tankedchemist
Reef enthusiast
Just a little FYI...
The problem with freshly mixed saltwater is that it doesn't have time to equilibrate, which means that the dissolved gases are all messed up. Let me explain... SO, it's winter time, which means it's cold, and you probably have your furnace on.... which means you have lots of CO2 in the air, and the temp of your house is lower. Both of these things are bad for salt water mixing processes. You don't just mix the saltwater overnight to ensure the salt itself is dissolved-- although that is very important, it usually happens fairly fast depending on the temperature you're at... lower temp means slower to dissolve, so in winter it will take longer for salt to dissolve. Anyway, beyond the dissolving thing, you also need to ensure the gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) have time to equilibrate in the water. Straight from the tap, there's a whole lot of carbon dioxide in the water... which causes lower pH and is caustic, and also will suffocate animals. So if you don't allow sufficient mixing time, lack of oxygen dissolved in the water will definitely cause issues too. If it were me, in the winter time, I'd mix overnight or put an airline from outside into the bucket while it mixes for a couple of hours.
Did your livestock suvive ok?
The problem with freshly mixed saltwater is that it doesn't have time to equilibrate, which means that the dissolved gases are all messed up. Let me explain... SO, it's winter time, which means it's cold, and you probably have your furnace on.... which means you have lots of CO2 in the air, and the temp of your house is lower. Both of these things are bad for salt water mixing processes. You don't just mix the saltwater overnight to ensure the salt itself is dissolved-- although that is very important, it usually happens fairly fast depending on the temperature you're at... lower temp means slower to dissolve, so in winter it will take longer for salt to dissolve. Anyway, beyond the dissolving thing, you also need to ensure the gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) have time to equilibrate in the water. Straight from the tap, there's a whole lot of carbon dioxide in the water... which causes lower pH and is caustic, and also will suffocate animals. So if you don't allow sufficient mixing time, lack of oxygen dissolved in the water will definitely cause issues too. If it were me, in the winter time, I'd mix overnight or put an airline from outside into the bucket while it mixes for a couple of hours.
Did your livestock suvive ok?
