Blaine wrote:powerhead,...HOB, whatever....something to mix the salt into the water thoroughly was the point
True. But frankly, if a guy wants to stand there with a big spoon, it will mix also. Mixing time is really the key here. I suggest pre-mixing saltwater for a good 12 hours minimum.
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Actually got a power head right now. The current in my tank was to much so I took it out. May need to get a cheap one once I upgrade because I will probably need it then.
I've also had this problem before when mixing various brands of salt. I must admit that is usually when making up full strength seawater at 5-15C, I do indeed have problems dissolving it if not using a powerhead for 24hrs.
For full 1.023 sg seawater for my tropical marines, I do try to leave a 40l barrel of it under heating and with a powerhead in because I understand that the 'new' synthetic seawater is quite caustic for that period. Quite where that came from or if it's true I don't know but it's often quoted in the literature.
I have been known to wash my arm under the tap, stick my hand in a barrel and swirl until the salt is dissoved. Probably not good practice - soap shampoo etc. Usually for the brackish tanks or native coldwater marines...
Last edited by soggydrysuit on Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I've also had experience of making up synthetic ground water for an oilfield chemistry company. The various salts need to go into solution in a particular order or they will precipitate out. Barium chloride was one I had problems with but that's got to be a tiny constituent of sea water.
The stuff we were replicating was pickled underground aquefer water, millions of years old, 14,000 ft under the desert in Quater - that kind of thing...
