Salinity at LFS in STL

[Cancun]

Hi! Can anyone tell me why most local fish stores in STL keep their salinity under 1.020? If you don't use a QT it makes it impossible to drip from low salinity to 1.025 in your tank. What do you guys do in that case? Also I was at a LFS a few weeks ago and bought a nice golden hammer coral....I got it home and before I acclimated it I checked the salinity of the water...it was at 1.022!!!!! I couldn't believe it. It was a pricey piece....I dripped it for a few hours to match my salinity and put it in so we will see. Let me know what you guys think! I have never had any success dripping a fish from low salinity to high salinity over the course of several hours.....

If any fish store owners are reading this....it makes it much easier on us if you keep your fish at 1.024 to 1.025 salinity.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[mpgrant77]

Personally I have had more losses trying to acclimate fish and corals than just doing a temperature equalization and splash. I don't even worry about the salinity) For corals I simply add my dip of choice and soak the corals for 5 to 10 mins. Then I soak rinse them with tank water for a couple minutes. Then put them in the tank. For fish I just acclimate the temp. Then open the bag and toss them in the tank. (no store water into the tank. From what I have researched and personal experience the PH swings along with the fish waste (ammonia) in a small container like an open bag or small dish is worse on the fish than just getting them into a stable environment. Not to mention the added stress on the fish. Since I started doing it this way I have lost 0 fish and corals. I might loss corals overtime but not due to acclimation. I am assuming that you are using a good instrument for measuring specific gravity and calibrate it on occasion also.

 

[curtcherry]

I am done with drip acclimation as well. I match salinity from the LFS and with 15 minutes of temperature acclimation, put the fish in the QT. With such a big swing between LFS salinity and our DTs, I can take some time to move the salinity up.

 

[EDJFA]

It does make it better on us, but they do it to keep some diseases at bay. Corals n More uses copper in their fish system. Marine Solutions used to keep their fish system at like 1.020.

Both of those are specifically for disease control.

 

[kegogut]

Ive never drip acclimate corals. I float,dip,add.

For fish. I do a fast drip,no longer than 30 mins then add to a QT or DT depending on how long they were at the LFS and what type of system they were in.

 

[Pife]

I personally believe it masks some physical signs of several diseases.

 

[Nanook]

Stores need to protect their investment as they see fit (i.e.: hypo, copper, etc). It's up to us to shop with caution and care for the fish after purchasing them. I'm ok with hypo down to 1.020, but lower than that and I usually pass.

 

[curtcherry]

Darn right it does. I have seen it first hand and the aftermath.

 

[Scubareefman]

I can understand why they hypo, I've never really adjusted for it. My q-tank is at 10.025 and I just drip, dip, and plop them in the tank.

 

[Schplitter]

Stores need to protect their investment as they see fit (i.e.: hypo, copper, etc). It's up to us to shop with caution and care for the fish after purchasing them. I'm ok with hypo down to 1.020, but lower than that and I usually pass.

I agree 100%. I actually go an extra step now because I became too aggravated last year. I only buy fish that are in one of the coral systems and have been there for at least a couple of weeks and only from one store because they have gone out of their way to help me out when fish did die in the past.