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chrisowu
02/01/2007, 01:33 PM
Stupid question...as water evaporates, so i replace the water with fresh water? right now i check the salinity and add fresh water. I have had the tnak set up for over a month and the salinity seems a bit high at 36 or 1.027. i have some polyps and muchrooms in there right now that are loving it.

What would be the ideal salinity and method to replace water lost to evaporation?

kharmajavah
02/01/2007, 01:37 PM
I'd say lower your specific gravity to 1.025.

Top off with fresh water to make up for evaporation. Some folks use drip methods and automatic top-off devices, but in smaller tanks (I have a 25) it's just as easy to top off with fresh water daily (I keep RO/DI water in a gallon jug, and pour a little in each day, or every couple if I forget. I lose about 1/4 - 1/5 of a gallon per day to evaporation).

You can lower the specific gravity by doing a water change or two; lowering it by such a small amount won't be much of a shock to the livestock.

serpentman
02/01/2007, 01:38 PM
Ideally you want to shoot for a salinity of 35 or 1.025-1.026 so you are not far off. Before you adjust anything though, how are you measuring this? Take into consideration, most non-lab grade hyrdrometers tend to have a high % error.

The best way to keep salinity constant is with an auto top off system that replenishes fresh water as it evaporates off

teetimefun
02/01/2007, 02:32 PM
My hydrometer was way off I didn't realize this until I had the LFS check my salinity. .002 is not way off so just pull about a half gallon of water out and add half gallon of fresh water. I add water using a reptile medicator it's basically a big plastic jug with a little nozzle that drips water into the tank. I also use this to add calcium and other supplements.