What salinity do you use?

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
What salinity or specific gravity level do you use? Have you found that a lower salinity is better for some corals than others? Have you found that a higher salinity is better for some than others? Can you tell when your corals look better at one salinity than another? What salinity do you usually keep your tank and how far off do you let it go before correcting?
 
My old tank in 07...I always kept a salinity of 1.023, same 55 gal tank i have now.....that tank was excellent until an ich attack crashed my tank
 

jay0705

Well-Known Member
I was just thinking about this very question. Most info says a sg of 1.020-1.026. Reefs being at the higher end. Yet when I buy fish or inverts there salinty is around 1.017! I know they save money where they can ,but how long could u keep fish at those levels? Is Higher salinity beneficial? I keep my fowlr at 1.022-1.023.
 

bang guy

Moderator
Fish can live a long time at a lower salinity. Especially Gulf or Caribbean fish. Reef Inverts... not so long.
 

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Is there a benefit to the fish,w either a higher or lower sg? I've always thought the lower end is best.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Most LFS keep their salinity low because it saves a little money. There's not really much of an advantage - even when fish are kept at low salinity - like 1.017, it's not doing a whole lot to keep disease at bay. However, when you buy a fish at a fish store that keeps a low salinity and you go to acclimate it, you should take your time acclimating the fish because when you go from a low salinity to a high salinity you can induce osmotic shock more easily than from going from high to low salinity. (or at least that is what I understand.)
I don't see an advantage of keeping a higher salinity unless you are trying to keep more available trace elements in the water column at a time.
...
Anyone have some opinions?
 

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Very good. Yea I couldn't believe how low there water was. I tested some when adding fish and was shocked. I was trying to keep it as close as I could, to my tank and I am glad I checked. Took me an extra hr to raise the bag level to my tank 1.022
 

bang guy

Moderator
I think posting a specific gravity reading without a temperature reference doesn't make any sense in a thread about salinity.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I think posting a specific gravity reading without a temperature reference doesn't make any sense in a thread about salinity.
Very good point. :)
I think ill try to keep my ten gallon at 1.023 at 79F.
 

tthemadd1

Active Member
I average 1.023-4 at 78-80 degrees. Can't get any lower unless I raise my pc's. which I hate to do. I really need to build a new cover
 
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