Help with salinity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MikePowell]

I know the ideal level of salinity but I need to k ow what the lowest I can go before my fish and corals (sps) die.

I have heard of dropping it down to 1.017 for parasite control but this is not what I'm doing.

My fish are dying as well as my sps and I think it might be my lfs's fault

=(

Lmk asap before I go and talk to them.

All my other params are perfect except for high calcium but I know that will not cause what's going on.

[Sugar Magnolia]

We can't really help you unless you give us more info. What are your tank parameters - salinity, temp, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, alkilinity, magnesium, phosphate. Then we can start to troubleshoot.

[snorvich]

And, most importantly, how are you measuring each of these especially salinity. You NEED a calibrated refractometer for measuring SG.

[an411]

I made a mistake once by using a refractometer that was not calibrated I put a clam in the tank in 2 hours it was dead it turned out that the salt level was way lower then the refractometer was telling me

[MikePowell]

Tank is 14g bc

Salinity "suppose to be" 1.022 refractometer from lfs
Alk- 10 elos
Ph- 8.2 salifert
Mag- 1350 elos
Ammonia- 0 doc wells
Nitrate- 0doc wells
Nitrite- 0 doc wells
Phosphates-0 doc wells

I went a few days ago to pick up some salt water for a water change and had my water tested. The guy said it was at 1.030!? That didn't seem right but I took his word for it. I trust him and the store as they have been honest since they opened a few months ago. Anyways he gives me the reccomended amour of salt water mixed with rodi to lower it alittle bit. The next day my fish are dead. And I go back as soon as they open the next day and test my water again. This time he says 1.022. Last night most of my sps lost their tissue. My salitity float thing is busted so I don't even follow that. I tasted my water and it barely tastes salty and my skimmer is not even working right. I'm going to two ofer lfs after school and then back to them.

[MikePowell]

Sorry for the amount of typoes in my posts. It's my iPhone auto fixing.

[THE ROOK]

You need to purchase at least a hydrometer if not a refractomter. Your fish most likely died from the sudden change in salinity.

Most will complain about the hydrometer but it's more important to maintain a constant number & a hydrometer will do this for $10.00.

Make sure your water in the tank stays constant by keeping up with daily top-offs & before you add water from lfs verify it's the same temp, salinity & close on PH.

[THE ROOK]

Oh & you can take the lfs out of the picture with a 5 gallon bucket, small box of IO salt, small powerhead & 50watt heater.

Then just get your RO water from them or from walmart

[MikePowell]

I think I might start doing this!! But back to the topic when I do verify my salinity what is the absolute lowest before die off.

[snorvich]

Get a refractometer and calibrate it. Unless, of course, you want to lose more animals.

[Sk8r]

Get your own refractometer asap. meanwhile take a vial down there and have them run the salinity again. One of the hardest things on earth to calculate is how much salt water of a given salinity to add to how much volume (varies enormously by amt of sand, rock, etc) to make up a deficiency. Also, adding heavy salt to your water can burn the gills of your fish and tissues on corals. You just cannot calculate that for somebody else: the information is never that complete, and osmotic shock (rapid salinity change) can kill immediately or over several days.

[THE ROOK]

You really need to keep the salinity between 1.023-1.026.

But as I mentioned, It's the large swing that killed the fish. Keeping your parameters "rock steady" has got to be your priority or you'll never keep fish alive in that small of a tank.