royal gang
Active Member
umm no what do you do? :scared:
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blackaero1
Guest
Really?? I must admit to being a newb to the sw spectrum and thought it would be okay if done in small quantities over a period of time. Would I even consider this if I had a well established tank full of fish, no. but with my minimal fish and poor results so far I figured it wasn't such a bad idea this morning. So, um... I added some salt, evidently not enough to put much of a dent in the sg. So then how would one raise the sg in a tank that is already set up? Do it with a water change???
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by blackaero1
Really?? I must admit to being a newb to the sw spectrum and thought it would be okay if done in small quantities over a period of time. Would I even consider this if I had a well established tank full of fish, no. but with my minimal fish and poor results so far I figured it wasn't such a bad idea this morning. So, um... I added some salt, evidently not enough to put much of a dent in the sg. So then how would one raise the sg in a tank that is already set up? Do it with a water change???
Yes, with a water change. You can also (if your levels are where they should be and a water change is not needed) Pull some water out of your tank and use that to mix. You always want to mix your saltwater for at least 24 hrs before adding it to your tank. You can do this in a bucket with a powerhead and a heater. You want the temp to be as close as possible to the tank water. Being you just have to raise it a few points you can make your water up at 1.026 which will bring it up in the tank to probably 1.023. You will need to do this several times over several days. Add a little bit at a time and test the water in your display after you add the new water to be sure you are not raising it too quickly. .02 points per day is what you are going for. Once it is at 1.025-1.026 let it settle for a day or two to be sure there are no fluctuations before buying anything else. If you have any questions please ask!
Really?? I must admit to being a newb to the sw spectrum and thought it would be okay if done in small quantities over a period of time. Would I even consider this if I had a well established tank full of fish, no. but with my minimal fish and poor results so far I figured it wasn't such a bad idea this morning. So, um... I added some salt, evidently not enough to put much of a dent in the sg. So then how would one raise the sg in a tank that is already set up? Do it with a water change???
Yes, with a water change. You can also (if your levels are where they should be and a water change is not needed) Pull some water out of your tank and use that to mix. You always want to mix your saltwater for at least 24 hrs before adding it to your tank. You can do this in a bucket with a powerhead and a heater. You want the temp to be as close as possible to the tank water. Being you just have to raise it a few points you can make your water up at 1.026 which will bring it up in the tank to probably 1.023. You will need to do this several times over several days. Add a little bit at a time and test the water in your display after you add the new water to be sure you are not raising it too quickly. .02 points per day is what you are going for. Once it is at 1.025-1.026 let it settle for a day or two to be sure there are no fluctuations before buying anything else. If you have any questions please ask!
1911_guy
Member
Water changes
You should mix your saltwater in a seperate container to give the salt mix a chance to dissolve completely before adding it to the tank. An even better practice is letting your saltwater mix "age" for a few days prior to adding it to your tank. Basically, mix your saltwater and let it sit while agitating it with a powerhead. Some people use heaters as well but depending on how much water volume you are mixing and how much heat your PH gives off will depend on whether you need a heater in there or not. Personally, I mix 15 gallons with a small pump and it's just right. A few months ago I was mixing it with a mag 9.5
, the water would be over 90 degrees 3 days later. Now I use a mag 5. Some also use an airstone, I do not.
Okay, so now you know to only add pre-aged saltwater to your tank for water changes and slowly raising sg. To lower it or to just topoff you can add R/O water. If you're adding R/O water to lower the sg, do it slowly...the slower the better. Marine animals do not like sudden changes in sg, or really any sudden change for that matter.
Hope this helps.
You should mix your saltwater in a seperate container to give the salt mix a chance to dissolve completely before adding it to the tank. An even better practice is letting your saltwater mix "age" for a few days prior to adding it to your tank. Basically, mix your saltwater and let it sit while agitating it with a powerhead. Some people use heaters as well but depending on how much water volume you are mixing and how much heat your PH gives off will depend on whether you need a heater in there or not. Personally, I mix 15 gallons with a small pump and it's just right. A few months ago I was mixing it with a mag 9.5
Okay, so now you know to only add pre-aged saltwater to your tank for water changes and slowly raising sg. To lower it or to just topoff you can add R/O water. If you're adding R/O water to lower the sg, do it slowly...the slower the better. Marine animals do not like sudden changes in sg, or really any sudden change for that matter.
Hope this helps.
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blackaero1
Guest
That is pretty much how I do water changes, except my water changes are on a small scale averaging 4-5 gallons each time.