ann Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I have been buying pre-mixed Tropic Marin salt water and now want to begin to mix my own. I have a 29 gal nano, soft corals and 2 fish, and change 2 gallons weekly. Do I need to let the mixture sit for 24 hours, keep it stirred, etc?? What tips can you give me? Does anyone think Instant Ocean would be ok? All comments, suggestions and advice are welcomed!!! Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I started with Instant Ocean mix, but now use Reef Crystals. RC has a lot of extras that corals need and use. I have a 29g as well and mix up 5 gallons at a time in a home depot bucket. General consensus seems to be you're better off letting it sit for a few days after mixing, but if you have to use it immediately just make sure it is fully dissolved and clear before adding. The other thing to keep in mind is not to use tap water for mixing. If you're not ready to buy an Reverse Osmosis unit to make your own, you can get 5 gallon water jugs at walmart for $7 and fill up either there or at your local fish store for around .25/gal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 When I had my 24g tank, I use to mix up saltwater in a 5 gallon bucket. I used a small/cheap powerhead and heater in it, and used Reef Crystals. Ideally you want it to mix for about a day to let the temperature stability, and all of the salt dissolve. Now with my 75g, I do the same thing, except with a 34g trash can on wheels And I have used Instant Ocean in the past with no problems, but opinions on brands of salt are pretty much far and wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overkill Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 r/o water only mix slowly to avoid precipition of trace elements will settle on bottom of container mix with small pump at least 24 hrs get quality floating lab grade hydrometer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Also, warmer water mixes better than cold water-- might be a good idea to put in a small heater as well before adding the water to the tank to avoid shocking your livestock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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