HELP! Salinity too high (1.031)... need advice quick

JeffersonReef · 10/04/2006, 04:12 PM

I just discovered that the person who watched my tank while I was on vacation was topping off with SW rather than FW. My salinity is too high (at 1.031). The guy at the lfs said to do 4 to 5g water changes with FW once a day for the next few days. My only concern is I just got a Crocea clam (about 4"), and I am worried about it dying. I know they are sesitive to salinity and other changes in water params...

What should I do? Quickly reduce the salinity, or raise slowly? Thanks for any help or advice you can provide.

-TJ

afelder · 10/04/2006, 04:16 PM

If you want to change your salinity slower than straight fresh water just use salt water with SG lower than you would normally use and keep it up until the salinity is back where you want it.

JeffersonReef · 10/04/2006, 04:22 PM

I buy my water from the LFS... so the only options I have are either FW or SW... since my tank is 125g I figured I could do a 10g water change today with just FW.. this should lower the salinity slightly, and yet not shock my pets...

thoughts?

NALCOMIS · 10/04/2006, 04:24 PM

If its not dead already you are probably fine. Just change out 5 gallons or 10 of salt with fresh each day untill you are at your ideal salinity.

Jar*Head · 10/04/2006, 04:44 PM

I would use small tube (1/4") to siphon the water from my tank out while feeding my sump with RODI water via aqua lifter. do 5gpd till 1.025 is reached. If you change your salinity too fast, your corals will stress out or dead.

NicoleC · 10/04/2006, 05:26 PM

No worries; 1.031 isn't really that bad and it went up slowly.

Just lower by about .001-.002 per evening. You can safely do about that much per hour, but if you want to be extra cautious, just do a bit each day.

energy_crisis · 10/04/2006, 05:42 PM

Mix the salt water you buy with fresh water to get a slightly lower SG during water changes.

JeffersonReef · 10/04/2006, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NicoleC
No worries; 1.031 isn't really that bad and it went up slowly.

Just lower by about .001-.002 per evening. You can safely do about that much per hour, but if you want to be extra cautious, just do a bit each day.

Thanx Nicole. ps- nice to meet another .net developer.

tj

NicoleC · 10/04/2006, 07:13 PM

.NET developer, hmmm...? Looking for a job?

All Delight · 10/04/2006, 08:29 PM

Just do it slowly, very slowly

JeffersonReef · 10/04/2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NicoleC
.NET developer, hmmm...? Looking for a job?

Yes.. I am actually. If ur seriously interested in talking PM me.

Sk8r · 10/04/2006, 08:55 PM

Whatever is alive is alive. It will live through a SLOW return to normal. First of all, do you have an autotopoff? You can get one on the cheap from www.autotopoff.com. Use an old salt bucket for the reservoir.
Secondly, draw off half a gallon of water per 50 gallons, and replace it with ro/di. You will not do too badly, if you just do that every hour on the hour, until you reach target.

JeffersonReef · 10/05/2006, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sk8r
Whatever is alive is alive. It will live through a SLOW return to normal. First of all, do you have an autotopoff? You can get one on the cheap from www.autotopoff.com. Use an old salt bucket for the reservoir.
Secondly, draw off half a gallon of water per 50 gallons, and replace it with ro/di. You will not do too badly, if you just do that every hour on the hour, until you reach target.

That link doesnt seem to work. I was considering building a diy auto top off. I was going to do it after my diy closed loop and my diy kalk doser. I have a lot of work ahead of me. I should have taken up golf or something...

10/04/2006, 04:12 PM	#1
JeffersonReef Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,698	HELP! Salinity too high (1.031)... need advice quick I just discovered that the person who watched my tank while I was on vacation was topping off with SW rather than FW. My salinity is too high (at 1.031). The guy at the lfs said to do 4 to 5g water changes with FW once a day for the next few days. My only concern is I just got a Crocea clam (about 4"), and I am worried about it dying. I know they are sesitive to salinity and other changes in water params... What should I do? Quickly reduce the salinity, or raise slowly? Thanks for any help or advice you can provide. -TJ

10/04/2006, 04:16 PM	#2
afelder Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tustin, CA Posts: 1,160	If you want to change your salinity slower than straight fresh water just use salt water with SG lower than you would normally use and keep it up until the salinity is back where you want it. __________________ Thought For The Day.... "In the Torah it says "love thy neighbor as thy self". The Buddha says there is no "self". So maybe you are off the hook." All animals are created equal some are more equal than others.~Orwell Current Tank Info: NEW 70 gallon rr with a 25 gallon sump Bermuda 3-C that skims rings around a RS80 and 2 koralia 4 & 2 tunze 6045 eheim 1262 return 6x39 watt t-5

10/04/2006, 04:44 PM	#5
Jar*Head Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 8,630	I would use small tube (1/4") to siphon the water from my tank out while feeding my sump with RODI water via aqua lifter. do 5gpd till 1.025 is reached. If you change your salinity too fast, your corals will stress out or dead. __________________ Steve Tankless. Current Tank Info: 480g peninsula

10/04/2006, 05:26 PM	#6
NicoleC Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 8,875	No worries; 1.031 isn't really that bad and it went up slowly. Just lower by about .001-.002 per evening. You can safely do about that much per hour, but if you want to be extra cautious, just do a bit each day. __________________ Don't count your gobies before they've metamorphasized. Current Tank Info: 40g Indo-Pacific lagoon with tank bred livestock

10/04/2006, 07:13 PM	#9
NicoleC Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 8,875	.NET developer, hmmm...? Looking for a job? __________________ Don't count your gobies before they've metamorphasized. Current Tank Info: 40g Indo-Pacific lagoon with tank bred livestock

10/04/2006, 04:22 PM	#3
JeffersonReef Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,698	I buy my water from the LFS... so the only options I have are either FW or SW... since my tank is 125g I figured I could do a 10g water change today with just FW.. this should lower the salinity slightly, and yet not shock my pets... thoughts?

10/04/2006, 04:24 PM	#4
NALCOMIS Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Laguna hills Posts: 1,271	If its not dead already you are probably fine. Just change out 5 gallons or 10 of salt with fresh each day untill you are at your ideal salinity.

10/04/2006, 05:42 PM	#7
energy_crisis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: OC Posts: 391	Mix the salt water you buy with fresh water to get a slightly lower SG during water changes.

10/04/2006, 08:29 PM	#10
All Delight Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 4,662	Just do it slowly, very slowly __________________ Life's simple, you make choices and you don't look back. Current Tank Info: too small

10/04/2006, 08:55 PM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Whatever is alive is alive. It will live through a SLOW return to normal. First of all, do you have an autotopoff? You can get one on the cheap from www.autotopoff.com. Use an old salt bucket for the reservoir. Secondly, draw off half a gallon of water per 50 gallons, and replace it with ro/di. You will not do too badly, if you just do that every hour on the hour, until you reach target. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.