Auto Water Change Salinity Question

[Mike Lemming]

Hello all,

I just received my Auto Water Change system and was wondering if anyone does anything to their clean salt water reservoir to keep the salinity in check? I am planning to set this up with a 44 gallon Brute trash can. I am planning 1.3g (roughly) daily water changes which gives me 33 days before having to mix new water, but I would assume the salinity will go towards the end of the 33 days.
Maybe I'm over thinking it and the difference is too minimal to notice in the display?
Thanks for the input!
-Mike

 

[Edward]

In my experience the salinity in a closed reservoir should not change any significant amount. Do you have a controller monitoring the salinity in your display?

 

[Mike Lemming]

In my experience the salinity in a closed reservoir should not change any significant amount. Do you have a controller monitoring the salinity in your display?

I don't. I just manually check from time to time with a Hanna Salinity Pen.. I thought I may be over thinking this, but wanted to see everyone else's thoughts. Thanks for the input!

 

[Chris.Reef]

You won’t have an issue if the brutt has a lid on it.

 

[MarkSzy]

You can put a small pump to keep the water circulating, and hate what I do.

 

[Mike Lemming]

You won’t have an issue if the brutt has a lid on it.

Alright cool. Thanks Chris.

 

[Mike Lemming]

You can put a small pump to keep the water circulating, and hate what I do.

I haven't thought about heat and circulation, is that what everyone else does? I figured since its only 1.3 gallons into 130 gallon display, it would need to be heated..

 

[Chris.Reef]

I haven't thought about heat and circulation, is that what everyone else does? I figured since its only 1.3 gallons into 130 gallon display, it would need to be heated..

I only heat mine up when I’m mixing a batch. I keep my mixing station pump on low during storage to keep the water moving, you could always just throw a little submersible pump in the container aswell.

 

[Mike Lemming]

I only heat mine up when I’m mixing a batch. I keep my mixing station pump on low during storage to keep the water moving, you could always just throw a little submersible pump in the container aswell.

Alright, I've got pumps laying around. Thanks!

 

[MarkSzy]

I don’t heat mine because it’s in the house which stays at 68 during the winter. It would depend on where you keep the barrel.

I read something somewhere that you are not supposed to heat the water during mixing.

 

[Chris.Reef]

I don’t heat mine because it’s in the house which stays at 68 during the winter. It would depend on where you keep the barrel.

I read something somewhere that you are not supposed to heat the water during mixing.

I don’t see any scientific reason why heating water to 78 for mixing salt and then dropping back to room temperature would be an issue at 35 ppt. Maybe if you were creating a super saturated solution things would fall out when cooled but for what we do that’s not the case. @dz6t might have some more scientific input.

I heat my awc water to 78 so I can mix it faster then I turn the heater off and keep it in a sealed container.

 

[Edward]

I keep mine heated and circulated just in case I need to do a larger water change, I use the same reservoir for AWC and SW storage in general.

 

[Kens Bees]

I keep mine heated and circulated just in case I need to do a larger water change, I use the same reservoir for AWC and SW storage in general.

This is what I do as well.

 

[Mike Lemming]

I don’t see any scientific reason why heating water to 78 for mixing salt and then dropping back to room temperature would be an issue at 35 ppt. Maybe if you were creating a super saturated solution things would fall out when cooled but for what we do that’s not the case. @dz6t might have some more scientific input.

I heat my awc water to 78 so I can mix it faster then I turn the heater off and keep it in a sealed container.

I’m almost certain that my salt box says to heat before mixing for a more homogonous mix..

 

[Jbird]

Hello all,

I just received my Auto Water Change system and was wondering if anyone does anything to their clean salt water reservoir to keep the salinity in check? I am planning to set this up with a 44 gallon Brute trash can. I am planning 1.3g (roughly) daily water changes which gives me 33 days before having to mix new water, but I would assume the salinity will go towards the end of the 33 days.
Maybe I'm over thinking it and the difference is too minimal to notice in the display?
Thanks for the input!
-Mike

Hello I've been running an AWC for about 3 years now using a 30 gallon poly barrel. I don't heat water and I change 1 gallon a day. The barrel is attached to my main system sump using an apex dose. I pre mix my water at room temperature and check periodically with my Hana. Never seen any change over the month. System works perfectly. I do mix the water for 24 hours prior to introducing it to my system with a separate pump mixing in the barrel. Once mixed it seems stable for 30 days. I don't heat my ATO and why heat the AWC it is just so little added each time. Just figure warmer water is just asking for more trouble. any questions or constructive comments love to hear them

 

[Jbird]

Hello I've been running an AWC for about 3 years now using a 30 gallon poly barrel. I don't heat water and I change 1 gallon a day. The barrel is attached to my main system sump using an apex dose. I pre mix my water at room temperature and check periodically with my Hana. Never seen any change over the month. System works perfectly. I do mix the water for 24 hours prior to introducing it to my system with a separate pump mixing in the barrel. Once mixed it seems stable for 30 days. I don't heat my ATO and why heat the AWC it is just so little added each time. Just figure warmer water is just asking for more trouble. any questions or constructive comments love to hear them

One side note I did notice that I run my AWC water at 34ppt as it will eventually raise my tank salt level this could be because the awc is colder but it could also be the dosing of additives raising it slightly also.. works for my situation

 

[Mike Lemming]

Hello I've been running an AWC for about 3 years now using a 30 gallon poly barrel. I don't heat water and I change 1 gallon a day. The barrel is attached to my main system sump using an apex dose. I pre mix my water at room temperature and check periodically with my Hana. Never seen any change over the month. System works perfectly. I do mix the water for 24 hours prior to introducing it to my system with a separate pump mixing in the barrel. Once mixed it seems stable for 30 days. I don't heat my ATO and why heat the AWC it is just so little added each time. Just figure warmer water is just asking for more trouble. any questions or constructive comments love to hear them

Good to know. Thanks for the help! I don’t think I’ll be heating my water either..

 

[NeverlosT]

@Jbird - most additives have some salt so they might make your salinity creep up over time (especially two or three part).

@Mike Lemming - Id mix the salt water in the brute can, you can heat if you want to at that point, then remove heater and let it ride until empty again.

If there is a lid, evaporation should be minimal so little to no impact on SG.

Having a heater constantly working in a bin of new salt water is a recipe for precipitation which prefers hot surfaces (pumps/heaters). I'd suggest heating it to mix initially, then dont mix or heat it, just dose it. You could check SG after a few weeks with your salinity pen but I doubt itll change.

Sounds like a cool setup. What are you using for auto WC pumps? a DOS? A stenner?

 

[Mike Lemming]

@Jbird - most additives have some salt so they might make your salinity creep up over time (especially two or three part).

@Mike Lemming - Id mix the salt water in the brute can, you can heat if you want to at that point, then remove heater and let it ride until empty again.

If there is a lid, evaporation should be minimal so little to no impact on SG.

Having a heater constantly working in a bin of new salt water is a recipe for precipitation which prefers hot surfaces (pumps/heaters). I'd suggest heating it to mix initially, then dont mix or heat it, just dose it. You could check SG after a few weeks with your salinity pen but I doubt itll change.

Sounds like a cool setup. What are you using for auto WC pumps? a DOS? A stenner?

Thanks man! I actually picked up the Auto Aqua AWC system. I have been using their ATO for years without fail and this one comes with the AWC and a ATO in one. When doing the water change, it shuts off the ATO portion of it and that was a selling point for me. Especially with the positive experience i've had with Auto Aqua. It comes with little pumps to do the changes, but you have the option to switch out the pumps. So, I may pick up a couple small sicce pumps.

 

[dz6t]

I don’t see any scientific reason why heating water to 78 for mixing salt and then dropping back to room temperature would be an issue at 35 ppt. Maybe if you were creating a super saturated solution things would fall out when cooled but for what we do that’s not the case. @dz6t might have some more scientific input.

I heat my awc water to 78 so I can mix it faster then I turn the heater off and keep it in a sealed container.

At 35 ppt, it is not close to saturation at 68F nor 78F.
If the automatic water change system replaces like 2 to 3% of total volume per day, there is no need to heat the water.
Heating the water is perfectly fine too, just a little bit more electricity consumption.