Correct salinity?

lonbrat · 01/22/2016, 02:05 PM

Lol this is a newb question
My tanks salinity is usually around 1.26
( when the water evaporated about an inch)

But my gorgonians hate it, the polyps come out only when the salinity is lower.

I once had a salt mixing accident and the salinity dropped to 1.19 and they were loving it, but I slowly raised it because, well I heard corals like a little higher salinity than fish?? And they suck all the polyps back in until it lowers again.. Should I keep my salinity at 1.22 or 1.25?

cloak · 01/22/2016, 02:12 PM

What else do you have in your tank? How did they respond with the lower salinity? I'm not necessarily sure if the SG has anything to do with your gorgonians behavior, but if all is well a 1.022, 1.023 etc then by all means go for it. GL.

Member No. 1 · 01/22/2016, 02:38 PM

What are you using to check salinity and when was it calibrated last? It could be whatever your using is reading high, so what you think is 1.026 could be 1.030 so when you lowered it to 1.020 in fact it was 1.024. Follow me? Check your device, or take some water to the LFS and see what they say.

UBOMW · 01/22/2016, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonbrat

Lol this is a newb question
My tanks salinity is usually around 1.26
( when the water evaporated about an inch)

But my gorgonians hate it, the polyps come out only when the salinity is lower.

I once had a salt mixing accident and the salinity dropped to 1.19 and they were loving it, but I slowly raised it because, well I heard corals like a little higher salinity than fish?? And they suck all the polyps back in until it lowers again.. Should I keep my salinity at 1.22 or 1.25?

You mean 1.026...right...?

tzylak · 01/22/2016, 03:18 PM

All too often I see fish keepers aim for a numerical value as if the creatures in the tank were digital devices.
I have a cheap floating pointer for salinity measurement and I know that it indicates .002 on the low side. I am OK with that.
What matters is that the creatures in my tank are not dying, the corral is growing and that the floating pointer remains in that happy region.
Have fun with your happy zoo.

lonbrat · 01/22/2016, 07:23 PM

Yeah sorry

2.026 etc.
Ill have to check my hydrometer >~< ill lower the salinity, everything seems fine with it at a low reading and my gorgonians look extra happy. Other corals and nems look the same

thegrun · 01/22/2016, 07:45 PM

I've never had issues with my Gorgonians at 1.026

first29gallon · 01/22/2016, 10:21 PM

I start at 1.023 and before my water change it come up to 1.025 because of evaporation. I bring it back down and then goes back up.

cloak · 01/23/2016, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

I've never had issues with my Gorgonians at 1.026

Levels?

kmbyrnes · 01/23/2016, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by first29gallon

I start at 1.023 and before my water change it come up to 1.025 because of evaporation. I bring it back down and then goes back up.

An ATO would correct that.

Atilla_87 · 01/25/2016, 10:00 PM

I would question the calibration of your hydrometer. The ocean generally is around 1.026. I've never heard many good arguments for using parameters different than the ocean.

cloak · 01/25/2016, 10:18 PM

FWIW I've been using one of those floating glass hydrometers for years on end now without any problems. As long as it lines up somewhere in the green area everything is gravy. There are limits, but chasing those numbers can be a bad thing sometimes. From the picture below I think I'm at my wits end though. ~1.026.

GL.

01/22/2016, 02:05 PM	#1
lonbrat Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fayetteville NC Posts: 158	Correct salinity? Lol this is a newb question My tanks salinity is usually around 1.26 ( when the water evaporated about an inch) But my gorgonians hate it, the polyps come out only when the salinity is lower. I once had a salt mixing accident and the salinity dropped to 1.19 and they were loving it, but I slowly raised it because, well I heard corals like a little higher salinity than fish?? And they suck all the polyps back in until it lowers again.. Should I keep my salinity at 1.22 or 1.25?

01/22/2016, 02:38 PM	#3
Member No. 1 Ver. 2.1 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rehoboth, MA Posts: 1,803	What are you using to check salinity and when was it calibrated last? It could be whatever your using is reading high, so what you think is 1.026 could be 1.030 so when you lowered it to 1.020 in fact it was 1.024. Follow me? Check your device, or take some water to the LFS and see what they say. __________________ Pete "I never make mistakes... I thought I did once, but I was wrong" Current Tank Info: In the process - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661614

01/25/2016, 10:18 PM	#12
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	FWIW I've been using one of those floating glass hydrometers for years on end now without any problems. As long as it lines up somewhere in the green area everything is gravy. There are limits, but chasing those numbers can be a bad thing sometimes. From the picture below I think I'm at my wits end though. ~1.026. GL. Last edited by cloak; 01/25/2016 at 10:29 PM.

01/22/2016, 02:12 PM	#2
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	What else do you have in your tank? How did they respond with the lower salinity? I'm not necessarily sure if the SG has anything to do with your gorgonians behavior, but if all is well a 1.022, 1.023 etc then by all means go for it. GL.

01/22/2016, 03:18 PM	#5
tzylak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 457	All too often I see fish keepers aim for a numerical value as if the creatures in the tank were digital devices. I have a cheap floating pointer for salinity measurement and I know that it indicates .002 on the low side. I am OK with that. What matters is that the creatures in my tank are not dying, the corral is growing and that the floating pointer remains in that happy region. Have fun with your happy zoo.

01/22/2016, 07:23 PM	#6
lonbrat Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fayetteville NC Posts: 158	Yeah sorry 2.026 etc. Ill have to check my hydrometer >~< ill lower the salinity, everything seems fine with it at a low reading and my gorgonians look extra happy. Other corals and nems look the same

01/22/2016, 07:45 PM	#7
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I've never had issues with my Gorgonians at 1.026

01/22/2016, 10:21 PM	#8
first29gallon Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 72	I start at 1.023 and before my water change it come up to 1.025 because of evaporation. I bring it back down and then goes back up.

01/25/2016, 10:00 PM	#11
Atilla_87 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 53	I would question the calibration of your hydrometer. The ocean generally is around 1.026. I've never heard many good arguments for using parameters different than the ocean.