Saltwater Storage

[hfleming]

How does everyone handle their new saltwater.....

Do you mix a batch the day of a water change?
Do you mix a batch and keep in ready for a water change in a few days?
Do you mix just enough for the water change?
If you store it for a while do you keep it heated and moving?

I normally mix enough for about 2 water changes (30 gallons). That way I always have some on hand in case of some unknown emergency. After the second water change I'll mix another big batch. After it's mixed I don't keep it moving or heated.

I have a plastic 55 gallon drum with a mixing/transfer pump hard piped into the setup. RO water is in another plastic 55 gallon drum.

 

[Dmitri]

I make my water about 2 days before WC. Give me time to mix properly and test the water, matching alc/cal mag to the tank parameters
I do around 30 gallons biweekly


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[willie1983]

I make 44 gals 1-2 days prior to water changes keeping it circulated with a mj 1200

 

[ff337]

I used to keep 32 gallons all the time. But I got a slime on the top of the water after a week or so. Cleaned the brute, ensured 0 tds and tried again. Same thing. Kept it circulating using a mag 7 and the slime stayed on the edges at the water line. It only happened in the salt barrel, not the rodi fresh.

So I cleaned the salt, swapped barrels and tried again. Same thing in the salt only.

Now I make salt the same day I'm using it and mix it with a mag 12 and no problems.

 

[Adam]

I mix up 55 gallons 1 to 3 days ahead of time. Once it's mixed I keep it circulating with a powerhead. I do not heat it until the night before I'm going to use it. When I keep some behind I try to keep it circulating but not if the level is below the PH. I use RC and don't have issues with slime.

Also I've seen many people complaining about RC not mixing well, taking over a day to clear up and leaving a lot of residue behind. I had these issues as well until I started adding the salt very slow and not just dumping it in. I started out painfully slow but have started going just a little quicker. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to add about a bag and a quarter to get 35ppm. The water is cleared up in under an hour and I have no precipitate residue left afterwards. I'm on my 4th or 5th water change since mixing this way and the brute can is just as clean as it was immediately after the last cleaning.
I do have a lot of circulation in the brute though. With the powerhead and mixing pump on I get a vortex in the center.

 

[jennm]

People do all of the above. I recommend mixing/aerating water if it's stored (ie in a closed jug). Do close the container too or evap will alter the specific gravity if it's stored for any length of time.

Jenn

 

[k3nnyp]

I currently mix 15 gallons the day of, or day before, a water change although I am working ( for a long time now but recently motivated ) on building out a 220 and one of my goals is automated small daily water changes ( 2 gallons a day ). My intent is to to mix 60 gallons of water monthly. I still have some details to work out and interested to hear if anyone is doing something similar and/or have suggestions for long term storage of pre-mixed salt.