Heating the water

[JoeJoe]

So I have finally made around 40 gallons of ro/di water in a rubbermaid trash can. I am getting ready to heat the water up to around 80 degrees and then put salt mix in, and a question came to mind. Should I throw a powerhead into the trashcan while the heater is on so that the water can be circulated and evenly heated??

[Stanfill Reef]

That would be best. Also, it will keep your salt well mixed. If you have an aerator or a venturi powerhead, it would be a good idea to use that as well to get the dissolved oxygen up and the pH chemistry right.

[Lifestudent]

Yes, that's what I do.

Also, be sure that the heater is off and has been sitting in the water for ~20 minutes before turning it on.

I've read that if the heater has not had a chance to adjust to the starting water temperature, then the heater may crack once it's been turned on.

Bob

[cyberchef]

I would also go ahead and add the salt now and let it mix while it heats. The longer mixing time will not hurt nor will it hurt that the water is cold when the salt is added.

[Stanfill Reef]

If you add the salt cold and are using a hydrometer, remember to check the salinity again when at the higher temperature. Hydrometers are calibrated at normal tank temperatures, so if you start too cold the reading will be off. I know our water is in our garage and starts out at about 50oF before heating this time of year.

I don't know about refractometers, I don't have one so I can't say if they are temperature sensitive.

[Lifestudent]

Good point Stanfill Reef about the problem of using a hydrometer to test the salinity of cold water.

Refractometers, such as the model in last year's PowerBuy, automatically compensate for temperature and therefore give more accurate salinity readings.

Bob

[cyberchef]

Good point on temp. I didn't think about it because I use a refractometer. I also don't check the salinity till I'm rady to do the water change so by then the mag 18 mixing pump has the water up to temp. I always use the same container for mixing so I'm usually very close on salinity and only need to make a small adjstment right before doing the water change.

[Ray1214]

Not to stray off the topic too much, but have you found, as you get nearer to the bottom of the salt barrel, that you have add just a tad more salt to get the same salinity. I always figured it was because the salt absorbed some water from taking the cover off and on during mixing.

Btw, does anyone ever dose during their water changes? I dose reef calcium (The A and B stuff) or Kent's ProdKH and add it with the water change (I figure it will dilute with 8 gallons of water) and it doesn't really throw off pH but a refractometer reading can be a bit off.

Ray

[Stanfill Reef]

We dose right after the change. If we try to add buffer to the salt mix, it will generally precipitate. So we add it to the tank after the new water is put in and the pumps are back on. We then dose with Reef Buffer, Tech-I, Essential Elements, Coral-Vite, and zoe. Works pretty well for us.

[cyberchef]

I use a mag18 in a 32 gallon brute can, salinity stays the same at all levels... lol

[Ray1214]

Yeah I dose with the other suplements after the fact. I just like to dose something that may affect pH really really diluted so it won't cause a spike in water parameters.

[cyberchef]

Sorry Ray I misread your post about the salt barrel... I haven't noticed any real difference but then again I use a 16 oz plastic cup to measure. It's basically 5-6 cups (depends on how full I fill them) of salt to 30 gallons of water.

[Ray1214]

I guess cause I use 1/2 cup measuring spoon thingie and with a new bucket, each scoop is not quite level, till near the bottom , it will be slightly heaping.

Ray