raising salinity of lfs saltwater

[hhoang]

I got saltwater to put into my QT from my LFS and my refractometer reads 1.022, it's cycled just fine the only low readings on my test strips are ph and kh (Ph 7.5 Kh 120). My actual test kit is in transit, so I won't get super accurate readings until about Monday.
Can I just add more salt to the water from my LFS store when I do a water change or should I just get RO water and add salt to that instead.
I just want my water parameters to be right before adding them to QT.

The filter I'm using is a regular HOB filter with carbon and there's ceramic rings in the filter too, I've also got an airstone in there to agitate the water surface, Is the filter having an effect on the drop in kh? The readings yesterday were perfect btw.

[tmz]

I think putting the fish into lower sg water to start is a good thing. I start mine at around1.017. Most shipped fish are in low sg water around 1.018 anyway. Dropping the sg won't harm them but it needs to be raised slowly while they are in qt ( ie .001 per day) to ultimately match the display tank water.
Yes you can add salt to the lfs water,just give at least a few hours to mix in. I'd probably mix in enough to raise it to the display tank level and use it for top off water in the qt to raise the sg there gradually over time.
The filter shouldn't drop kh but it rally doesn't matter in a fish only qt tank. Your biggest concern is ammonia.

[bertoni]

You could replace evaporation with saltwater for a while. That should do the trick.

[hhoang]

how much salt per gallon to bring it up .001/day?

For my display tank I'm going to be raising the salinity to 1.026, I could just quickly add salt to the 1.022 water before any life gets added to the tank, it shouldn't effect my live rock right?

[ca1ore]

You could replace evaporation with saltwater for a while. That should do the trick.

That's what I do and it works fine. New fish go in at 1.018 usually and then I raise it up to 1.025 over about a week.

[bnumair]

if you replace existing 1.022 water with 1.026 water for every 1% water replaced you will increase salinity by 0.00004 so this is how is breaks down.
start 1.022
After
10% 1.0224
20% 1.0228
30% 1.0232
50% 1.024
75% 1.025
100% 1.026

[hhoang]

...I'm better with linear equations than I am word problems. lmao
let me see if I deciphered it right:
I remove 10% of the original water and replace it with an equal amount of 1.026 water, the salinity will raise 0.00004?

Edit:
I actually worked it out and came up with a ratio

[bnumair]

yes if 10% water was replaced you will end up with 1.0224

[hhoang]

okay, awesome thank you! will a sudden change in salinity do anything to my live rock that I plan on using to seed my dry rock?

[bnumair]

not harm done. you can increase the salinity with no livestock by 1 point safely every day.
1.022 to 1.023 to 1.024 and so on.
if it was my setup i would bump from 1.022 to 1.026 with in couple of days to even 1 day as there is no livestock to shock.
Or other way to do is like everyone mentioned: top off evaporated water with saltwater and it will eventually increase.

[tmz]

To raise the sg by .001 in 1 gallon of 1.022 water , I'd use abut 2/3rds of a teaspoon of salt ,it may vary a bit with the salt mix. So, to raise your lfs 1.022 water to 1.026
I'd use 4xs that ,around 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon then check it and adjust if necessary . You can then use that for top off to replace evaporation to bring your qt tank up slowly. If you want to go faster you can use up to 1.035 sg water for top off or do water changes with the the higher sg water if evaporation is too slow .

For the display tank without fish in it, I'd go right to 1.026 ,most of what's living in the rock will like that more than 1.022.

This thread may also be of interest:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2185929&highlight=fish+acclimation+and+quarantine

[hhoang]

To raise the sg by .001 in 1 gallon of 1.022 water , I'd use abut 2/3rds of a teaspoon of salt ,it may vary a bit with the salt mix. So, to raise your lfs 1.022 water to 1.026
I'd use 4xs that ,around 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon then check it and dsut if necessary . You can then use that for top off to replace evaporation to bring your qt tank up slowly. If you want to go faster you can use up to 1.035 sg water for top off or do water changes with the 1.026 water if evaporation is too slow .

For he display tank without fish in it, I'd go right to 1.026 ,most of what's living in the rock will like that more than 1.022.

This thread may also be of interest:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2185929&highlight=fish+acclimation+and+quarantine

awesome thank you guys! the thread answered the questions I was just about to ask :)

[tmz]

You are welcome;good luck.