Red Sea Blue Bucket mixing instructions? (Crazy)

[GlassMunky]

if you were someone brand new never mixed a batch of salt in your life, and didn't know 1/2 cup mixed up at 35 ppt for most salts and no one told you. and you just start throwing salt in you're going to be chasing numbers up and down.

I don’t really think it’s as hard as you’re making it seem.
I never looked for “instructions” and managed to figure it out just fine.
Start by adding a small amount of salt, check the number and see how much it raised it by. Then you have a rough estimate of how much you need. Example: If what you added brought it up to 10ppt then add the same amount 2.5 more times and check again.
Pretty simple.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Oops, admitted I wasn't too smart. Scoop that comes with RSCP salt measurea at half a cup - hope no one has 70 ppm salt because of me, lol!

Red Sea comes with a scoop? really? The salt I buy has never included a scoop. I just use a plastic kids cup. I don't even know how much the cup holds..... I just dump and test until its right. I feel so cheated.... I want a scoop now too.

 

[Trever]

@Red Sea care to weigh in on the 2 hour mixing recommendation and warning to not overmix?

 

[snowhite]

The extra complication is the reward for paying extra for Red Sea salt vs just using Instant Ocean... which has easy Cup figures on the Bucket for us simpletons that use it.

 

[LeftyReefer]

From what I've seen, it is completely possible to 'over mix' salt water. how or why I don't know, but it seems to happen.

it seems I have the best results, when I mix the saltwater and use it as soon as it goes clear..... like in the first hour of mixing. I've left saltwater mixing for a couple weeks in the brute container and when I go to use it again, there is precipitate in the bottom that wasn't there when first mixed. So I've seen first hand salt mix completely clear only to precipitate out later while continuing to mix. I bet it has something to do with the amount of dissolved oxygen or co2 in the water.

I try to only mix what I'm going to use now. I try not to have any left over since I leads to a mess in the container that doesn't seem to happen when I just mix it and use it. The salt I use seems to mix quickly and goes clear within minutes, so I don't see the need to mix hours or days ahead.

 

[Trever]

@LeftyReefer I'm assuming you don't wind up with problems (especially participate) in your tank/sump?

I'd be hard pressed to find them now, but I know I've seen at least one YouTube of a total mess in someone's tank, when the person first started their tank, because of salt mixing issues. Of course I have no idea what they were doing "wrong". Since this is my first rodeo, I haven't had to deal with salt creep, but what I saw wasn't just salt creep (which I think I understand), it was a bit of a disaster and the reason for the video since the people were trying to figure out what was going on.

I'm not too concerned, live and learn, etc., but curious to understand.

 

[melanotaenia]

From what I've seen, it is completely possible to 'over mix' salt water. how or why I don't know, but it seems to happen.

it seems I have the best results, when I mix the saltwater and use it as soon as it goes clear..... like in the first hour of mixing. I've left saltwater mixing for a couple weeks in the brute container and when I go to use it again, there is precipitate in the bottom that wasn't there when first mixed. So I've seen first hand salt mix completely clear only to precipitate out later while continuing to mix. I bet it has something to do with the amount of dissolved oxygen or co2 in the water.

I try to only mix what I'm going to use now. I try not to have any left over since I leads to a mess in the container that doesn't seem to happen when I just mix it and use it. The salt I use seems to mix quickly and goes clear within minutes, so I don't see the need to mix hours or days ahead.

Sounds like poor quality salt; Tropic Marin Prop mixes clear and won't leave precipitates.

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

Red Sea comes with a scoop? really? The salt I buy has never included a scoop. I just use a plastic kids cup. I don't even know how much the cup holds..... I just dump and test until its right. I feel so cheated.... I want a scoop now too.

+1 on no cup, I hate getting caught using kitchen stuff on the tank

 

[Biglew11]

i've never got a scoop with a single bucket of rscp.
i do have a measuring cup just for the reef.

 

[Trever]

No scoop in mines either. One more thing to buy... this hobby is gonna bleed me dry. At least I'll have salt for my wounds...

 

[Trever]

@melanotaenia folks seem to love that salt, though I hear good things about blue bucket and it's widely available (LFS tends to run out of the Tropic Marin, not sure what's up with that). This raises a whole new topic, namely, do I really have to buy special salt to make "sea water"? Like really? But I guess that's crazy talk, since I'm already RODI'ing the water... and I've heard the arguments about the importance of good salt (all arguments made by vendors though...).

 

[fishlover1478]

Oops, admitted I wasn't too smart. Scoop that comes with RSCP salt measurea at half a cup - hope no one has 70 ppm salt because of me, lol!

where is the scoop is it in the salt? mine didn't have a scoop

 

[Biglew11]

@melanotaenia folks seem to love that salt, though I hear good things about blue bucket and it's widely available (LFS tends to run out of the Tropic Marin, not sure what's up with that). This raises a whole new topic, namely, do I really have to buy special salt to make "sea water"? Like really? But I guess that's crazy talk, since I'm already RODI'ing the water... and I've heard the arguments about the importance of good salt (all arguments made by vendors though...).

all salts will grow coral just fine. different salts will mix to different levels of alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, most people keep alkalinity between 7.5 9 dkh calcium around 450ish ppm magnesium around 1350. if you have a lot of fast growing hard corals lps sps then you might want elevated levels, softies lps mixed maybe natural levels, full grown corals natural levels.

people try different salts to find one that mixes to what they keep there tank at, that way they dont have to add alk. cal to there mixed water before adding to there tank.

a lot of salt use come to brand loyalty, preferences, clever marketing by the manufactures to get you to try there salt.
but again all salt will grow coral.

 

[neiltus]

people mix at different rates for different types of aquariums.

I have a mixed reef, and I mix 3.3 pounds per 10 gallons. Then I add 20ml of soda ash solution to it before it goes into my tank.

An individual who does not have these needs may use +- 10%

There is not one way to do it. Measuring and leveling half cups throws in a lot of error. Use a scale.

 

[Trever]

@neiltus what scale do you use?

 

[neiltus]

Also, if your mixing 10 gallons with a 1500gph head, you will have leftovers in your mix bucket. I mix 50g at a time with a 120gph power head and have for 6 years in same container and not cleaned it.

overmixing is a thing with certain salts....why i don't add dkh till minutes before it goes in tank.

 

[neiltus]

@neiltus what scale do you use?

ANY cheap repeatable scale will work, think 20 bucks at amazon. 3.3 pounds is not or does not need to be measured with any more precision than 3.3 pounds.

I have nice scales for machine work that are calibrated to mils of a gram....u don't need that for this. I use a kitchen scale for making bread that I use with a stand mixer.

Don't believe me. Scoup out 10 half cups and weigh it 10 times.

fwiw, my mix comes out to slightly above 35ppt with dkh around 10.5

 

[neiltus]

Also, get poly water storage tanks. hauling brutes is silly as is making water day off and mixing same day.-you will have more time for beer and tank watching.

 

[Deiby Garcia]

I use the same Red Sea blue bucket and this is what works for me. i use the rice measurement cup that comes with the electric rice maker. It's 160 ml. For me to get a salinity of 1.025. I use three of those per 5 gallons. When I do a batch of fresh saltwater is usually 30 gallons so I dump in 18 of those cups and i get the 1.025. I hope this helps out some.

 

[MaxxuM]

@melanotaenia folks seem to love that salt, though I hear good things about blue bucket and it's widely available (LFS tends to run out of the Tropic Marin, not sure what's up with that). This raises a whole new topic, namely, do I really have to buy special salt to make "sea water"? Like really? But I guess that's crazy talk, since I'm already RODI'ing the water... and I've heard the arguments about the importance of good salt (all arguments made by vendors though...).

Don't know if someone has mentioned it, but water temperature, salt stratification, and air pressure (elevation) can play a role in mixing. 1/2 cup of salt may not mix the same due to these factors. Plus, precipitant may not always be just calcium. If you want consistency you'll need to mix the salt powder and have the RODI water the same temperature. After that, its just a matter of recording how much salt you use to get the desired salinity. Salt bucket instructions are just a guide, not an absolute rule.