Help with salinity!!!!!

[neltel_7]

So because my corals and fish are all doing well I have not checked my salinity in a while. And I just checked it today and found that it is now at almost 1.030!! I have no idea how it got so high. Should I immediately start lowering it? I have heard that the highest it should be is 1.028

 

[JoshO]

So because my corals and fish are all doing well I have not checked my salinity in a while. And I just checked it today and found that it is now at almost 1.030!! I have no idea how it got so high. Should I immediately start lowering it? I have heard that the highest it should be is 1.028

Yes it needs to be lowered, this is more than likely down to evaporation. Do you have an ATO or top up manually with fresh water? I would do it slowly over a number of days and definitely not at once

 

[RichtheReefer21]

So because my corals and fish are all doing well I have not checked my salinity in a while. And I just checked it today and found that it is now at almost 1.030!! I have no idea how it got so high. Should I immediately start lowering it? I have heard that the highest it should be is 1.028

If it went up gradually u should be ok..

Are you topping off with fresh rodi? Or salt water mix?

To bring it down theres many options..

1. What's ur water volume.
2. Do u have an ATO?

I can give u more help with answers to those...

 

[homer1475]

Double check the reading first. What are you using to check salinity, and is it properly calibrated?

 

[Grappler]

So because my corals and fish are all doing well I have not checked my salinity in a while. And I just checked it today and found that it is now at almost 1.030!! I have no idea how it got so high. Should I immediately start lowering it? I have heard that the highest it should be is 1.028

 

[Grappler]

It sounds like your not toping off your evaporation daily with RODI water. The freash water evaporates leaving the salts behind and that drives up your salinity. How big is your tank? If you have a sump an ATO works great, otherwise put a full level mark on your tank were you want to top off too. Hope it helps.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Double check the reading first. What are you using to check salinity, and is it properly calibrated?

Good point.

 

[neltel_7]

Double check the reading first. What are you using to check salinity, and is it properly calibrated?

It’s the instant ocean one. I know it’s not the best but it’s all I have and I think it’s reading right because I tested it with fresh water and it read 0

 

[neltel_7]

It sounds like your not toping off your evaporation daily with RODI water. The freash water evaporates leaving the salts behind and that drives up your salinity. How big is your tank? If you have a sump an ATO works great, otherwise put a full level mark on your tank were you want to top off too. Hope it helps.

I have been topping it off with conditioned tap. I had an ATO but it broke so I have been doing it manually. It’s a 100 gallon.

 

[homer1475]

So you have a hydrometer, with the floating arm?

make sure you give it a good tap, as a single bubble on the arm will throw it off.

 

[neltel_7]

So you have a hydrometer, with the floating arm?

make sure you give it a good tap, as a single bubble on the arm will throw it off.

Ok I will try again and make sure there is no bubble.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

double check to confirm accurate salinity and then Slowly lower it, avoid sudden change. id lower it over a week or so.

 

[Crashjack]

I have been topping it off with conditioned tap. I had an ATO but it broke so I have been doing it manually. It’s a 100 gallon.

If you have a sump, make sure you mark the water level in the low section. That way you always have a reference as to where the water level should be (e.g. always top-up to that mark). You also really need to get a refractometer. Once calibrated and your sg is where you want, you can mark the swing-arm so you don't have to rely on the swing-arm's readings, but you can use it as your main hydrometer, periodically checking with the refractometer. Also as @homer1475 stated, you sometimes have to really tap your plastic hydrometer to remove all bubbles. I have to bounce mine off my desk to remove all the bubbles. You also need to rinse thoroughly with freshwater immediately after every use.

 

[andrewey]

Remember, everyone in the tank is alright. Double check everything, then SLOWLY lower it. 1.030 isn't dangerous in itself at all. Dropping down to 1.025 suddenly is and you can turn a number into an emergancy. SLOW is the key. Think a week or more.

 

[Rybren]

Ok I will try again and make sure there is no bubble.

You also have to ensure that there is no salt build up on the arm. You need to rinse it with fresh water after every use. Unless you've checked it against a proven 35ppt reference solution, you have no idea whether the reading is accurate, regardless of what it says.

Please do yourself a favour and get a refractrometer or digital salinity tester along with calibration fluid. It's the only way to know what your salinity really is. In the meantime, bring a water sample to an LFS or a friend and have them test it for you.

 

[neltel_7]

double check to confirm accurate salinity and then Slowly lower it, avoid sudden change. id lower it over a week or so.

What should I be lowering it to?

 

[LAReefer4Life]

36ppt or 1.027 is where I hold my salinity but I have an ATO to ensure it doesn't fluctuate much with water evaporation.

 

[smokenax]

See if you can borrow a refractometer and double check by comparing readings. I would start there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bring it to 1.025. Evaporation will cause salinity to climb
Even if you replenish lost water, salinity will be higher

 

[Billdogg]

I have and use 3 swing arm hydrometers on a regular basis. They are ~30 years old and read exactly what they did back in the day. That being said, once I finally broke down, joined the 21st century, and bought a refractometer I calibrated them to it. Of the 3, 1 was a couple points high, 1 was a couple points low, and one was pretty much spot on. I marked them where I like mine to be - 1.025. I keep one by each system rather than carry around the refractometer.

I like my salinity to be 1.025 so that there is a little leeway on either side but still have it in the happy range for fish and corals.