when to add salt ?

girlina4x4

Member
When you do a water change, the old saltwater you take out, should be replaced with pre-mixed fresh salt water. Most people do a 20% water change every 1-2 weeks. You only add freshwater when your water level gets low due to evaporation. When water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind, so thats why during those times you only add fresh water.
 

zshain012

Member
+1 and there are many instruments that measure the salinity. I use a hydrometer. It's not accurate but it gives you a good idea.
 

kube

Member
if you are only topping off the tank to replace evaporation, then never you would be using ro/di, you should be able to keep the salinity constant by doing your water changes when ever you may do them
 

fish4rudy

Member
+1 And you should be using freshwater r.o.-d.i. for your water changes. Some people have made the mistake of adding saltwater for topping off.
 

bmorosco

Member
Originally Posted by FISH4RUDY
http:///forum/post/2849033
+1 And you should be using freshwater r.o.-d.i. for your water changes. Some people have made the mistake of adding saltwater for topping off.
Yep when I first got into this in 1998 I did that stupid mistake and grabed the wrong jug..My salinity ws off the chart and killed all my corals....dumb...
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by ZShain012
http:///forum/post/2849021
check your salinity levels and if they are low than put some more salt in it

AHHHH!!!!!!!! It might be a joke, but if you don't know for sure, you shouldn't say anything! People who truely don't know will take your advice....
You should never add salt to water that has fish in it.
 

robertmathern

Active Member
Well I am not the person to take advice from for my tank is 10 days old but I have noticed that my skimmer skims some water out and you get salt crep. Witch changes your salt levels. Most is evap witch you add freshwater with no salt. But check the levels regularly. I have found the salt level will dropp a little but when this happens I keep a 2 littler bottle with very high salinaty in it. Then I add a little at a time to my sump then wait for it to mix in the water and check again. But like I said only a little at a time so you do not get a quick spike for that will be bad. But really at the rate it happens water changes will take care of the problem.
 

ca161406

Member
i just flick salt creep back in the tank. i only get it on my sump where the skimmer is and where the overflow hoses hook to the sump. i only have to top off about half a gallon every two days. i top off with tap with API marine conditioner. for water changes i use RODI though which is about 45 gallons every 3 weeks on my 125
 

notsonoob

Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2849107
AHHHH!!!!!!!! It might be a joke, but if you don't know for sure, you shouldn't say anything! People who truely don't know will take your advice....
You should never add salt to water that has fish in it.
Not a joke. I was even told to do that by a trusted source that is a marine biologist.
I think that he should have elaborated that you mix 1/2 cup of salt with at least 2 1/2 cups of RO water dilluted into your sump.
I've done that a number of times and didn't have any problems.
 

notsonoob

Member
Originally Posted by ca161406
http:///forum/post/2849391
i just flick salt creep back in the tank. i only get it on my sump where the skimmer is and where the overflow hoses hook to the sump. i only have to top off about half a gallon every two days. i top off with tap with API marine conditioner. for water changes i use RODI though which is about 45 gallons every 3 weeks on my 125
The last thing I would do is flip the salt creep back into the tank. It may have impurities in it. I'd vacuum it up and put some fresh salt in.
 

ca161406

Member
Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
http:///forum/post/2849508
The last thing I would do is flip the salt creep back into the tank. It may have impurities in it. I'd vacuum it up and put some fresh salt in.
well its coming off the skimmer outlet thats going back in the tank and builds up on the inside lip of the sump. i dont see how it would be any different then the water in the tank.
now for sure i wouldnt flick any salt back in that would build up on the outside of the tank. but i have acrylic so i dont have to worry about that except on my QT. which i dont flick the salt that builds up on the hood back in
 

notsonoob

Member
To each thier own.
Anytime salt is evapped out of the water, it is creep, so it wouldn't matter if it would be on your hoods, the top of the tank, on your sump, or on your skimmer outlet, it is the same.
But I'm sure that there might be some that just falls off back into the water anyway.
 

ca161406

Member
Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
http:///forum/post/2849524
To each thier own.
Anytime salt is evapped out of the water, it is creep, so it wouldn't matter if it would be on your hoods, the top of the tank, on your sump, or on your skimmer outlet, it is the same.
But I'm sure that there might be some that just falls off back into the water anyway.
but if its inside the cabinet in the sump there are no outside elements. like if its sitting on a hood or canopy the wood stain could become eroded and then flicked in with the salt...in the sump its sterile
 

notsonoob

Member
Originally Posted by ca161406
http:///forum/post/2849558
but if its inside the cabinet in the sump there are no outside elements. like if its sitting on a hood or canopy the wood stain could become eroded and then flicked in with the salt...in the sump its sterile
You have a sealed cabinet? I'm talking about impurites due to use in the aquarium and the surrounding air. Plus I've never heard of anything being sterile in the sump.
 

notsonoob

Member
Yeah, I suppose everybody has one of those.
I see there is no sense in responding to your posts anymore, since in fact you like to play games for the setup.
 

zshain012

Member
Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
http:///forum/post/2849504
Not a joke. I was even told to do that by a trusted source that is a marine biologist.
I think that he should have elaborated that you mix 1/2 cup of salt with at least 2 1/2 cups of RO water dilluted into your sump.
I've done that a number of times and didn't have any problems.
yea I should have elaborated but thanks for backing me up!!!!
 
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