Help Salinity too Low.

erazon1980 · 01/05/2017, 08:56 AM

So the other day I noticed my zoas were closing up and did all my tests then tested my salinty. I do regular water changes of aprox 20%. My salinity using a refractometer is reading at 1.020. Is it better to use salt water for my top off. Or should I do a water change at a high salinity of 1.028 and see where I am from there. I dont want to stress out the fish.
Thanks

RobZilla04 · 01/05/2017, 09:03 AM

Add some salt to your top off to make the adjustment. Just go slow and let the system cycle before retesting (10 min depending on your flow rate).

Also ensure your refractometer is reading correctly.

sde1500 · 01/05/2017, 10:00 AM

Yea, first order of business is recalibrate the refractometer, use calibration fluid not RODI. Then topoff saltwater is the way to go, nice gradual rise to not stress anything out too much.

scooter31707 · 01/05/2017, 10:24 AM

I agree with the above statements/advice. Also make your top-off water at 1.026.

tmz · 01/05/2017, 11:17 AM

Since you have corals in the tank and they are stressed; I suggest a quick rise to at least 1.023 followed by more gradual increases( say .01 per day ) to 1.026 . Increasing the sg of the top off water really only gets around the equivalent of a 1% daily water in terms of increasing sg change depending on the evaporation rate.So, for example, using 1.026 top off water would only increase sg from 1.020 to 1.0206.

A 15% water change with 1.035 sg replacement water should bring it to 1.0225;a second 15% water change on the following day, again with 1.035 replacement water, should bring it up from 1.0225 to 1.0244.

erazon1980 · 01/05/2017, 12:47 PM

Great Thanks for the info. I will get on it tonight.

Martin Kuhn · 01/05/2017, 03:19 PM

My suggestion would be a more practical
- In general: As you use a Refraktometer, use the [psu] scale instead the SG and calibrate with saltwater at ~35 psu

- Calculate the amount of salt needed to bring you from now, to your desired sailinty level which is around 35psu
(if you tell us your water volume and which type of salt you use we can help how much this will be)
- weigh in the amount of dry salt from your seasalt mixture and put in a bucket keeping it dry
- take a part of it (2%...5%) and add slowly/directly into your system at a position with high water flowrate
- repeat after at least 30 mins ... until your salinity is up to 35 psu
(it doesn't matter if you skip dosing eg over night or when you are at work.... just takes longer to get to the desired pus level)

best rgds
Martin

bertoni · 01/05/2017, 06:17 PM

Topping off with saltwater at your target SG also is an easy and fairly gentle way to raise the SG. That's what I'd do, most likely. For tanks that are evaporating more than about 0.0005 units SG per day, I might top off with part saltwater and part freshwater.

erazon1980 · 01/06/2017, 03:31 PM

I am just going to go with the Top off water using salt water and slowly get it back up.

01/05/2017, 08:56 AM	#1
erazon1980 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: philadelphia Posts: 67	Help Salinity too Low. So the other day I noticed my zoas were closing up and did all my tests then tested my salinty. I do regular water changes of aprox 20%. My salinity using a refractometer is reading at 1.020. Is it better to use salt water for my top off. Or should I do a water change at a high salinity of 1.028 and see where I am from there. I dont want to stress out the fish. Thanks

01/05/2017, 09:03 AM	#2
RobZilla04 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: St. Augustine, FL Posts: 1,857	Add some salt to your top off to make the adjustment. Just go slow and let the system cycle before retesting (10 min depending on your flow rate). Also ensure your refractometer is reading correctly. __________________ 90g Mixed Reef

01/05/2017, 10:00 AM	#3
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Yea, first order of business is recalibrate the refractometer, use calibration fluid not RODI. Then topoff saltwater is the way to go, nice gradual rise to not stress anything out too much. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

01/05/2017, 11:17 AM	#5
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Since you have corals in the tank and they are stressed; I suggest a quick rise to at least 1.023 followed by more gradual increases( say .01 per day ) to 1.026 . Increasing the sg of the top off water really only gets around the equivalent of a 1% daily water in terms of increasing sg change depending on the evaporation rate.So, for example, using 1.026 top off water would only increase sg from 1.020 to 1.0206. A 15% water change with 1.035 sg replacement water should bring it to 1.0225;a second 15% water change on the following day, again with 1.035 replacement water, should bring it up from 1.0225 to 1.0244. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/05/2017, 03:19 PM	#7
Martin Kuhn Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 199	My suggestion would be a more practical - In general: As you use a Refraktometer, use the [psu] scale instead the SG and calibrate with saltwater at ~35 psu - Calculate the amount of salt needed to bring you from now, to your desired sailinty level which is around 35psu (if you tell us your water volume and which type of salt you use we can help how much this will be) - weigh in the amount of dry salt from your seasalt mixture and put in a bucket keeping it dry - take a part of it (2%...5%) and add slowly/directly into your system at a position with high water flowrate - repeat after at least 30 mins ... until your salinity is up to 35 psu (it doesn't matter if you skip dosing eg over night or when you are at work.... just takes longer to get to the desired pus level) best rgds Martin __________________ www.aquacalculator.com ...reference for reefers

01/05/2017, 10:24 AM	#4
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	I agree with the above statements/advice. Also make your top-off water at 1.026.

01/05/2017, 12:47 PM	#6
erazon1980 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: philadelphia Posts: 67	Great Thanks for the info. I will get on it tonight.

01/05/2017, 06:17 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Topping off with saltwater at your target SG also is an easy and fairly gentle way to raise the SG. That's what I'd do, most likely. For tanks that are evaporating more than about 0.0005 units SG per day, I might top off with part saltwater and part freshwater. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/06/2017, 03:31 PM	#9
erazon1980 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: philadelphia Posts: 67	I am just going to go with the Top off water using salt water and slowly get it back up.