What salinity do guys have your tanks running at?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

4.7-5.0 ( fluctuates)

If your asking as to what saltwater you should have yours, check what your livestock likes

What sort of units are those numbers? Seems to be a nonstandard description. Do you mean a specific gravity of 1.0247 to 1.025?

 

[Wasabiroot]

1.026 (35 ppt). I find my corals get grumpy above 37-38.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

use 1.026 for main reef tank

Last night lowered QT down at 1.20 to match LFS salinity where picked up pincushion urchin. Will slowly raise QT to match main tank, then urchin will move into main tank.

Every LFS seems varying salinity so my little 5g QT is handy

 

[SlugSnorter]

What sort of units are those numbers? Seems to be a nonstandard description. Do you mean a specific gravity of 1.0247 to 1.025?

whoops sorry I was tired and got a little weird there 34.7 - 35 ppm

 

[shakacuz]

1.0265-1.027

this

 

[mike89t]

I keep mine at 1.026

 

[jskidds2294]

That's why we use ATO.

I understand using a auto top off but not everyone dose, and coral dying because of a .002 swing would be very strange. I could see coral dying if your salinity swung by .006 or more but I’m just saying .002 is a very very minor change that healthy coral and fish wouldn’t usually react to.

 

[jskidds2294]

When looking at it in SG .002 does not sound like a big swing. When looking at it in PPT thats about a 2.6ppt increase (several percentage point increase in PPT) at 80 degress. I am not saying it is just going to just immediately kill everything, but it certainly can add to the stress a coral will already be under when being bagged and placed into a new tank.

I agree a .002 difference may cause minor stress. I also think your assumption of the shipping/bagging being a cause was the real dying reason. That’s were my mind went to when he said healthy coral he sent died of .002.

 

[Bryan68]

1.026

 

[JumboShrimp]

1.021 (FOWLR)

 

[mexi757]

If lower than most of the ocean (worldwide ocean average is 35 ppt or sg = 1.0264), what's your reasoning for being lower?

I keep mine at 1.025.

 

[Schraufabagel]

34 ppm

 

[vetteguy53081]

1.025

 

[Adam1985]

35 ppt +/- 0.1-0.2

 

[Rockhound]

35ppt but 34-36 is ok

 

[Hans-Werner]

I prefer 33 to 34 PSU salinity and in my experience corals seem to prefer too.

Since most corals live in the tropical Pacific, 33 to 34 PSU seems quite close to their "home". Ok, Carribean ist higher ...
Map on phys.org:

 

[Alexusmc]

34-35 ppt

 

[bpbonds]

1.025

 

[DavidinGA]

1.025