Bringing the salinity up

This may not be the best way to do it but I mix up some new salt water to about 1.032 - 1.036 and do a water change. I do 15 gallon water changes on a 200gallon system so its slow and doesnt shock my system.

If this is on your 15 gallon bowfront there are 2 ways.

If you need to get it up fast you can do water changes with higher salinity water like I do.

If slow is ok just top off with salt water and let evap do the work for you.
 
slowly. can be done through water changes with desired sg over some few weeks.

i have also had luck, adding a few extra gallons of saltwater mixed to the present sg to the sump (my total volume is about 140 gallons)so that the ato does not go on until the water level goes down due to evaporation. this way the salt content slowly will rise.
 
rbnice, it's the 50 gallon but I bet the 12 g nanopod is low, too. I'm not to worried about it because it is going to be my qt, but I added a toadstool mushroom today in the 50, and I want it happy so it will thrive. I like the idea of topping off with a higher salinity water, so will that work for the mushroom? Also, I'm checking the water parameters on both tanks this evening and I think I'm going to post those on another thread. I appreciate eveyone's advise to the excited newbie, me. :eek:
 
Marsha,

You can top off with salt water for a while and it will gradually bring your salinity up. Monitor with a refractometer daily until it's 1.025. Do not trust a hyrdometer.

When do you 5G weekly water change, make sure your new water is the same SG as the tank.

LL
 
I like the top-off idea, so I think that's what I'll do. I made 5 gallons of sw this evening and it's at 1.038. I have a hydrometer but I don't use it. I bought a nice refrac. off of eBay for 20.00. A bargain considering the lfs wanted over 60.00.

I hate to sound stupid but you said, make sure your new water is the same SG as the tank. Specific gravity = duh to me. I will go to wikipedia and read.

I checked the water parameters a little while ago and they are:

salinity= 1.023
ph= 7.8
ammonia = 0.2
nitrite = below .2
nitrate = below .2

Should I be concerned with the ammonia and nitrate?

Thank you
 
How old is this tank?

Is this the tank you were just setting up a few weeks ago? You need to let it cycle before adding anything if it is.
 
Yes, it's the same tank. I was told the other day that my water parameters were good and that I could add my livestock, so I did. So far, my wet pets are doing good.
 
Marsha,

You can top off with salt water for a while and it will gradually bring your salinity up. Monitor with a refractometer daily until it's 1.025. Do not trust a hyrdometer.

When do you 5G weekly water change, make sure your new water is the same SG as the tank.

LL

This is your best way of doing it. Like mentioned, just go slow. And please don't just pour salt in your sump like previously suggested.

You also mention that you just mixed up 5 gallons of water for you WC and it is at 1.038, why is that?

FWIW I run my tanks at 1.026, NSW readings

HTH

Good luck
 
Spleify, As you can tell, I'm in the learning stage. I was going to take 5 gallons out and replace with the higher salinity sw but I thought I should ask questions before I did. Tomorrow, I'll be buying a 30 gallon food safe container that can hold sw and then I'll make more but with less IO. I'm trying to get it to 1.026, as well. Will you please look at my water parameter numbers and tell me if I should be concerned with the ammonia and nitrate? Posted above.
 
USe of normally mixed saltwater as your topoff water until the sg you want is obtained is the lowest risk method to your livestock. Patience is a virtue!!! Theres no reason to go any faster.
 
I like the top-off idea, so I think that's what I'll do.

I checked the water parameters a little while ago and they are:

salinity= 1.023
ph= 7.8
ammonia = 0.2
nitrite = below .2
nitrate = below .2

Should I be concerned with the ammonia and nitrate?

Thank you

Marsha,

You should do something about the ammonia and nitrite. That is very high and not good for the fish or coral. Your tank may still be going through a cycle (rock and sand with insufficient bacteria to handle normal waste). At this point, water changes are the best way to bring it down. You may want to do daily 10% water changes and monitor ammonia. After ammonia is zero, then watch your nitrites. Keep changing water until nitrites are zero. I know that's a lot of water, but ammonia is poison for the tank occupants. In my opinon, don't add any fish until it's zero.

As for salinity, 1.023 is not dangerous... you'll just want to gradually increase it.

Dilute that 1.038 water with RO/DI. Do not put 1.038 SW in your tank. Bring it down to 1.025 by gradually adding RO/DI. Then as you observe evaporation in your DT (display tank), just add the 1.025 SW to top-off until your tank reaches the desired salinity of 1.025. Remember, only water evaporates - not salt. By adding SW as top-off for a limited time, you will gradually increase the salinity in your DT.

Everything must be gradual in a SW tank...

PM me if you have any questions.

LL
 
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George, I just copied and pasted your advise, I'll start now a water change in a few minutes and I'll get the level of the sw I made yesterday down to 1.026; I'm glad I bought a ro/do unit. Thank you for your help and I will definitely pm you if I have anymore questions.
 
Lightsluver is correct, ammonia and nitrites should be zero. How long has this tank been set up?

Ammonia, Nitrite and nitrates are all part of your nitrogen cycle. Wastes from fish(pee pee and poo poo) create ammonia, in a healthy and properly running tank, that ammonia is then converted into nitrite, which in turn is converted into nitrates. Nitrates don't convert into anything so that is one reason why we do water changes, to help remove those nitrates.

A lot of folks run refugiums with macro algaes in them. Mine has chaetomorphia in it, lit 24 hours a day. Chaeto consumes PO4(phosphates) and NO3(nitrates) so this also helps keeping those numbers in check.

So when you hear someone say that you need to wait for the "cycle" that is what they are talking about, the nitrogen cycle. So if this is a new tank, your are likely still going through your initial cycle. Just give it time, bring your salinity up slowly to 1.026, also like lightsluver said, don't dump the salt water you have, especially if you are getting a bigger container, just dump it in there and add more water to bring it down to 1.026 then make more SW in that can. I use, and like, the gray Brut Rubbermaid 32 gallon garbage cans. All I did when I got it was rinsed and washed it down a little bit with vinegar, rinsed it out real well and let it dry, then put it into use.

I hope all of this makes sense and helps

Good luck
 
Spleify, I had to dump some of the water because I wanted to do this water change as soon as I read Lightsluvr answer to my water parameter question. My area of education is in human behavior, so this is a whole new territory for me and will be a slow learning process. I appreciate your comments and help.
 
No problem, thats what we are all here for. I only wish I had this recourse when I got started into the hobby.

Glad you got the water change done. Get yourself the bigger container and make a large batch of water. I keep a heater, two power heads and an airstone in mine to help keep it in check with my DT water.

Good luck and happy reefing
 
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