Low salinity

[TinyWood]

Ok so I mixed my salt as it was called for and I got the results it said I would get 1.022 but now everything I'm reading says I want to be up around 1.025.... so I need a lil help here do I need to raise my salinity right away, right now alls we are doing is cycling the tank with live rock trying to watch everything....

 

[Goodair]

Check your refractometer if that's what your using to test.
Also, that ratio isnt 100% accurate, there are variables like temperature and how much fully disolved that affect it.

 

[Goodair]

1.022 is ok with fish only, and personally were ok with snails. But once you start doing corals, the 1.025 will help bring up the other parameters needed for the corals.

Really recomend calibrating whatever you use to test the salinity each time before you add it to the the main tank.

 

[TinyWood]

How do I calibrate my refractometer sorry for the stupid question

 

[Intense37754]

Do you too off with freshwater or saltwater?

 

[Intense37754]

How do I calibrate my refractometer sorry for the stupid question

There’s a solution that came with it or purchase it separately and you place it just like you would the water and adjust with a tiny screwdriver to move the salinity level to set it at 35ppt

 

[BeejReef]

the 1/2 cup per gallon is really just a guide. For IO (which I also use) seems like if every third 1/2 cup is on the generous side, you end up at 1.025. You're doing perfectly. yes, 1.025-6 for corals. Sure you're fine where you're at, but salinity is the one parameter to focus on keeping where you want it, and rock-steady... so may as well use your time cycling as extra practice

 

[W1ngz]

For cycling, it doesn't really matter so you don't really need to do anything right now. The next time you make some water though, here's some things that will help:

If the reading changed from 1.022 to 1.025 then I suspect that it wasn't mixed long enough, or you started mixing and heating at the same time. Nothing wrong with that, just give it time to warm up and fully mix before you take a sample to be sure things are dissolved thoroughly. It can take several hours with IO salt as I recall. I used to let mine mix overnight, then test and adjust as needed.

Weight and volume will get you in the ballpark, but a regularly cleaned and calibrated refractometer or proper (aka expensive) glass hydrometer and cylinder are the best ways to get accurate salinity measurements. No plastic swing arms!

 

[BeejReef]

How do I calibrate my refractometer sorry for the stupid question

Refractometer Calibration Solution

Keep your refractometer readings accurate! A refractometer is easily one of the most important tools to have if you own a saltwater tank. Without a refractometer, we would be guessing at how much salt is in the water, and more than likely would not be correct! Even if you have a refractometer...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[TinyWood]

Have not done a top off yet this is the first fill

 

[TinyWood]

Sorry for the confusion I just realized no I mixed it and I got 1.022 just like it said I would... now everything I read says I want to be at 1.025

 

[W1ngz]

everything I read says I want to be at 1.025

That's the right number for a reef tank, usually targeting 1.025 - 1.026. Fish don't care so much, but corals will.
The average specific gravity in the oceans is 1.0264, or 35 parts-per-thousand (ppt) salinity

 

[SeaSickness]

As noted, you can keep fish at 1.022, but for corals and inverts you need to be higher.