praterface

Do I really need to get a trash can to pre-mix?
or can I mix in tank afterwards?

carlos413

NO!!! please dont. you can use 5 gallon bucketts to mix your water/salt.

harpua2002

For a 55, it's probably easiest to get a trash can. I got the Rubbermaid Brute because of the wheels you can buy. Makes it a lot easier IME.

MizRamzi

+1 on the trash can~a bucket would take forever~just add yer salt mix~get a nice size power head and let it do the mixing for you~I'd let it run for a day or two to get a good mix.

Digilistan

For my 55gal, I filled the tank with water, then gradually added the salt - it had nothing else in there besides the water so it was just like using a big glass garbage bin. The powerheads and filtration took care of dissolving it. Worked a treat.

Obviously not recommended if there are fish/substrate etc in the tank.

With that said, I find it's a lot better to do as the other people have suggested with the plastic pails etc. Tonnes better.

sgould

During initial set up, with no livestock of any kind in the tank, you can mix in the tank. Once you have stocked the tank with anything...fish, inverts, whatever...do not try to mix water directly in the tank unless you want to risk the inhabitants coming down with a bad case of dead.

Meenu

Carlos, I think that it's fine as long as it is a new trash can that hasn't been used for trash or been washed with any soaps.