Simple Newbie Salt Question

[bigsink]

How much salt per 5 gallons to get a salinity of 1020? Please give me a reading in cups as pounds is a pain in the neck.

Thanks in advance!

[Loverotties]

Welcome to TRT!Which salt?That's alittle low also unless fish only.If a reef then 1.025.

[VWD]

I agree with Rorttie as what type of salt and 1.020 is low for fish only ad for a reef tank. And as far as a how much it take to bring the salinity up I just add until I have it where I want it .


WELCOME to TRT!

[bigsink]

It will be a fish only tank. Would 1022 be better? Just looking to make water changes easier since I have to use 5 gallon buckets.

[Loverotties]

1/10 of a fifty pound bag or 1/5 of a 25 pound bag.Just slowly add to bucket till you get the reading you want and remember how much.Ocanic makes it in a 5 gallon bag,but I personally hate that brand.Or you can buy real salt water from Petco that is mixed up already just pour in the tank!(no buckets!).

[VWD]

How big is your tank and if You are setting the no problem just putting in tank and mixing. Once you have it up and running You want to mix the water and let it sit with a pump in it for at least 24 hours. please give us some more info on you tank , If you are setting up now size and the like.

[tims]

aprox. 2cups of IO in a 5 gallon bucket of water gives you close to 1.025
but are you trying to just raise your level in the tank or doing a Water change?

[bigsink]

It is a 75 gallon tank, I am changing 25 gallons using 5 gallon buckets. I have a 200 gallon bucket of Oceanic Salt. The tank is up and running. I want to maintain the salinity at 1022. Would 1 3/4 cups cut it? Thanks for all of the responses!

[tims]

it will be trial and error thing. make it up , let it sit ( witha power head in it to keep it mixing.. then test..

[tdwyatt]

[autochek]

With the oceanic salt, I was using right at 1/2 cup per gallon to get to 1.025. HAve you purchased a device to measure salinity with? remember the swing arm ones a notorious for being off.
Make sure you mix each bucket with a power head for at least 12-24 hours. You would be better off mixing it all at once in a trash can. This way everything is equal when you put it in the tank.

[wharyat]

I use a little more than 1/2 cup of salt (oceanic) per gallon to maintain 1.025 @ 80 degrees F.

P.S.

Welcome to TRT!

[skeety]

Just want to make sure we're not all overlooking the obvious here.

it should say on the instructions on the side of the container how much salt mix to use to get a certain salinity. I'd just use that amount....test...then slowly add a little more, a little more, etc until you get the reading you want.

Ditto on the letting the salt mix for 24 hours first.

[The Old Fool]

US Gallons or British Gallons?

US gallon is 3.8 Liters/Gal and A British is 4.5 /gal

1 cup of instant ocean makes 10 liters at 1.022.

[reefBoyDc]

Yea, get a 30 or 40 gallon trash can. Makes things so much easier, then pump the water into your tank with a powerhead and plastic tubing.