Salinity Change during Cycle.

[Stingray122]

Just set up my new ATO, was working great for an hour before my refug light kicked on. The optical sensor must have been effected by the refugium light and proceeded to dump about 3-4ish gallons of RODI water into my 55ish gallon system. The float valve was stuck on the side of my sump (my mistake, had it too close to the side). My salinity dropped from 1.026 to 1.024 (using a calibrated refractometer). Will this have an effect on my cycle by killing off the bacteria or will it be okay? Thanks!

 

[Aveet]

It should be fine. Bacteria are a very primitive organism. If anything I think their reproduction may "stutter" but shouldn't be greatly affected. Bacteria tend to enter a logarithmic rate of reproduction after adapted to their environment, until they hit a critical bio load point (lack of resources for growth).

 

[Stingray122]

Recalibrated refractometer, it seems my salinity is more like 1.022 now? Still okay? Glad it happened when I was nearby atleast.

 

[Stingray122]

If I continue with my cycle (BRS's ULM method), and my bacteria are hinded, I would see an excess amount of ammonia forming due to decaying fish food correct? Glad this happened a few days into my cycles and can be fixed! Just has me curious. I feel I have a grasp on the hobby (researched for 3 months before I even started building), but just want to double check here!

 

[Aveet]

Your salt may still have been diluting to the excess water on your first measure. As long as you don't have fish/inverts/coral in your tank I wouldn't worry to much. Slowly work the salinity back to your preferred level and cycle like normal.
Bacteria grow by binary fission, where each cell splits into two identical cells, so it will not take long to correct loss of culture (if any) in a cycling tank. Keep them feed and warm and let them do their thing. Just watch your water parameters for evidence that your setup is "cycled".

 

[Aveet]

Sorry I missed a question in your last post. Yes you may see or it may be a negligible bump in ammonia temporarily if your bacterial growth was hindered in some way.

 

[Stingray122]

Thank you. I also imagined that these strains of bacteria live everywhere from the ocean, small tide pools, and inland salt lakes. So they have to be adapted to the massive ranges of salinity, just hoping that this massive drop in salinity didn't shock them all to death! Luckily no life yet in the tank besides the bacteria, macroalgae, and some pods. Better things happened now then months down the road. Might have to reestablish the pods in the future, but likely would have had to anyways.

 

[mcgyvr]

Not an issue at all..
That small change in salinity is not going to kill bacteria or anything..

All is fine..