How Salty do you prefer?

[chrisbenavides]

I know we will find many opinions as well concerning this issue. Whats your preference? We know stability is key, but why else do you choose this SG?

I have been told that for the most part higher salinity is better, but why? Now I want to know what most people keep their tanks at (at average). I'm at 1.026 for the reef tank and at 1.022 for the seahorse tank.

What do you keep your tank at and why? What are the benefits to the SG you choose?

Thanks and hope we can get enough votes, like last time's "Fasting Vote". I did learn from there and hope this will be the same.

[swims withthe fishes]

1.025 for the reef
1.022-1.021 for FO

[chrisbenavides]

So do reef tanks have higher SG's and the fish-only tanks? I know that I was told to keep my tank (reef) at 1.026 or even higher at 1.0275 and to keep my seahorses at the low end of 1.021-22.

Do we know why?

Thanks for your response swims withthe fishes! :)

[AIMFish]

Nothing lower than 1.020?!:eek: It depends on the tank but I take care of ones from 1.017-1.024or5.

[chrisbenavides]

Maybe the RC people can change my poll to make way for lower salt levels since I cannot edit it.

I personally did not think saltwater tanks went lower than 1.020. I guess I'm learning! ;)

[lvpd186]

I keep my tank at 1.025. From what I have read a FO system can usually be kept at a lower SG, but a reef tank is usually kept higher due to the corals.

[ACBlinky]

I like to keep my tanks (all reefs) at NSW levels. 35ppt on my refractometer is ~1.026, so that's what I aim for :)

[Amphiprion]

Usually between 1.026-1.027 (35 PSU)

[chrisbenavides]

Like said before...it seems like most people keep their salt level higher. Why is that though? Why is it good for the reef tank to have higher salts? Why is it good for FO tanks to have it lower?

[bertoni]

I don't think it is good to run FO lower. It does save some money on salt, though, I guess. The canonical "average ocean water" SG is about 1.026-1.027, so that's what I target.

[Agu]

used to have 1.026 when I had larger tanks, with smaller tanks 1.025 gives me more margin for error.

[Btboy2004]

1.025 for me

[bjonesjr1]

1.026 for me sometimes 1.027 but never any lower than that or higher

[Reef_|<eeper]

I keep mine at a constant 1.023

[Pete1399]

I am keeping mine at 1.026. It is right at the middle of the range I want so it gives me some cushion up or down.

[stewie24]

My vote went out for 1.025. Its easy to read on my refract and a good level to keep it at IMO.
Stewie

[chrisbenavides]

I can see that most keep it at a bit higher salinity (1.025-26), but why? In other words, why is higher salt levels better than lower salt levels?

[ohioreef]

I don't even pay attention to SG. I keep my tank at a salinity of 35ppt as measured on a refractometer.

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7028628#post7028628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisbenavides
In other words, why is higher salt levels better than lower salt levels?
I aim for 1.026 as that's what NSW measures in the South Pacific where most of my livestock comes from.

I guess I don't know of a reason not to keep my tank at 1.026, so that's what I do.

[Brandon's Reef]

I thought that for FO tanks the reason for the salt level being lower was because it is more dificult for the parasites to attach. Just what I thought. I run my sps dominated 54 at 1.025

[chrisbenavides]

Thats pretty interesting about parasites not being able to attach themselves at lower SG's. Maybe this is why I was told to have lower SG in seahorse tank.

Thanks for your vote. :)

[bertoni]

Hyposalinity is fine for dealing with ich parasites. The lower SG levels like 1.021 won't help, though. It's 1.009 to kill ich.

[chrisbenavides]

how long could we keep saltwater fish in 1.009 to kill ich?
does anyone ever dip their fish in freshwater?

its amazing that almost 50% of the votes voted for 1.025 alone.

[richfavinger]

My LFS keeps her fish system at 1.018 ... From what I was told by others, it's to prevent ich. But it's a PITA when I buy fish from her, I don't know what her coral tank is at.

My 75g runs at 1.025, seems that when I ran 1.023 / 22, the corals didn't seem to open as much. Back up to 1.025, every body is happy!

Rich

[chrisbenavides]

Does this apply to soft corals, Xenia as well? Does lower salinity affect Xenia? Becuase I plan to keep Xenia and mushrooms in my seahorse tank which is 1.022, and I want to know if it affects it in a bad way.

Thanks!!!

[sjm817]

Skimmers work better at higher levels. I use 1.026

[happyhourhero]

I just checked mine for the first time in a month and its still at 1.026.

[chrisbenavides]

Does this apply to soft corals, Xenia as well? Does lower salinity affect Xenia? Because I plan to keep Xenia and mushrooms in my seahorse tank which is 1.022, and I want to know if it affects it in a bad way.

Thanks!!!

[Sk8r]

I use 1.0245, ie, high end of .024, because I have a 52 gal with a tiny sump and a high evaporation rate. I wouldn't want to have it go too high. I may adjust this all the wqy to .025+ if I can get the topoff unit to work reliably: I just got it today.

[chrisbenavides]

Its interesting that so far...only 5:133 keep their tanks at 1.027, which was recommended to me at the start of this hobby many times here on RC by many. Wonder why?

Its also interesting that only 10% choose low salinity, when in fact it may be healthier for fish. Probably because most are not keeping a FO, but want the beauty of corals, which probably require sea salinity levels.

[bolton reefer 1]

mines at 1.025 on my reef, i use a top-up device replacing evaperated water which keeps it more stable,
over 5glns a week is toped up now, much more in summer.
this device was for the anemone which i struggled to keep in changing conditions ,im sure corals also prefer stable conditions

[bolton reefer 1]

another thing i was told when starting out is low salinity triggers filament algae blooms

[Mariner]

I think the reasons people keep SG fairly high are as follows:
1) Because that's what sea water is and we're trying to provide a natural environment for our critters.
2) Because inverts may not do as well at lower salinities (And I don't know for sure, but I would guess that includes Xenia. I have a ton of xenia in my mixed reef that I keep at 1.025).
3) Because the higher the SG the higher the concentration of calcium and alkalinity which are vital for stoney corals -- i.e. it's much easier to maintain adequate calcium and alkalinity at 1.025 than at 1.020.
HTH,
Mariner

[chrisbenavides]

make that 6:150 only.

So we know that Xenia does good at higher SG, but how does it do at lower SG? Any experience?

[chrisbenavides]

I guess no answer from the above statement.

Anyways...I guess we got a basic statistical Normal Bell Curve with these votes.

Thanks for voting!

[chrisbenavides]

bumping it once more to get some more votes for those who didn't vote yet.... if anyone has a clue to the statment above, let me know please...

thanks!!!

[swims withthe fishes]

i'm a little late getting back to this post....

i keep my reef at nsw because coral of all kinds is pickier than fish about water chemistry.
i keep my fish at a lower sg because it helps ward off the possibilities of paracites and pathogens... i keep the water warmer in FO for the same reasons, it helps keep up their immune system.