How To Make Saltwater For Your Aquarium

 

Now that you have either made or bought your source water, it is time to mix in the salt!

 

 

Salinity is the most important value in a salt water aquarium and you want to ensure the salinity in your tank is kept at 1.024-1.026 at all times. For the best aquarium salt mix go with Reef Casa Pure Salt for your new reef tank.  It dissolves easily and contains high quality and consistent levels of major, minor and trace elements to help your new reef thrive.

If you are mixing saltwater for the first time, you can mix it directly inside your aquarium without ill effects. Each bag of Reef Casa Pure Salt Mix is pre measured to mix exactly 3 gallons of water.

If you are mixing salt water for a water change never mix the salt directly in the aquarium as you will harm or even kill your living animals. Use a 5 gallon bucket to mix the salt into new water with a powerhead.

Next, use a refractometer to test the salinity of the water.  For the best refractometer and way to measure salt use the reef casa one, it is incredibly accurate option for testing salinity.

If you find that the water is not at the target salinity of 35ppt or 1.026 specific gravity at this point, slowly measure and add salt until you reach the desired concentration. Allow the water to mix for another hour or so and test the salinity one last time to confirm it is mixed to the correct concentration.

Now it’s time to add the newly mixed water to your tank.  It is very important not to simply dump the bucket of water into the tank, as this will cause your sandbed (if you have one) to become disturbed and it could take hours for the water to clear.  One easy option is to attach a piece of flexible tubing to the return pump you used to mix the water and use that to pump water into your tank.  If you pump the water over the rockwork you can minimize the disruption to your sandbed.  Another option is to use a siphon, but that will require you to hold the bucket higher than your tank Once you have filled your tank to the recommended level it is time to start the cycling process… the last step before adding livestock.

Mixing salt water may seem a little bit overwhelming at first, but once you have mixed a few buckets it will become second nature and the ability to control the makeup of the water that goes into your tank is the cornerstone of a beautiful, thriving reef tank.  If you have any questions about salt or mixing please reach out to us, we are here to help.  Happy reefing!