I just rinse it off each time and let it dry. I did buy a pump but haven't fired it up yet. The stick might not work on super large containers but it will be awhile before I get to that point. 
True. I'm just lazy and want to make it as easy as possible. The stupid pump constantly breaking has been making that backfire. Even though I rinse it between uses it just keeps dying and feels like a waste of $$.
Kind of weird you have no trouble with the one in your tank. It's not like it's the salt that's the problem. Maybe the newer ones you're buying have different components in them that don't like the salt.
No idea. Mixing salt is still the hardest and most frustrating thing for me in this hobby. Something always goes wrong. I usually let a 5 gallon bucket sit and mix for 24 hours then water change. But don't understand if I can mix for 24 hours, then store without it still being aerated. I'm trying to downsize the amount of my water changes and its just messing up the whole process.
The exact reason I try to avoid buying reef tank branded products. It’s inevitable at times, but there’s always a cheaper and sometimes better solution.Is that the new Tunze manual mixmaster pro? They’re only 179.99 but looks like they’re sold out everywhere
Others can chime in but I've read a bunch of threads where people mix and store. I usually let my bucket sit for at least a couple weeks because my water changes for my tank (a 5g) don't take much water. I will even unplug the heater and only turn it back on when I need the water again. I just do a quick stir once the water is back up to temp with my stick and make sure the salinity is still correct. So far no issues with fish or corals but I only have gorgs, a gsp and a xenia so they're not super sensitive. I would be curious to know if this can impact some of the elements.
