Help with hyposalinity

[zephyrlily]

I want to hyposalinate the tank for ich but it might be a few days before my refractometer arrives. I know the swing-arm hydrometer isn't accurate enough but can I use it to drop the ppt/sg somewhere above 1.009 in the mean time, until the refractometer arrives? I don't think my fish can wait.
:help:

 

[sov82]

Well you can try to estimate what its going to take...
Lets say your hydrometer is at 1.027 (~35ppt)
You want to be at 1.009 (~15ppt)
Lets say you have a 10 gallon tank. While this isn't a perfect science, you are going to need to take out 5 gallons of salt water and replace it with 5 gallons of pure unsalted distilled water to get close to 15ppt.
By removing 5 gallons, this would leave you with 35ppt in 5 gallons (Or just fill up your QT with 1/2 way to start with! This is sort of a "duh factor"...but I say remove 5 gallons so you can put 5 new gallons in ...just incase thats missed....I know this is confusing!)
Next add 5 gallons of unsalted distilled water to fill your tank.
So....35/2 = 17.5ppt over all 10 gallons once you add 5 gallons of fresh water to your 10 gallon tank.
Some things to consider though...
1. Hydrometers are highly inaccurate. You are going to want to leave yourself with a nice "buffer" just incase
2. The actual removal of salt + adding fresh water may not be perfect. Mathematically its nice...but you have variables...
3. If you remove too much salt, your fish are in trouble.
4. Temperature plays a role in salinity...so the numbers are not going to be exactly perfect.
When I did this with my 29 gallon QT, I had a refractometer...my tank water was 35ppt. To get it to 15ppt, I had to replace 16 gallons of salt water with fresh water. So this method seems to work.
Please be careful! Leave yourself a buffer! Then when you get your refractometer, move it down to 14-15ppt.
This is the way I thought about it when I was in your situation...but you have to keep in mind that this is not perfect...but it will get you started. Its better to have salinity too high (say 22ppt) then too low (10ppt)....If I were you, I would try to move it to 22ppt until you get your refractometer.
-Matt

 

[beth]

Yes, go ahead and do that. Drop to around 1.015. That would be safe and a good margin for error.
Excellent Idea! Now, no one can say that they can't wait for the refract to arrive.

 

[dburr]

A good back-up plan is after you drop it, bring water to the LFS and tell them what your doing and test it. Then you can leave it or drop it alittle more if needed.
I used a swing arm to do my hypo and once I knew where 1.009 was on the swing, I used it for my target. Worked like a charm.

 

[sov82]

What local store in CT do u go to?

 

[dburr]

I go to Best friends in Haddam. He hasn't got much lately because he was supposed to move across the street. But I still go there, we have become go friends.
I don't buy alot of frags since I joind the reef club. If I do I buy them at the meeting if we're at a store. (discounts )
Were do you go? Where in CT do you live? The next meeting is on the 15th at a members house in Gails Fairy if you are interested at all.
LMK, Dan

 

[zephyrlily]

Thanks sov82

Great info! I'll target 22ppt. Hopefully the refractometer will arrive in the next 2 days.

 

[sov82]

I'm from Vernon and go to Wet Pets since its 5mins away from me. They dont have too much in the way of Corals and are pretty high priced but I like the people there. I'll pick up the occasional fish and supplies on a as-needed basis...which tends to be every other day lol.
I'll be away on a business trip on the 15th unfortunately!

 

[sov82]

To get to about 22ppt, you would need to change ~4 gallons. This would actually get u to 21ppt if all the math was perfect. I would change a gallon or two every couple of hours.
I wouldn't be suprised when you got your refractometer to find out you are really at 18ppt-24ppt after doing the change...thats how inaccurate swing arm hydrometers really are....but atleast you have a good start!

 

[zephyrlily]

Good news! :joy: I received my refractometer (same model sold here w/ ATC).
I'm a bit confused reading about the calibration, also read the FAQ here. I'm supposed to calibrate it at a 68F enviroment, but my room temperature is mid to high 80's, so how do I go about calibrating at 68F? :notsure:

 

[zephyrlily]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong. It was already calibrated at the manufacturers at 68F and I just re-calibrate at my room temperature, which I did, but the FAQ says ATC have to be done within the 50-86F range, what if my enviroment gets warmer than that, which usually it does after noon?

 

[beth]

I have calibrated mine as is and it is fine. My instructions say to allow the water to reach room temp for 30 secs then take the reading.

 

[zephyrlily]

Thanks Beth,
Last night I got the ppt down to 14, my fish had the sprinkled salt look. This morning almost all of it was off, tonight he's sprinkled again (which is no different than what has been happening all week). From what I read the hypo won't kill the cyst stage until after they fall off, the tomite/theront stage, so how is it that they're getting back on. Does the hypo treatment not affect them immediately? Am I expected to see this for a few days into hypo before it takes effect?

 

[beth]

That is right. Hypo is not effective while the parasites are on the fish. What is your specific gravity reading?

 

[zephyrlily]

SG is 1.010
I'm guessing when the ich initiallly attaches to the fish they're not visible until the cyst is formed so the cysts that are showing now were already on the fish just not visible at the time of hypo?

 

[beth]

Yes. Also, you are not in hypo until you reach the target. Just lowering is not going to effect the parasite. So your ppt should be 14 and the sg right at or very close to 1.009.