Salinity

D

Daphne Annandale

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17 Oct 2012
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Sandringham,Johannesburg
Hi there,

This question maybe pretty dumb but how does one keep the salinity at the normal levels. We tested the salinity last night,it was quite high but not off the charts so we thought that by just topping up with RO water, this would bring it down. This morning I have tested it and it is off the charts. How do I bring it down and is there a way we can attempt to keep it that way. it is a boyu 120lt tank. Any advice would be appreciated and thanking you in advance.;)
 
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Your salinity should not really change that much as when water evaporates only the water does and not the salt. just top up with RO and you should be fine. If it is a little high just take out like 2 litres of tank water and replace it with RO. Do that every day until you get to where you want it to be.
 
Hi Daphne, what are you using to test the salinity? do you have any living animals in your tank yet? if so, you need to adjust salinity very slowly.
what is your salinity sitting at when you tested it this morning?

did you test the water salinity before you put it into the tank? was it high then?

Remember, everyday water will evaporate from your tank, you need to top up this water, but water evaporates and not salt, so when you have evaporation you only losing water and the salinity is actually getting slightly stronger in your tank water, so always top up with R.O water and not salt water.
 
Good morning Daphne! A very warm welcome to MASA! Great to have you on-board!

OK - to start off - would you please mind telling us a bit more of your tank?

Tell us exactly what live-stock you have in the tank? Fish only? Corals only? Fish and corals?

Also - please post the EXACT salinity level as you measured this last night?

The best way to bring the salinity down, is slowly - over a period of a few hours.

You can do water changes to the tank, with water that has a much lower salinity than your tank water.

Also - what are you using to test the salinity with? Could you get a 2nd opinion perhaps at a LFS or ons of our sponsors? Or perhaps a fellow reefer in the vicinity?
 
Hi Nadeem,

The salinity was sitting between 1.028 and 1.032 so we did add RO water last night but then have tested it just a few mins ago and it is off the meter,way past 1.032 off the chart. I am using an Aqua Syncro hydrometer. We do have fish in the tank an animone, few corals, shrimp, and rock skipper.
 
Hydrometers are really not the most accurate tool around. but no need to go buy an expensive refractometer now, like Jacques said, is there a pet shop nearby where you can have your water tested maybe? just for a second opinion.

you can not just add RO, you need to remove some of your tanks saltwater, say 1 litre, and then replace it with one litre of RO Water. actually do 500ml , and do it every 2 or 3 hours, tank is small so dont want to shock your livestock with sudden salinity changes.

you will gte it right dont worry. i have the exact same tank as your, small tank can be difficult to keep stable sometimes, just remember, do it slowly.
 
Daphne Annandale said:
Hi Nadeem,

The salinity was sitting between 1.028 and 1.032 so we did add RO water last night but then have tested it just a few mins ago and it is off the meter,way past 1.032 off the chart. I am using an Aqua Syncro hydrometer. We do have fish in the tank an animone, few corals, shrimp, and rock skipper.
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See if you can get/or lend a refractometer as those hydrometers are a little dodgy at the best of times.
 
Hi Daphne, Welcome to MASA. Daphne hydrometers have their quirks and it is necessary to understand how they work so that you do not go changing things unnecessarily.

Hydrometers are very temperature sensitive and readings will vary at different temperatures. The calibration temperature of the hydrometer is also important. I do not want to confuse you two much but can you please check the hydrometer for a calibration temperature. You should be able to find a marking on the hydrometer. Could look like 20/20 or 60/60 or 25c etc
 
NADEEM said:
Hydrometers are really not the most accurate tool around. but no need to go buy an expensive refractometer now,
.
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I am going to disagree with you here. Hydrometers are reasonably accurate. The stigma that they are not accurate comes from people not understanding how they work. I will try and explain in simple terms.
 
Daphne Annandale said:
Does anyone think because I added an extra wavemaker it would have anything to do with the change in salinity?
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Definately not. The only possible way it can have any effect is if perhaps you had undo solved salt lying somewhere in your tank and with the new wave maker you have stirred it up but I think that is very unlikely.
 
I'd suggest taking a bit of water to Wild on Pets in Edenvale (Greenstone) and let them check the salinity for you.

If indeed it is high, then slowly replacing salt water with RO water is the correct way to reduce it. A couple of litres an hour should be OK.

Once you're where you need to be then any replacement of evaporated water must be done with RO water, and any water changes done with salt water mixed to the same salinity as your tank water.
 
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The cost in the region of R980 each if i am not mistaken....and that is quite alot to spend if you a newbie
 
Nemos Janitor said:
I am going to disagree with you here. Hydrometers are reasonably accurate. The stigma that they are not accurate comes from people not understanding how they work. I will try and explain in simple terms.
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:whistling::whistling: The suspense is kiling me!!
 
I think the hydrometer me bought got faulty after our youngest rinsed in with HOT HOT water, that could have changed the calibration. I think take both to the shop and have it tested
 
OK so i have an answer, Daphne just went to have it tested and the hydrometer is 100% correct. The Salinity is too high, been advised to replace 2 litre a day with RO during a 24 hr period. I think personally with us adding the extra wave maker we stirred up some unsolved salts and that produced a salinity spike. That is the only explanation in this regard as the salinity was just slightly on the high side when tested prior to adding the wave maker.
 
OK so this is what i think happened. We got 2 containers from a fellow mate (one was RO water and the other sea water) prior to us making our own. We did a 20% water change and i am now convinced that the RO water was indeed sea water that caused it all.
 
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