salinity question
- Thread starter sanababit
- Start date
sir_dudeguy
Active member
first off, i'd say ditch that salt tester thing you're using now...i'm guessing its just a cheap hydrometer...all the hydrometer's that i've had have said to go to 1.022 also...not sure why but they do. For fish only tanks, thats perfectly fine. But not a reef.
Everyone says to go to 1.025 or 1.026 because thats the specific gravity that corals and inverts require. Fish are a lot more tolerant of many things, salt being one of them, than corals and inverts are. Lower salt levels makes it harder for ich to grow i believe, so if you have fish only, it makes sense to run low so that ich wont pop up as easily. But i guess if you got a reef, you're SOL for that
But i'd get a refractometer which will be MUCH more accurate than those cheap hydrometers. Refracto's are expensive, yes, but good. Some go for 40 on marinedepot i think. Or you could go all out and pay like 120 for one.
Everyone says to go to 1.025 or 1.026 because thats the specific gravity that corals and inverts require. Fish are a lot more tolerant of many things, salt being one of them, than corals and inverts are. Lower salt levels makes it harder for ich to grow i believe, so if you have fish only, it makes sense to run low so that ich wont pop up as easily. But i guess if you got a reef, you're SOL for that
But i'd get a refractometer which will be MUCH more accurate than those cheap hydrometers. Refracto's are expensive, yes, but good. Some go for 40 on marinedepot i think. Or you could go all out and pay like 120 for one.
drummereef
Team RC
You have 2 threads going I answered in the other one. I'm going to second the use of the refractometer. Very accurate when properly calibrated. Please read the following. 
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/1/chemistry
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/1/chemistry
