Salinity 1.036

Jim C · Dec 12, 2017

My refractometer was not calibrated correctly, and so my salinity is all the way up to 1.036. How fast Can I lower this using freshwater? It is a fowlr tank.

Orbela · Dec 12, 2017

Really fast fish and coral are pretty tolerant with salinity if they are over saturated. That’s why freshwater dips are possible. You’ll be fine. But if you want you can slowly do it if your scared.

Wurst · Dec 12, 2017

I believe .02/day is all you should do. Basing that off raising from hyposalinity treatment, assuming the reverse would be the same.

pluikens · Dec 12, 2017

How long have the fish been at 1.036? I think it's important to consider if they've acclimated to it. Yes, freshwater dips are possible but those are dips. If the fish were just added to a 1.036 system, I'd drop a lot quicker to their previous system sg than if they have been at 1.036 for a while.

Jim C · Dec 12, 2017

Duplicate

Jim C · Dec 12, 2017

pluikens said:
How long have the fish been at 1.036? I think it's important to consider if they've acclimated to it. Yes, freshwater dips are possible but those are dips. If the fish were just added to a 1.036 system, I'd drop a lot quicker to their previous system sg than if they have been at 1.036 for a while.

3 months and no deaths surprisingly.

pluikens · Dec 12, 2017

Then I'd follow Austin Lefevre's acclimation rule of 2's. That's a max +/- change of .2 pH, .002 sg, or 2 degrees F in 24 hours.

pluikens · Dec 12, 2017

I've been in a similar situation as you before I knew to calibrate before every test. I used the calculators on https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/TargetSalinity.php to create a safe WC schedule to get salinity back in line.

pluikens · Dec 12, 2017

If this is a 125 gallon, it looks like 7-gallon WCs with freshwater daily for a week will get you sorted out safely.

Best Fish-Jake · Dec 12, 2017

Unless you’re housing very delicate fish, you would be able to lower the salinity back to 1.025 in no more than a few days. Fish can easily be dropped from a normal reef setting to hyposalinity in a day (with a little acclimation) and acquire nothing more than brief lethargy. While you can drop the salinity all at once, I usually don’t advise dropping by more than 0.006 in a day to avoid most/ all of a lethargic period.

eatbreakfast · Dec 12, 2017

Fish can handle salinity drops easier than salinity increases.

Doing a 5g swap of freshwater for saltwater hourly will be fine for all the fish.

Cory · Dec 16, 2017

Are you sure its that high? Whats your calcium and magnesium read? Also i dont trust most calibration packs. You can make a diy refractometer standard with table.salt and water. Randy holmes farley has a recipeie.

WWIII · Dec 16, 2017

Cory said:
Are you sure its that high? Whats your calcium and magnesium read? Also i dont trust most calibration packs. You can make a diy refractometer standard with table.salt and water. Randy holmes farley has a recipeie.

I agree, I would make sure it's actually that high. How did you calibrate it? With 53ms or 0 solution?

Edit - saw this was from Tuesday, so you probably have already addressed the situation. Next post... tank salinity 1.016 how to raise?! I kid, and hope you got it adjusted with no ill effects!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 16, 2017

pluikens said:
Then I'd follow Austin Lefevre's acclimation rule of 2's. That's a max +/- change of .2 pH, .002 sg, or 2 degrees F in 24 hours.

I can't see any reason that the pH needs to be taken into account in acclimation of organisms (unless there is ammonia present, when lower is better). Many tanks move more than 0.2 pH units every day.

Jim C · Dec 16, 2017

Cory said:
Are you sure its that high? Whats your calcium and magnesium read? Also i dont trust most calibration packs. You can make a diy refractometer standard with table.salt and water. Randy holmes farley has a recipeie.

Was calibrated through apex. Conductivity probe read a perfect 35 ppt in the calibration packet. When in my tank right after, read 49 ppt. Lowered to 35 over the course of 3 days with no ill effects.

pluikens · Dec 16, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I can't see any reason that the pH needs to be taken into account in acclimation of organisms (unless there is ammonia present, when lower is better). Many tanks move more than 0.2 pH units every day.

That's true. Maybe it was just another "2" to make the rule of twos sound more legit.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 16, 2017

pluikens said:
That's true. Maybe it was just another "2" to make the rule of twos sound more legit.

lol Could be.

Cory · Dec 16, 2017

Jim C said:
Was calibrated through apex. Conductivity probe read a perfect 35 ppt in the calibration packet. When in my tank right after, read 49 ppt. Lowered to 35 over the course of 3 days with no ill effects.

Apex conductivity has interferance with lots of things. I dont trust it. Whats the tank water read in a cup away from the tank? Lots of people complain of it.

CindyKz · Dec 17, 2017

The apex salinity probe is nice for monitoring but I trust my refractometer. Do you have one you can check your tank with? Keep in mind it won't read exactly the same as your apex, even when your apex is correctly calibrated.

WWIII · Dec 17, 2017

I have seen several threads on which people adjust or offset their apex conductivity probe to actually match their tank/refractometer. Also they say it takes some time for the probe to settle down and give a stable reading. They recommend not doing anything right away and watch the probe for drift. A calibration standard for your refractometer is probably the best bet!