Salinity increase question
- Thread starter jw1977
- Start date
lexluethar
Active Member
If you have nothing in the tank (no fish/inverts/corals/LR) then yes that is okay. I wouldn't do it though. If you ONLY need 1/2 cup, unless you have 20 gallons or less this won't make any difference in salinity. So my suggestion is to leave it be, cycle. Then premix some salt and water for 24 hours with slightly higher salinity than your tank then do a water change - best way to raise salinity.
But come on 1/2 cup will not make a difference, and during the cycle it shouldn't really matter what the salinity is unless it is at an extreme (which it obviously isn't if you just need to add 1/2 cup).
But come on 1/2 cup will not make a difference, and during the cycle it shouldn't really matter what the salinity is unless it is at an extreme (which it obviously isn't if you just need to add 1/2 cup).
b bauer
Member
Originally Posted by LexLuethar
If you have nothing in the tank (no fish/inverts/corals/LR) then yes that is okay. I wouldn't do it though. If you ONLY need 1/2 cup, unless you have 20 gallons or less this won't make any difference in salinity. So my suggestion is to leave it be, cycle. Then premix some salt and water for 24 hours with slightly higher salinity than your tank then do a water change - best way to raise salinity.
But come on 1/2 cup will not make a difference, and during the cycle it shouldn't really matter what the salinity is unless it is at an extreme (which it obviously isn't if you just need to add 1/2 cup).
you type alot faster than I do LOL
If you have nothing in the tank (no fish/inverts/corals/LR) then yes that is okay. I wouldn't do it though. If you ONLY need 1/2 cup, unless you have 20 gallons or less this won't make any difference in salinity. So my suggestion is to leave it be, cycle. Then premix some salt and water for 24 hours with slightly higher salinity than your tank then do a water change - best way to raise salinity.
But come on 1/2 cup will not make a difference, and during the cycle it shouldn't really matter what the salinity is unless it is at an extreme (which it obviously isn't if you just need to add 1/2 cup).
you type alot faster than I do LOL
lexluethar
Active Member
HAHA, well if he just has LR I would think it would be okay, but if he has anything beneficial on his LR like little critters (not bacteria), then adding salt straight to the tank IMO is bad news, you could kill off anything that hitched a ride.
lexluethar
Active Member
1.015 is REALLY low, you will not be able to support ANY inverts (snails, crabs) in that type of environment. IMO I would still wait until you properly mix the salt in another container with water for 24 then adding it to the tank in order to raise salinity.
What size tank is it? Unless its like 15 gallons you will need way more than 1/2 cup to raise your SG to 1.025 (which is where you should be).
What size tank is it? Unless its like 15 gallons you will need way more than 1/2 cup to raise your SG to 1.025 (which is where you should be).
mcbdz
Active Member
Please give us more info on you set up?
Size, filtration, lr/ls?
How long has it been set up?
Are you testing your own water?
What are your numbers? You are not quite ready for any livestock yet. Please let us know these answers and we can help you.
Also, to slowly and safely raise your SG. mix your water with RO/DI for 24hrs with ph and heater. Once it is at the temp and sg you plan tp keep your tank use this water for your daily topoff's until you reach your desired sg. Then resume topoff's with just RO/DI water.
Size, filtration, lr/ls?
How long has it been set up?
Are you testing your own water?
What are your numbers? You are not quite ready for any livestock yet. Please let us know these answers and we can help you.
Also, to slowly and safely raise your SG. mix your water with RO/DI for 24hrs with ph and heater. Once it is at the temp and sg you plan tp keep your tank use this water for your daily topoff's until you reach your desired sg. Then resume topoff's with just RO/DI water.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
to safely do it, just add a half a cup of salt into a gallon of RO/DI water and stir it with a mini powerhead or something. Add it as top off water for the next couple of days.
jw1977
Member
My tank is 46 gallons and it's been cycling now for 2 weeks. My LFS did my test last wednesday and came up with 1.015. I have since purchased a hydrometer and it's showing the same reading. I did a water change yesterday where I added a little extra salt to the new water and it's still reading 1.015.
ophiura
Active Member
Wow, as mentioned, that is very low. If you want to keep inverts, you need it at a minimum of 1.024, ideally 1.025-1.026.
However if you just want to keep fish (literally, just fish - no snails, shrimp, etc) then 1.019 would be OK.
If there is nothing in the tank it can be raised relatively quickly.
However if you just want to keep fish (literally, just fish - no snails, shrimp, etc) then 1.019 would be OK.
If there is nothing in the tank it can be raised relatively quickly.
lexluethar
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Wow, as mentioned, that is very low. If you want to keep inverts, you need it at a minimum of 1.024, ideally 1.025-1.026.
However if you just want to keep fish (literally, just fish - no snails, shrimp, etc) then 1.019 would be OK.
If there is nothing in the tank it can be raised relatively quickly.
This is what I was saying. Since you have nothing in the tank there is no need to slowly raise the SG (although when you have fish/inverts/coral in the tnak an increase of around .002 a day is enough), IMO I would mix up a batch of saltwater with a very high SG and do a water change. I would still go the route of mixing up the water for 24 hours prior to adding to your tank. Since you have a 40 gallon tank i would do about a 10 gallon change with SG of around 1.030 - this should get your tank a little closer to your target of 1.025.
If you have things on your LR that yo uwant to keep (good hitch hikers), then you do need to raise the SG slowly b/c they will die otherwise (if they haven't died already from the low SG).
Wow, as mentioned, that is very low. If you want to keep inverts, you need it at a minimum of 1.024, ideally 1.025-1.026.
However if you just want to keep fish (literally, just fish - no snails, shrimp, etc) then 1.019 would be OK.
If there is nothing in the tank it can be raised relatively quickly.
This is what I was saying. Since you have nothing in the tank there is no need to slowly raise the SG (although when you have fish/inverts/coral in the tnak an increase of around .002 a day is enough), IMO I would mix up a batch of saltwater with a very high SG and do a water change. I would still go the route of mixing up the water for 24 hours prior to adding to your tank. Since you have a 40 gallon tank i would do about a 10 gallon change with SG of around 1.030 - this should get your tank a little closer to your target of 1.025.
If you have things on your LR that yo uwant to keep (good hitch hikers), then you do need to raise the SG slowly b/c they will die otherwise (if they haven't died already from the low SG).