Salinity argument

[misty927]

Ok, my girlfriend and i are having an argument on our salinity content on our 55 gallon tank. Our 55 gallon has excelent salinity but is missing about 5 or 6 gallons of water in it. Now I said that we can put 5 gallons of regular RO water in it and the salinity will not fluctuate. But she said that if we put RO in it will dilute the salt content and reduce the salinity. My argument was reasoned by the fact that salt doesnt evaporate. Her agument being the same but that considering the salinity in the tank is fine at the moment, putting more water in the tank will change the salinity.(repeating myself because she added that last sentence) Please settle this argument for us.
Dallas and Misty

 

[kdlbem]

You are right about salt not evaporating..... But, if the S.G. is where you want it now, you need to mix some water to the same S.G.(and temp.) for the tank. When the water evaporates the S.G. rises. So, if it was higher than it needed to be, you would use RO water with no salt to bring it down. Also remember that large or frequent salinity changes can cause stress, so try to keep it as constant as possible. I top off every night(about a quarter of a gal.per day on a 75 gal tank), so it stays at 1.023-1/2 to 1.024 always.
HTH,
B

 

[blutang]

I don't even think you need to add RO water....just add it from the tap.....I have always done that and have had no problems what so ever.
Later!

 

[misty927]

Add regular tap water to my aquarium...I don't think so. lol...

 

[flamehawk]

Adding regular water to a slat tank will cause the slainity to flucuate lower. If you start off with the tank at the needed level oslainity and at the desired level, then adding regular water to make up for evaporation will bring it back to the pre-evaborated state.

 

[ironreef]

fwiw I dose ro water =2gpd and my salinity does drop. i use a refractor to measure. now the water is evaporated and the salt remained there. Now I just added 5g straight ro my salinity dropped .01 it was higher than I wished so I added water. i suggest you just add a gal. wait 1/2hr measure and go from there.... i missed the 5-6gal part yes I would add salt to the water it may affect 55g. I have about 160g true water in my system. I ment to say my salinity doesn't drop when I add 2 gpd. when i had a 55g i added 1 gal at a time no drop either. 5-6gal maybe alot but a gallon at a time is no big deal IME for a 55g
[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: Ironreef ]

 

[@knight]

using tapwater in your tank is asking for trouble. aside from the flourene addded to most systems, copper pipes are also sometimes used and other non-trace minerals can be introduced to the system as well.
[ November 20, 2001: Message edited by: @knight ]

 

[peasly1]

For instance....if your tank was full of water and your salinity was at.(for instance)1.o23,then 5% of the water evaperated and salt does not..the salinity is up a little bit and you need to add water only no salt,I guess the answer is salt does not evaperate and increase's the salinity..hope it helps

 

[guppie]

I you need to add 5 gals of water for topoff in a 55 gal tank you got problems. If you need to add 5 gals of water you beter add the salt, because the water you add without the salt will delute your tank. I can't beleive we are going around about this. I have used regular tap water in all my tanks for over 25 years and have never had a problem because of it. When I first started in sw tanks we did not have all these special water to use, we just declored it added salt and put it in the tank. Just thought I would add that. Good Luck

 

[ironreef]

I used tap for year no ro. i aeriated water 24hr. I got a ro and my water quality became better. after a water change my corals didn't close up for 24hrs like before. they just stay open. Not ALL TAPP is created = either. I lived in seattle the tap seem fine i moved to pacifc/auburn the water is alot harder and not as good. RO is best but even Ron Shimek used tap. Depends on your tap

 

[tacks]

"YES DEAR"

 

[ironreef]

If your going to use tap its better off just to aeriate for 24hr or more. chlorine will dispese on it own. chloramine won't so you need to know what your water is. I guess I keep nice sps ,rose anemone have $$$ in my system I wouldn't use tap. i can spend $70 on a fish/coral I may as well give it good water. thats pretty cheap. I can make $$ of my frags to pay for a ro why not use one? But in being in this hobby for awhile there few ppl who use taps no probs but thereseem to be more ppl who have alga probs and can't keep fish for vey long. Some fish are sensitive to metals That my opinon on ro and tap. Doesn't matter I can keep pretty much anything I try.
[ November 24, 2001: Message edited by: Ironreef ]

 

[peasly1]

so about salinity.....salt does not evaperate so to top off a aqau that had good salt salininity ..do..not ..add salt..