LFS - Salinity@ 1.0154 (20.5 ppt)

[RaymondL]

Purchase a fish at LFS today, and they asked if I acclimate, and I said I always do. They said that their salinity is run low, so be careful. It's measured at 32.8ppt (1.0154) - my tank is close to 35ppt at 1.0264, so it's over a 2ppt jump.

That's a large gap to be concern about yes? I've drip acclimate for over 3 hours to be on the safe side.

Wondering what other people's LFS salinity is and what you do when you purchase livestock.

 

[Lavey29]

Mine runs 1.025 at the shop

 

[twentyleagues]

Depends on the tank and fish. Some of the tanks are run at a low salinity to help fend of diseases. But most are run at reef levels so fish can be added easier to home systems. They qt most of the fish for observation at least 2 weeks, if a fish is sick or shows signs of something they medicate and qt longer. Relatively inexpensive fish are not usually qt'd along with very sensitive fish. These are usually added to empty tanks on the sales floor at correct salinity based off bag parameters and brought to correct levels.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

My lsf is lucky to be running at 1.021

On Friday I took back an emerald crab because he was eating my montipora. I told the girl what my SG was so you might want to spend a bit of time acclimating him and she looked at me like deer in the headlights.. she honestly had no clue what I was even talking about.

 

[exnisstech]

One lfs runs theirs at 1.015. I will no longer buy fish there. They said it prevents disease but my uneducated oppinion it suppresses disease that rears it's ugly head when acclimated to my 1.025. My fav lfs is 1.025.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

One lfs runs theirs at 1.015. I will no longer buy fish there. They said it prevents disease but my uneducated oppinion it suppresses disease that rears it's ugly head when acclimated to my 1.025. My fav lfs is 1.025.

same

 

[RaymondL]

Fish didn't make it overnight - I believe this points to the wide range of salinity difference - I dripped acclimate for hours to minimize the impact if any.

 

[RaymondL]

Correction - LFS salinity is 20.5ppt or 1.0154, my water is 35ppt or 1.0264 - would you all agree that a 14.5ppt difference (or 0.011 specific gravity) is enough to might have caused the fish to die? I dripped acclimated for a long time.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I used to drip acclimate, but now I immediately add fish and inverts to the tank to minimize ammonia buildup in the bag. I float the bag for temperature, then add to tank. Coral are dipped, fish are qt'd with meds.

 

[RaymondL]

I used to drip acclimate, but now I immediately add fish and inverts to the tank to minimize ammonia buildup in the bag. I float the bag for temperature, then add to tank. Coral are dipped, fish are qt'd with meds.

That's interesting - and you never had a fish die on you? My concern in my case is the huge range of the salinity 20.5 to 35ppt., and what would happen if I didn't acclimate the fish to the target salinity.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

That's interesting - and you never had a fish die on you? My concern in my case is the huge range of the salinity 20.5 to 35ppt., and what would happen if I didn't acclimate the fish to the target salinity.

I haven't had a loss from that, no. However, some fish species are more sensitive than others, and I don't keep any that require special conditions. My thought is that an extended acclimation can allow ammonia buildup in the bag from fish waste and respiration when the ph changes when it is opened to the air. Also, people perform fresh water dips on fish for parasites with success. Just offering my experience, and I am not an expert.

 

[RaymondL]

I haven't had a loss from that, no. However, some fish species are more sensitive than others, and I don't keep any that require special conditions. My thought is that an extended acclimation can allow ammonia buildup in the bag from fish waste and respiration when the ph changes when it is opened to the air. Also, people perform fresh water dips on fish for parasites with success. Just offering my experience, and I am not an expert.

I transfer the fish from the bag into a bucket, then drip water from the tank in....don't know if that makes a difference. I'll try your method perhaps one day - right now, I'm a bit hesitant to get another fish...well, maybe switch to a different LFS

 

[Dansters]

Purchase a fish at LFS today, and they asked if I acclimate, and I said I always do. They said that their salinity is run low, so be careful. It's measured at 32.8ppt (1.0154) - my tank is close to 35ppt at 1.0264, so it's over a 2ppt jump.

That's a large gap to be concern about yes? I've drip acclimate for over 3 hours to be on the safe side.

Wondering what other people's LFS salinity is and what you do when you purchase livestock.

That’s really low. My lfs has it at like 1.025, so I usually will float fish and then just put them in after 15 minutes. I haven’t had any fish have problems.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's measured at 32.8ppt (1.0154) -

What did you measure exactly? Those two values are not remotely close to each other.

 

[zoomonster]

Now that I have a Hanna salinity meter, I check more things more often. I always slow acclimate and guess I have been lucky in the past. Last bunch of fish I got online drop shipped from probably Quality Marine was very low. Even with long acclimation I still lost a resplendent Anthias within a day. Don't recall exactly but I think it was 1.017 which is about 22.594ppt. Like most I run 35ppt.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

That's very low. I'd drip acclimate slowly for at least a few hours, really as long as possible. I'm kind of surprised they're keeping it that low. Most LFS run between 1.018 - 1.021, and 1.015 is almost brackish. Be careful and go slow.

 

[RaymondL]

What did you measure exactly? Those two values are not remotely close to each other.

Hi Randy: I corrected my earlier post:

"LFS salinity is 20.5ppt or 1.0154, my water is 35ppt or 1.0264 - would you all agree that a 14.5ppt difference (or 0.011 specific gravity) is enough to might have caused the fish to die? I dripped acclimated for a long time."

 

[RaymondL]

Now that I have a Hanna salinity meter, I check more things more often. I always slow acclimate and guess I have been lucky in the past. Last bunch of fish I got online drop shipped from probably Quality Marine was very low. Even with long acclimation I still lost a resplendent Anthias within a day. Don't recall exactly but I think it was 1.017 which is about 22.594ppt. Like many I run 35ppt.

That's very low. I'd drip acclimate slowly for at least a few hours, really as long as possible. I'm kind of surprised they're keeping it that low. Most LFS run between 1.018 - 1.021, and 1.015 is almost brackish. Be careful and go slow.

I spoke to the store...they confirmed that all their tanks run that low, and the loss of the fish should not have been from the difference in salinity. They verbally told me their salinity, and I concur via my own measurement. Dripping for almost 4 hours didn't help with the outcome of the fish as it passed away by the morning, so less than 18 hours. To bring the salinity from 20.5ppt to 35ppt is a HUGE undertaking even to drip acclimate.

 

[RaymondL]

Now that I have a Hanna salinity meter, I check more things more often. I always slow acclimate and guess I have been lucky in the past. Last bunch of fish I got online drop shipped from probably Quality Marine was very low. Even with long acclimation I still lost a resplendent Anthias within a day. Don't recall exactly but I think it was 1.017 which is about 22.594ppt. Like most I run 35ppt.

Well, seems like the LFS don't think that 20.5ppt to 35ppt would have resulted in the fish's death. That low salinity I'm having difficulty grasping and understanding why they would have it so low consider most if not all reefers have salinity around 34 - 35ppt.

 

[zoomonster]

Well, seems like the LFS don't think that 20.5ppt to 35ppt would have resulted in the fish's death. That low salinity I'm having difficulty grasping and understanding why they would have it so low consider most if not all reefers have salinity around 34 - 35ppt.

I do remember looking up the reading and it was at the very top of the brackish scale which shocked me. The answer is really pretty simple... they do that to help control disease and it probably makes shipping easier (and they save money on salt). The moral of the story is always check a bags salinity and temp when you receive it and of course acclimate appropriately.

On the other hand, the fish I have gotten have been of exceptional quality, disease free and have had a better survival rate. Honestly for Anthias I chalk that up to being Anthia's and not the best shippers. IME if I had of gotten the same from LA they probably would have all been dead in the bag (as in the past). I've gotten a pintail wrasse, 1 male and 4 female resplendent anthias, orange peel angel, flameback angel, multicolor angel and a Maine blizzard percula clown over three orders. Out of all that I lost 2 female anthias within a day or two of receipt.