Mixing salt

[fishguy]

Hello,

I went to the need by store that sells RO water(got 40 gallons of it), got it 2 days ago.
I have 2 unused and clean 5.5 gallon tanks for mixing( can't find any clean 5 gallon buckets)
I added in each tank a heater and a aquaclear 200 filter for mixing the salt and water.
Its been a day(the salt level is 1.018) there is salt on the bottom of the tank, so I use a baster to try to move the salt around to dissolve it into the water....but still doesn't dissolve..whys that?
also the tank is still cloudy, when would it be clear?
Thanks

 

[Guest]

what kind of salt is it? and what temp. is the water?

 

[fishguy]

what kind of salt is it? and what temp. is the water?

Istant Ocean and the temp is 80F

 

[Guest]

I noticed you said you have aan aqua clear 200 filter on there.. I would try a power head.. It'll kick the stuff around more and it may work..

 

[douggiestyle]

its probably not salt but precipitate.
i have found that if i leave salt water in my mix tank for more than 12 hours at 80F then precipitates start to form on tank bottom and heater.
try this. let ro/di water aerate for a few days with no heat. two days before doing a water change turn the heat on. apx twelve hours before before doing a water change add salt. ive found that 1640g of salt mix makes apx 9 gal of salt water at 1.025 sg. do your water change. after the water change i add a couple gallons of hot water and a splash of chlorine bleach to the mix tank. use a green scrubby or one of those micro fiber cloths to clean the tank and heater of any precipitates. drain the water and dry.

those micro fiber cloths are great. buy them at your local hardware store for about 2-3$. no lint no chemicals. you can get a scale at a kitchen store for around 20$. its much more reliable than a measuring cup. since getting the scale ive never needed to make adjustments in salinity when making salt water.

 

[reefrunner69]

those micro fiber cloths are great. buy them at your local hardware store for about 2-3$. no lint no chemicals. you can get a scale at a kitchen store for around 20$. its much more reliable than a measuring cup. since getting the scale ive never needed to make adjustments in salinity when making salt water.

Nice tip, Kudos!!