Salinity help!

[spamvicious]

I bought a second hand Hannah salinity checker and the readings varied when I was mixing, then it seemed to go up again. It was displaying 1.025 yesterday. Today I tested and it showed 1.028 so I was panicking and checked using a traditional refractometer which showed between 1.020/1.021. I tried to calibrate the hanna but it kept saying error. I tried it anyway and it said 1.020.

Is this too low?. The issue I’m having is I started a cycle yesterday using atm colony and there is a slight trace of ammonia but no nitrates or nitrites. One of the clown fish is swimming at the top of the water line. So if I have to add more salt water that will be a water change and reset the cycle etc

 

[Cell]

Assuming refractometer is accurate and has been verified with reference fluid, then I would trust that measurement and slowly raise salinity by topping off with saltwater instead of fresh. You won't reset your cycle.

The clown swimming at the surface might be an indication of low o2. An increase in surface agitation/aeration may be recommended.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I have 2 Hanna hand checkers. Occasionally they go off the rails and need to be recalibrated. Assuming you did this correctly, and your salinity is really 1.020, i would use your salt mix for your top off (instead of RO/DI water) and gradually raise your salinity to 1.025. Raising it gradually should help avoid any shock to your livestock.

 

[spamvicious]

Assuming refractometer is accurate and has been verified with reference fluid, then I would trust that measurement and slowly raise salinity by topping off with saltwater instead of fresh. You won't reset your cycle.

The clown swimming at the surface might be an indication of low o2. An increase in surface agitation/aeration may be recommended.

I’ve moved the return pump outlet to move the surface a bit more so hope that will work. Should I mix the top off water to 1.025?

 

[Cell]

No higher than 1.025 but it doesn't have to be exact.

 

[spamvicious]

Another question. I tested again now and still have some ammonia but nothing on nitrites/nitrates. Does that mean the atm colony hasn’t worked? Or should I expect something in the next couple of days?

 

[Glowurm]

Another question. I tested again now and still have some ammonia but nothing on nitrites/nitrates. Does that mean the atm colony hasn’t worked? Or should I expect something in the next couple of days?

How long have you been cycling the tank? Fact you have 0 Nitrates but an Ammonia readings suggests its not complete.

I'd recalibrate your refractometer with RODI water, and test again, forget the Hannah tester IMO.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I have 2 Hanna hand checkers. Occasionally they go off the rails and need to be recalibrated. Assuming you did this correctly, and your salinity is really 1.020, i would use your salt mix for your top off (instead of RO/DI water) and gradually raise your salinity to 1.025. Raising it gradually should help avoid any shock to your livestock.

Agreed. Do you have corals in the tank? If so, there's an osmotic balance between the corals and their environment. If you go too fast in raising your salinity, said balance will be affected and liquid within the corals will be leached out to maintain a new balance. This is not good.

 

[spamvicious]

Agreed. Do you have corals in the tank? If so, there's an osmotic balance between the corals and their environment. If you go too fast in raising your salinity, said balance will be affected and liquid within the corals will be leached out to maintain a new balance. This is not good.

No corals. Just two small clown fish. I know the cycle isn’t complete but I don’t know if it’s even starting as there is 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates as of this morning. So I’m wondering if I have to buy some more bacteria.

I used aquaroche rock and argonite sand with some bio balls and Fluval bio media in the back chambers

 

[spamvicious]

How long have you been cycling the tank? Fact you have 0 Nitrates but an Ammonia readings suggests its not complete.

I'd recalibrate your refractometer with RODI water, and test again, forget the Hannah tester IMO.

I started on Saturday with a bottle of atm colony. Added two very small clown fish and fed them a little food. Yesterday showed a small amount of ammonia using the Red Sea tests. So I didn’t feed them yesterday. Today still had the same amount of ammonia but 0 nitrates and 0 nitrites.

I’ve taken the lid off my tank in the hope of water evaporating but doesn’t seem to be doing much. Both the Hanna and refractometer are saying 0.021 for salinity after I added a little salt water yesterday.

The tank is full to the brim now so can’t add more salt water till some of it evaporates. I’m wondering if the low salinity is slowing down the cycling.

 

[Glowurm]

I started on Saturday with a bottle of atm colony. Added two very small clown fish and fed them a little food. Yesterday showed a small amount of ammonia using the Red Sea tests. So I didn’t feed them yesterday. Today still had the same amount of ammonia but 0 nitrates and 0 nitrites.

I’ve taken the lid off my tank in the hope of water evaporating but doesn’t seem to be doing much. Both the Hanna and refractometer are saying 0.021 for salinity after I added a little salt water yesterday.

The tank is full to the brim now so can’t add more salt water till some of it evaporates. I’m wondering if the low salinity is slowing down the cycling.

So a few things:

1 - Your tank has barely begun the cycle (it takes weeks if not months), personally not a fan of using fish to cycle but it is what it is...
2- The fact your water changing whilst cycling isn't ideal because you will be extracting nutrients, will likely slow the process.
3 - Don't rapidly change the Salinity, just add additional salt to your mix and raise it over time when you change the water.
4 - Recalibrate the refractometer, if its showing 1.021 then see point 3.

 

[exnisstech]

Hanna salinity tester is junk IMO. My second one is no better than my first. For salinity I like a refractometer calibrated with calibration fluid not rodi. I use Randy's diy fluid. I also keep a TM hydrometer on hand just for times when I get a reading that I don't feel is right. The hydrometer never needs calibrated but the refractometer is quicker so it's my go to tool.

 

[spamvicious]

So a few things:

1 - Your tank has barely begun the cycle (it takes weeks if not months), personally not a fan of using fish to cycle but it is what it is...
2- The fact your water changing whilst cycling isn't ideal because you will be extracting nutrients, will likely slow the process.
3 - Don't rapidly change the Salinity, just add additional salt to your mix and raise it over time when you change the water.
4 - Recalibrate the refractometer, if its showing 1.021 then see point 3.

I haven’t taken any water out as to not change the cycle process. If you read the previous replies you’d see that I’m doing gradual top ups of salt water but can’t add any more because I haven’t been removing any water apart from to test.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Oh boy, I missed that part of the issue. I gotta start reading slower. Do a little less skimming. Yeah, just don't go too fast and I'm sure you'll be fine. Clowns are hardy fish.

 

[NanoNana]

You said you angled your return nozzle up (which is fine) just wondering if you have a power head in the tank?