Step 1: Get Your Salt
The first thing you’ll need to mix saltwater for your aquarium is….salt mix! There are a variety of options for this, and for a full review, please visit our reviews of the best saltwater mixes. The Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt is our top choice. Make sure you have a place to store your salt mix that’s out of the way, cool, and dry, as you’ll likely want to buy in bulk to save money. Once you have your salt mix, you are ready for step 2.
Step 2: Get Your Mixing Station Ready
You can use a variety of items to mix your saltwater, but the most common are 5-gallon buckets (can be found for $2-$3 at your local hardware store) and plastic trash cans (Brute trash cans with wheels if you can). You’ll need these, and depending on the amount of water or how good you are at stirring, you may also want a powerhead to move the water and mix the salt. You’ll also want a refractometer to be able to measure the salinity of your water. Remember, you’ll want the gravity to be between 1.20 and 1.26 before you put the saltwater in your tank.
Step 3: Get Your Freshwater
Most experts recommend using RO/DI filtered water for your aquarium. You can use your own RO/DI system to create the RO/DI water, or you can typically get this water from your local fish store. If you are going to use tap water, make sure to get a dechlorinator/water conditioner and mix that in along with the salt. You’ll also want to let the dechlorinated water sit for 24 hours before adding in to your aquarium. Once you have your water (pending the size of the tank and/or the percentage of water change you are doing, the amount of water will vary), you are ready to start mixing.
Step 4: Mix Your Freshwater and Salt Mix
Now you are ready to mix your salt mix and freshwater. Make sure to follow the instructions on your salt mix, but there should be an amount of salt mix per gallon of water that you follow. As you mix the salt into your water, make sure to stir it really well. This is where the assistance of the powerhead could come in handy. Measure the salinity of your saltwater with the refractometer to make sure you have your desired levels, and voila, you have saltwater.
Step 5: Let Your Saltwater Sit
Again, follow the instructions on your salt mix, but also know if you used RO/DI water or tap water with conditioner, to understand how long you should let your saltwater sit before adding it to your fish tank. Once you let your saltwater sit for the desired amount of time, you are all set to add your water into your fish tank!
Frequently Asked Questions about Mixing Saltwater
You should only do this if you don’t have any live species in your tank. That said, it’s likely still easier to mix saltwater outside of your tank as well.
Yes, but it’s not recommended. The recommended way is to use RO/DI filtered water. If you are going to use tap water, make sure to use a water conditioner to help remove the chlorine, which is really detrimental to the living organisms and bacteria in your fish tank.
Once you have all of your materials, it should only take you 5-10 minutes to mix your saltwater. That said, you may need to let your saltwater sit for 4-24 hours before you add your saltwater to your aquarium!
