Top Off Fail- 1.021 How fast

MarksReef · 09/29/2014, 01:57 PM

Luckily I decided to tinker with my tank and opened the cabinet to see the sump FULL to the top. 10 more minutes and over it would have went.
My salinity is 1.021
How bad is that on my corals and how fast should I raise it and what is the best way to raise it?

SGT_York · 09/29/2014, 02:08 PM

Best way, water change, or just drain the excess water and slowly bringing the salinity up by adding salt water for your daily top off.

Next way fix your ATO, get a resevoir that can't overflow your sump and turns off the ATO pump when the water level in the resevoir is too low.

Jeff000 · 09/29/2014, 02:09 PM

Drain it down to your normal water change level, fill back up with normal salinity water, and then put salt water in your ATO till it's back normal.

MarksReef · 09/29/2014, 02:39 PM

I know how to raise it but wondering how fast I should get it back up there.
I'm making water now and will most likely do a 25 Gallon water change at 1.030 and then top off with salt
Or should I do a higher salinity water change.

ca1ore · 09/29/2014, 02:43 PM

Fortunately lowering salinity rapidly is less problematic than raising it rapidly. When I have fish in QT at low salinity, I take as long as two weeks to get it back up to normal. 1.021 isn't that low, so I see no great urgency to have it back up right away. Add salt to the ATO reservoir and let it come back up slowly.

disc1 · 09/29/2014, 02:45 PM

You dont want to raise it very fast. Drops in salinity the fish and corals can handle pretty well. Going up is harder on them.

mtaswt · 09/29/2014, 02:45 PM

why not let it "move" back to normal levels on its own once the water evaporates??

MarksReef · 09/29/2014, 03:01 PM

Ok slow then but I just didn't want it to be so low for a week or how ever long it takes to get back up with evaporated saltwater. I just scored some REALLY nice SPS's 2 days ago...

W1ngz · 09/29/2014, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtaswt

why not let it "move" back to normal levels on its own once the water evaporates??

Slow, and takes no effort. Gets my vote. If you want it a bit faster, maybe open all the covers and cabinets and run a dehumidifier in the room to help the evap a little.

MarksReef · 09/29/2014, 03:50 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll put a fan on it. That was a CLOSE call.
Last night I was on my apex via my phone and must have hit the avast top off to "ON" instead of "auto".
Time to put the float valve back up on it LOL

[IMG]

ca1ore · 09/29/2014, 04:05 PM

Redundancy is your friend! Redundancy is your friend!

09/29/2014, 01:57 PM	#1
MarksReef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Rush, N.Y. Posts: 4,058	Top Off Fail- 1.021 How fast Luckily I decided to tinker with my tank and opened the cabinet to see the sump FULL to the top. 10 more minutes and over it would have went. My salinity is 1.021 How bad is that on my corals and how fast should I raise it and what is the best way to raise it? __________________ 93G Rimless Cube Current Tank Info: 93G Rimless Cube

09/29/2014, 02:39 PM	#4
MarksReef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Rush, N.Y. Posts: 4,058	I know how to raise it but wondering how fast I should get it back up there. I'm making water now and will most likely do a 25 Gallon water change at 1.030 and then top off with salt Or should I do a higher salinity water change. __________________ 93G Rimless Cube Current Tank Info: 93G Rimless Cube

09/29/2014, 02:43 PM	#5
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Fortunately lowering salinity rapidly is less problematic than raising it rapidly. When I have fish in QT at low salinity, I take as long as two weeks to get it back up to normal. 1.021 isn't that low, so I see no great urgency to have it back up right away. Add salt to the ATO reservoir and let it come back up slowly. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

09/29/2014, 02:45 PM	#6
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	You dont want to raise it very fast. Drops in salinity the fish and corals can handle pretty well. Going up is harder on them. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

09/29/2014, 02:45 PM	#7
mtaswt Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 428	why not let it "move" back to normal levels on its own once the water evaporates?? __________________ Current Tank Info: 156g, 8 bulb ATI dimmable powermodule, led moonlights, PM 175 skimmer, 55g sump, Mag 18 return, 2x MP40's @ 75%, BRS dual reactor, ReefKeeper Elite, ATO, & 200 #'s of rock. 2 blood shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, 3 sexy shrimp, Oynx clowns (mated pair), purple & yellow tangs, red scooter blenny, breeding pair of Banggai Cardinalfish, Bartlett's Anthias, Maldives Lyretail Anthias, Labout's fairy wrasse, two spot goby, multiple corals (mostly lps), and counting......who said this hobby was cheap?

09/29/2014, 02:08 PM	#2
SGT_York Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,746	Best way, water change, or just drain the excess water and slowly bringing the salinity up by adding salt water for your daily top off. Next way fix your ATO, get a resevoir that can't overflow your sump and turns off the ATO pump when the water level in the resevoir is too low.

09/29/2014, 02:09 PM	#3
Jeff000 Electrician Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 1,653	Drain it down to your normal water change level, fill back up with normal salinity water, and then put salt water in your ATO till it's back normal.

09/29/2014, 03:01 PM	#8
MarksReef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Rush, N.Y. Posts: 4,058	Ok slow then but I just didn't want it to be so low for a week or how ever long it takes to get back up with evaporated saltwater. I just scored some REALLY nice SPS's 2 days ago... __________________ 93G Rimless Cube Current Tank Info: 93G Rimless Cube

09/29/2014, 03:50 PM	#10
MarksReef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Rush, N.Y. Posts: 4,058	Thanks for the suggestions. I'll put a fan on it. That was a CLOSE call. Last night I was on my apex via my phone and must have hit the avast top off to "ON" instead of "auto". Time to put the float valve back up on it LOL [IMG] __________________ 93G Rimless Cube Current Tank Info: 93G Rimless Cube

09/29/2014, 04:05 PM	#11
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Redundancy is your friend! Redundancy is your friend! __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs Last edited by ca1ore; 09/29/2014 at 04:11 PM.