Joel A
Started over.
This is an interesting tip that i just ran into on a different site.
Basically, the idea is dissolving a whole entire bag of salt in a 5 gallon bucket... So say a reef crystals 25 gallon bag, or a similar bag from another salt company. You dissolve the whole entire bag in a 5 gallon bucket... well this salt is obviously extremely concentrated and not suitable for use in an aquarium.... so what you do is you then use 1 gallon of that highly concentrated salt to make 5 gallons of usable salt water (1 gallon of "slurry" 4 gallons of pure RO). So you're still getting the 25 gallons of salt water advertised, just in a slightly different manner.
So now you're asking, ok what's the point? Well... salt mixes are all designed to have a set amount of certain elements (like Calcium,alkalinity, and magnesium). But the issue is that since the salt is bagged, these elements will settle out and give you inconsistent numbers from batch to batch... for instance you might make up a 5 gallon bucket simply usuing the appropriate amount of salt for 5 gallons and then test it to find it has an Alk of 7.5, and calcium of 420.. then the same bag of salt a week later, mixed in the same pr option will give you a different amount of calcium and alkalinity. This is because they put the necessary amount of these elements in the bag, but you're not going to get the same amount in every cupful you take out of the bag because the elements "settle out" over storage and shipping periods.
Since you are now dissolving the whole bag, you are getting the appropriate (consistent, whatever they may happen to be) levels of these major elements in every gallon of salt water that you add to your aquarium. The same applies to if you simply made 25 gallons of salt water... but it's obviously easier to make 5 gallons of salt water than it is 25 gallons.
So to sum it all up, dissolve a 25 gallon bag of salt in 5 gallons of RO water... cover it, keep it agitate via powerhead (or what have you) and use 1 gallon of that ultra concentrated salt water to make up 5 gallons of tank ready salt water. This will make it so you know you are getting the same amount of calcium/alkalinity in every gallon you add to your tank, and the Ca/Alk levels you are getting are likely to be a LOT closer to what the manufacturer says the salt mixes out too.
Just though some people might find that idea useful...
Basically, the idea is dissolving a whole entire bag of salt in a 5 gallon bucket... So say a reef crystals 25 gallon bag, or a similar bag from another salt company. You dissolve the whole entire bag in a 5 gallon bucket... well this salt is obviously extremely concentrated and not suitable for use in an aquarium.... so what you do is you then use 1 gallon of that highly concentrated salt to make 5 gallons of usable salt water (1 gallon of "slurry" 4 gallons of pure RO). So you're still getting the 25 gallons of salt water advertised, just in a slightly different manner.
So now you're asking, ok what's the point? Well... salt mixes are all designed to have a set amount of certain elements (like Calcium,alkalinity, and magnesium). But the issue is that since the salt is bagged, these elements will settle out and give you inconsistent numbers from batch to batch... for instance you might make up a 5 gallon bucket simply usuing the appropriate amount of salt for 5 gallons and then test it to find it has an Alk of 7.5, and calcium of 420.. then the same bag of salt a week later, mixed in the same pr option will give you a different amount of calcium and alkalinity. This is because they put the necessary amount of these elements in the bag, but you're not going to get the same amount in every cupful you take out of the bag because the elements "settle out" over storage and shipping periods.
Since you are now dissolving the whole bag, you are getting the appropriate (consistent, whatever they may happen to be) levels of these major elements in every gallon of salt water that you add to your aquarium. The same applies to if you simply made 25 gallons of salt water... but it's obviously easier to make 5 gallons of salt water than it is 25 gallons.
So to sum it all up, dissolve a 25 gallon bag of salt in 5 gallons of RO water... cover it, keep it agitate via powerhead (or what have you) and use 1 gallon of that ultra concentrated salt water to make up 5 gallons of tank ready salt water. This will make it so you know you are getting the same amount of calcium/alkalinity in every gallon you add to your tank, and the Ca/Alk levels you are getting are likely to be a LOT closer to what the manufacturer says the salt mixes out too.
Just though some people might find that idea useful...
