can you see a difference in 1.023 to 1.025 just by looking at your corals?
- Thread starter Gary Majchrzak
- Start date
Alex T.
Active member
I've fluctuated between 1.025-1.027 with no measurable effects that I notice. I keep an Achilles tang, and remember reading in Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist that these fish in particular appreciate and thrive with a higher specific gravity. I use 35 ppt as a baseline that I always aim to keep though. I think the stability is more important than the number (within reason).
When I purchased a refractometer to check my "trusty" hydrometer reading a few years back, the tank I had at the time was was 1.030 with no ill effects in both corals and fish. I slowly brought it down over a month's time, but nothing was harmed.
When I purchased a refractometer to check my "trusty" hydrometer reading a few years back, the tank I had at the time was was 1.030 with no ill effects in both corals and fish. I slowly brought it down over a month's time, but nothing was harmed.
Charley Diesing
New member
I really don't know if it's really possible to even really tell. Without incredible research being done. There's so many variables in a tank its incredibly difficult to tell if its one thing or another.
I had some stn issues and lost anthias... Checked salinity 1.029. I'm in total agreeance that it will kill fish and coral
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
When I first started I ran 23 then after about 6mo I raised it to 26 and I noticed a dramatic increase in growth. I never lost anything at 23 however I had very slow growth compared to the 26. There are other contributing factors other than just SG like stable alk calc & mag at the 6mo point that played a role in the improved growth also.
trueblackpercula
New member
I run between 1.0255 and as high as 1.0265 no ill affects with fish but my sps are on the lighter side and was thinking this was the cause.
lemkerailroad1
New member
+1
I ho agree here
mine is at 25 and 26 and great growth of everything (sps and fish in reef only)
Charley Diesing
New member
Mines at 1.022 and I am getting no Coraline growth tank is 1 year old... I actually have started bumping it up... We'lll see how it goes! 
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I've noticed this at lower SG's, as well. Bump it!
JPMagyar
New member
I started reefin' using Dr. Ron's recommendation of a SG around 1.024, but it turned out the testing equipment I was using was not accurate and I was actually keeping my salinity close to 32 ppt. Once I got serious about the topic I decided to shoot for 35 ppt which translated to 1.026 on a properly calibrated VeeGee refractometer. It was my experience at the time that I had less trouble maintaining proper alkalinity and pH at the slightly higher salinity and all my corals seemed to deepen in color over time, but that is/was highly unscientific and could just as easily have been due to an overall increase in attention to detail and general improvement in my husbandry. None the less, the fact remains that my SPS most definitely did change after I changed my salinity.
So there's one more piece of anecdotal internet mumbo jumbo, but maybe it will inspire some biologist to setup a decent lab experiment and give us a real answer
So there's one more piece of anecdotal internet mumbo jumbo, but maybe it will inspire some biologist to setup a decent lab experiment and give us a real answer
betamed
New member
1.028 should not kill fish. Some of our saltwater fish come from sg as high as 1.035 naturally. Unless it was a dramatic increase in a short time it does not add up. My tank runs 1.026-28.
bad calibration fluid got my tank down to 1.021 last year and I lost some SPS
MammothReefer
Active member
I always shoot for middle values in the event of equipment failure or testing mistakes. Gives you the largest safety net +/-
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
x2I started reefin' using Dr. Ron's recommendation of a SG around 1.024, but it turned out the testing equipment I was using was not accurate and I was actually keeping my salinity close to 32 ppt. Once I got serious about the topic I decided to shoot for 35 ppt which translated to 1.026 on a properly calibrated VeeGee refractometer. It was my experience at the time that I had less trouble maintaining proper alkalinity and pH at the slightly higher salinity and all my corals seemed to deepen in color over time, but that is/was highly unscientific and could just as easily have been due to an overall increase in attention to detail and general improvement in my husbandry. None the less, the fact remains that my SPS most definitely did change after I changed my salinity.
So there's one more piece of anecdotal internet mumbo jumbo, but maybe it will inspire some biologist to setup a decent lab experiment and give us a real answer
I run around 1.026-1.027 and my sps and fish love it. In regards to if 1.028 will kill fish of coarse it will if u usually run at 1.024 and u do a water change and accidently raise the salinity to 1.028 in an hour it is bound to kill everything in the tank from shock. But i think if u slowly raised the sailinty over months you could probly rock the 1.028-1.029 with no ill effect.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
for the record
for the record
a quick spike in salinity can prove detrimental (perhaps even lethal) to fishes and inverts but that's not what this thread is about.
It's not about fish at all.
for the record
a quick spike in salinity can prove detrimental (perhaps even lethal) to fishes and inverts but that's not what this thread is about.
It's not about fish at all.
epicurus84
New member
I highly doubt anyone can see this when this happens when they are not aware of it.
Anyhow i've lost acro's at about 38 promille (no fish).
Ofcourse there are changed, since if you mix more salt you also mix more calcium and magnesium in so those levels will rise and corals can react to that.
Anyhow i've lost acro's at about 38 promille (no fish).
Ofcourse there are changed, since if you mix more salt you also mix more calcium and magnesium in so those levels will rise and corals can react to that.
Some fish stores use a low salinity for their fish in the stores. most people don't acclimate a fish for longer then 1 hour. And most fish are fine, so that time should be long enough.
tdb320reef
Active member
.
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Cant say that things "Look" better or worse but params seem to stay most consistent and balanced at 35PPT. This in essence makes Life healthier which will make them look better.
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Cant say that things "Look" better or worse but params seem to stay most consistent and balanced at 35PPT. This in essence makes Life healthier which will make them look better.
stevedola
Master of my domain
Ive had incidents over the years where my Sg droped from 1.025 to 1.023 and I lost a Oregon tort from this and exhibited an STN event. I initially noticed that my color was not as saturated as it had been and then spots of flesh started dying. I figured out that my skimmer was skimming very wet and my top off was diluting the tank...for some reason salinity was the last thing on my list to check...especially ****ed me off the second time around a few years later when the same problem happened and I didn't catch it. I would have to say that overall coral health is detrimentally effect and possible STN depending on coral sensitivity...but then again this Sg drop was rather rapid (over the course of a couple days)
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