Salt Level

[idgy]

Hi,

Tonight, I did a water change and I also took down the sump, cleaned it and put it all back together. I did a reading of the salt level in the tank and the level is not quite where it should be. What is the best way to get the salt lever where it should be?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Brenden]

If it is low add a little salt to your top off water. If it is high take a little out each day and replace with fresh. What kind of levels are you dealing with?

 

[mmkeeper]

You can add some extra salt to your water change water also. If you need to lower your salt level you can lower the salt level in your water change water also.

 

[LakeEd]

If you were noticing a slight increase in your salinity... it is most likely due to evaporation... and the addition of RO/DI water to replace what was evaporated should bring your salinity back into check.

 

[idgy]

It is actually several point below average. It is 1.021, it is usually around 1.026

 

[Brenden]

Big drop. Make sure you bring it up slowly. (couple days) Any coral in the tank?

 

[LakeEd]

You mentioned that you did a water change... did you happen to match (heat) your change water temp to that of your main tank, when you tested its salinity?

I have noticed, if I don't heat my water and mix it to the salinity that I want... then heat it afterwards, the salinity is off on my change water then.

Just grasping at ideas here for ya, as to the cause. Use the above suggestions to help with getting things back ballanced out where you want them.

 

[idgy]

Thanks everyone! The water was heated, at the moment it is just fish and some polyps. I hope they are going to be OK. So they best way to bring up the salt is to add some salt to the evap. water I replace?

 

[LakeEd]

That would work, yes. Just don't try to bring up everything in one day... over the course of at least 3 days, I would suggest.

 

[burning2nd]

are you useing a refractometer of a hydrometer?

ditagal thermometers? on your tank and your ro holding tank?

if your shooting for 26 and your at 21

what i would do is mix your water to 22 or 23 do a water change.
next water change do 24-25 and so on till your there.

if you dont want it like that you could
take a few gallons out in a bucket add a little salt (TEST!) make sure its not higher then 1.023 (no more then 3 points at a time) then add it back.

wait 10 hours and do it ageain..

1.021 isnt bad..... its not that that far from 26.

i think (IMO) that you should be able to go from 21 to 26 in 3 moves (4 to be safe) If you have some super hard core senstive corals then you might wanna do it 5 or 6 moves over a course of a week or so

 

[Curtswearing]

You guys move your Specific Gravity upwards pretty quickly IMO. Downward changes can be made fairly quickly but large upward changes seriously stress out fish. Additionally, many inverts (crabs, shrimp, starfish, etc.) will die if you go from 1.021 to 1.026 in a couple of days. If I had to move up that much in Specific Gravity, I would take over a week to do it.

 

[idgy]

OK, so what would be the best method to do this? Put the salt back with the evap water? How much salt should I use at a time with the evap water?

Thanks All!

 

[burning2nd]

when i do it,

very few and betweem

i make sure the water im adding is the same as the water i have.

when the water is more then what i have you can see it

when the water i have is less then what i have you can see it.

i forgot what it is called when fresh water and salt water mix.

but its a distortion looking view

 

[spooge88]

here's a question, an hour ago i just bought a brittle starfish for my refugium and checked the salinity of the stores water and it turned out to be 1.019.
am i screwed?
what is the best way to approach this now, the store is closed and i can't leave the star in a little container.

 

[burning2nd]

eather take all day to acclamated it, get a qt tank and bring that down.

or it will die