Best way to measure salt for new water?

[ReefGrrl]

Originally Posted by GoFish

Good point. I only have the lid off for 30 seconds each time and buckets are kept in the closet (lowest humidity in the house) and i always scoop the top layer of salt off if that makes any difference who knows.

"....if that makes any difference who knows."

I LOVE THAT! Describes my day to day struggles with this wonderful hobby. We can read and read and read and then read some more, and still be not *quite* sure what we are doing is the right thing for that day's situation. And this is usually after very careful consideration and being sure not to respond in panic mode.

I apologize for the off-topic response, but just the way you wrote that made me laugh.

But hey - I guess I can in fact contribute - I use H2Ocean salt, with a level half cup of stirred-up salt taken from my big so-heavy-I-can't-move-it bucket, dumped into one gallon of room temperature RO/DI water in a two-gallon plastic former Milk Bone dog biscuit jar (clear plastic, cylindrical shape). I have three of these, and usually mix one gallon in each. Then I get my big plastic slotted spoon and stir it madly in one direction until there's a whirlpool in the middle, then abruptly stop and go the other direction (takes about 12 fast stirs), repeat, then walk away and let them all clear. Then I pour them into each other several times to aerate and mix the water further.

Measures 1.025 every time - I always check before using it. I also check the temperature before doing the water change and if it's more than 5 degrees different than the tank, I put the big jugs on the heated bathroom floor for about an hour - this always does the trick.

Well now. I didn't realize I actually had a "regimen." Huh.