??? Question ???

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weemanpow3

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
224
why do you have to leave the water site for 24 hours after you mix it ????????

I just put the water in 5 gallon pale and mix the salt with my hand and make sure their isnt salt that isnt mixed. Then I pump the water in the tank. Everything is fine.
 
I doubt everything is fine. Mixed water needs to be aged for at least 24 hours to completely desolve all fo the salt. Also, aging it will allow the Ph to stabalize. Ph, temp and SG of the mixed water should match that of your main tank prior to putting it in.
 
Just throw a small powerhead and heater in the bucket for a day and you will be fine.
 
Lando is correct. The first time I did a PWC and just added it to the tank, my fish stressed BIG time. The next morning, all of my fish have badly nipped tails and fins. Also, it was a pain trying to hold the thermometer under the tap, trying to get the temp correct. LOL!
 
I've done this several times (not all the time!), and never seen fish stress - not even my GSP's, Xenia's, or shrooms seem to care (they stay out and extended).

When I have an "emergency" change to do (like when discovered that I lost a fish awhile back), it does usually sit for at least an hour, while I get everything else ready, drain the old water, dump it, etc. I'm only changing 18G out of 90G, so this is not a major PWC, either. Under 20%. For anything bigger (like 2 batches of 18G) I'd aerate it will overnight for sure.

I've checked pH on replacement water 10 minutes after mixing, and its been dead-on at 8.2.

I know oxygen levels are going to be low or almost non-existent, but by pumping into the sump at a low rate (takes about 45 minutes), that water is going to be slowly mixed with my existing tank water, which is well aerated with 3 powerheads breaking up the surface pretty well, plus the return's turbulence on the surface, plus a sump with lots of turbulence.

It could depend on the salt being used too. I use "Instant Ocean" which seems to mix fast. 10 minutes after a vigorous hand-mixing, the water's clear, the salinity stabilizes and I see no further changes, even after sitting for some time. I always wait for at least the water to clear.

I have a digital kitchen thermometer I use at the tapand I've gotten quite good at reading the temp of tap water with my hands - within one degree usually.

Either way, I've never had fish, or even soft corals/polyps, stress from a PWC when the water was mixed an hour before adding to the tank.

For top-offs, I usually don't bother to aerate at all, unless I make a big batch of it - the tap water conditioner sets the pH right on most of the time. After alll, I'm only adding one gallon during top-offs to a 95 gallon system - I don't see how its possible that I'm going to affect oxygen or pH levels at all.

I do try to mix ahead of time whenever possible though!
 
For the folks that just measure, mix and pour...you are making a big mistake and one of these times it will come back to bite you.
 
Like I said, I do wait bit, usually at least an hour, while other stuff is being done. And I only do that when I *have* to.
 
I have done this once or twice but I always try and mix the day before then let it sit with a heater and PH over night.
 
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