nothing instant about instant ocean. Add salt and let it mix with a powerhead for a half hour before you take a reading.

Using a refractometer or hydrometer?

 

[Cjm]

Your mixing volume and mass, apples and oranges. Get a cheap kitchen scale, it will make your life much easier !

 

[Dylan5359]

Jobs done. I did it with ounces. Any way to make the. Salt dissolve faster? I've been stiring and stiring and not all dissolved. Its just resting at the bottom. The heaters on. its also foggy.

-Dylan

 

[kurtyboh]

I dont know myself, just from reading forums(currently planning my tank) that a lot of people have that complaint about instant ocean...

Also, as cjm said you cant convert volume to weights very easily
1cup of water weighs 8.3 oz(8oz volume)
1cup of flour weighs 6.7 oz(still 8 oz volume)
1cup of table salt weighs 10 oz(once again 8 oz volume).

 

[stratomom]

I've never had a problem with Instant Ocean dissolving. I have been mixing my water in 5 gallon buckets and adding the salt there. I just stir it for a minute or so and within a few more minutes it's dissolved to the point that I can clearly see the mixing spoon through to the bottom of the bucket.

Also...I'm not sure about the container of IO that you got, but my bag says 1/2 cup per gallon of water...that's a pretty easy amount to figure. So when I initially set up my tank, I used a little less than that and let it circulate overnight...then I tweaked the salinity the next day.

Like was said though...you have to make sure it's mixed thoroughly to get a good salinity reading.

 

[Dylan5359]

How do I mix it good? Ill use that bucket method for now on, but I have the salt in a five gallon tank and it won't mix. And it's cloudy

-Dylan

 

[stratomom]

Do you have anything circulating the water at all? Is it really a 5 gallon tank? That sounds really small. And are you sure you used the right amount of salt? If you used too much it would be really difficult to get it to dissolve.

These are just thoughts... I'm new to this too, so not sure if I'm much help.

 

[Dylan5359]

The tank is for dwarf seahorses. It's suppose to be small. I have a Penn plax small world filter in here. But thats not helping because all the salt is settling on the bottom. I'm just going t leave it alone for tonight and do some looking around on the web and AA. Hopefully my heater will melt a good amount of it tonight.

-Dylan

 

[kurtyboh]

How much salt did you end up putting in?

kurtyboh

 

[Dylan5359]

24 ounces

-Dylan

 

[kurtyboh]

By weight right, not 3 cups?

kurtyboh

 

[Dylan5359]

Yup

-Dylan

 

[Gti_Leo]

place a powerful powerhead, i have an aquaclear50 that moves 270gph in a 5 gallon bucket, the salt dissolves pretty quickly and theres no need to be there to mix it, just leave it for a day and meassure the SG

 

[mr_X]

The tank is for dwarf seahorses. It's suppose to be small.
-Dylan

why is a dwarf seahorse tank supposed to be small?

 

[Dylan5359]

Wow. I feel honored your asking ME a question. The limit for them is a ten gallon. There is a better success rate for dwarves in smaller tanks. Probably because of food reasons, since you usually have to direct feed them it's harder to find them in larger tanks. You'll often hear people say 1-10 gallon tank for dwarves. (although 1 gallon should be for experts only) if you did ever have to use a 15/20 gallon people suggest using a tank divider,

-Dylan

 

[Gti_Leo]

you have to direct feed seahorses

 

[Dylan5359]

*dwarf seahorses. -hippocampus zosterea

-Dylan

 

[Gti_Leo]

lol i edited it i realised those werent the ones you were talkign about