salinity tolerance in 12g nano: 1.030?!

jim2371 · 03/31/2007, 07:45 PM

Hello, I was dumb. It is 2100 (9pm). The salinity of my 12g nano will now be 1.030 until about noon time tomorrow, which will be about 15 hours. I trusted my LFS, & did not check the salinity of the water I purchased. The salinity after my weekly 20% water change is now 1.030, while it is normally 1.025. The salinity of the 5 gals of "salt" water I purchased is 1.032, and the salinity of the 5 gal of "RO/DI" I purchased is also 1.032 as measured by my calibrated-to-standard saline refractometer. Too bad I didn't use it beforehand... if I could match temp & pH, why not salinity? My oversight could be expensive (sigh). Will 15 hours of hypertonicity kill my livestock? My tank has been up for 4 months, and hosts comparatively large previously-established healthy & growing colonies of Ricordia Yuma, hammer coral, a young cream-colored toadstool who looks particularly distressed (polyps retracted, bent over for first time ever), mushrooms (hairy & otherwise), assorted button zoo's, assorted snails, 1 small Goby who lives & hides in the rocks, 1 emerald crab, 1 Hawaiin feather duster (doesn't really seem to care yet, his crown is still out), one serpent star who lives in the rocks & who I never see anyways, and 3 scarlet-legged hermits. Has anyone made a similar mistake? What were its effects? Should the change back to normal be as sudden as what just took place...? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Amphiprion · 03/31/2007, 08:34 PM

That salinity is not enough to be a significant concern, but you do want to get it down to around 1.026 slowly.

joekr · 03/31/2007, 08:34 PM

30 is high but not horrible. So you don't have any RO available now? If you are on public water, I would thinkg this one time take a little water out of the tank and use a little tap to bring it down to maybe 27 or 28. Then in the morning, do the same thing to bring it down to 25 and then get some RO from the fish store and knock it down to 24.

I would definitely do it over time and if you are waiting till tomorrow I would not turn the lights on in an attempt to reduce the evaporation.

Hope this helps...

Also, are you using a swing arm or a refractometer? Almost most all fish stores I've ever been to use a refractometer...swing arms can be unreliable..

jim2371 · 03/31/2007, 09:20 PM

Thank you Amphiprion & Joekr, I appreciate your opinions and your experience. I feel reassured. My panic attack is over. After 2 hour's circulation, the salinity measurement by refractometer is unchanged. I don't own a swing-arm -- just a refractomer. The toadstool is happily upright, & the lights are on night cycle (blue LED) to keep everyone sleepy. Good idea about adjusting the light cycle, I hadn't considered evap. And while I am hesitant to trust the city tap in Allentown PA (think heavy metals), I promise to acclimate the tank slowly tomorrow with RO/DI. Have a great night :-) Jim

03/31/2007, 07:45 PM	#1
jim2371 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Ulm, MN Posts: 10	salinity tolerance in 12g nano: 1.030?! Hello, I was dumb. It is 2100 (9pm). The salinity of my 12g nano will now be 1.030 until about noon time tomorrow, which will be about 15 hours. I trusted my LFS, & did not check the salinity of the water I purchased. The salinity after my weekly 20% water change is now 1.030, while it is normally 1.025. The salinity of the 5 gals of "salt" water I purchased is 1.032, and the salinity of the 5 gal of "RO/DI" I purchased is also 1.032 as measured by my calibrated-to-standard saline refractometer. Too bad I didn't use it beforehand... if I could match temp & pH, why not salinity? My oversight could be expensive (sigh). Will 15 hours of hypertonicity kill my livestock? My tank has been up for 4 months, and hosts comparatively large previously-established healthy & growing colonies of Ricordia Yuma, hammer coral, a young cream-colored toadstool who looks particularly distressed (polyps retracted, bent over for first time ever), mushrooms (hairy & otherwise), assorted button zoo's, assorted snails, 1 small Goby who lives & hides in the rocks, 1 emerald crab, 1 Hawaiin feather duster (doesn't really seem to care yet, his crown is still out), one serpent star who lives in the rocks & who I never see anyways, and 3 scarlet-legged hermits. Has anyone made a similar mistake? What were its effects? Should the change back to normal be as sudden as what just took place...? Thanks in advance for your advice.

03/31/2007, 08:34 PM	#2
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	That salinity is not enough to be a significant concern, but you do want to get it down to around 1.026 slowly. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

03/31/2007, 08:34 PM	#3
joekr Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 661	30 is high but not horrible. So you don't have any RO available now? If you are on public water, I would thinkg this one time take a little water out of the tank and use a little tap to bring it down to maybe 27 or 28. Then in the morning, do the same thing to bring it down to 25 and then get some RO from the fish store and knock it down to 24. I would definitely do it over time and if you are waiting till tomorrow I would not turn the lights on in an attempt to reduce the evaporation. Hope this helps... Also, are you using a swing arm or a refractometer? Almost most all fish stores I've ever been to use a refractometer...swing arms can be unreliable.. __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef

03/31/2007, 09:20 PM	#4
jim2371 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Ulm, MN Posts: 10	Thank you Amphiprion & Joekr, I appreciate your opinions and your experience. I feel reassured. My panic attack is over. After 2 hour's circulation, the salinity measurement by refractometer is unchanged. I don't own a swing-arm -- just a refractomer. The toadstool is happily upright, & the lights are on night cycle (blue LED) to keep everyone sleepy. Good idea about adjusting the light cycle, I hadn't considered evap. And while I am hesitant to trust the city tap in Allentown PA (think heavy metals), I promise to acclimate the tank slowly tomorrow with RO/DI. Have a great night :-) Jim