adding salt

I was doing my bi-weekly 20% water change this Saturday that took the majority of my day with the assistance of a martini, however in this process I was reading the Instant Ocean Salt bucket instructions and it advises that you do not mix the salt in the tank while animals are present. In fact the instructions go further on to say that I should remove the animals and return them after the salt has fully mixed. My tank is a 55 gal. w/ 140 lbs of LR and 15 lbs of LS w/ a protein skimmer and HOB filter & have 3 fish. I don’t have sump yet but I will soon when I relocate. I normally add my salt when needed via the HOB filter reserve. My question is adding salt this way have any known negative effects?

 

IMO, what will happen is the salt, not being mixed up will in essence be too concentrated in certain parts of your tank possibly injuring or killing some of your livestock!!!
Plus adding the salt straight to your tank, you aren't able to determine how much you are adding thus running the risk of adding to much salt to your water.

 

I watch my salinity levels and they maintain right around 1.023-1024. I add the salt in a large cup w/ water from the tank to dilute it and then pour the mix in the filter. How would you go about this instead?

Also I use a corlife hydrometer, is there something you recommend that is superior as an alternative ?

 

I am alittle unclear as to your system of adding water to your tank. Is this for water changes, or top-off or both?
If you are taking actual water from your saltwater tank and adding it to salt, then mixing it and putting it back into your tank, you will end up with a high salinity level. It is like adding saltwater to replace water that has evaporated from your tank, instead of just fresh water!!!
Maybe I am not following your lead. Please help me to be able to help you better, if i am not following you!
Thanks,
tom

 

Tom, I check my salinity before my bi-weekly water change to know where Im at and then after to see how much i need to add. I have never gone over. I just add as needed through the HOB filter using water to dilute the molarity of the salt/water mix. I fear though that this may still be damaging. I have had my tank for a year now but have limited fish and inverts, I have focused on just the LR and learning the basics.

 

Imo, I would still make up the new salt water in a bucket and add it that way, this way there is less chance for human error, and we know how that is, how often it happens and where it leads to!! hhahhaha

 

this article will help you out. Aquarium Frontiers On-Line: September 1997: Biochemistry In The Aquarium

I don't use that propeller in the article. I got a paint mixer attachment from Home Depot.

BTW, undisolved salt and even newly dissolved salt is highly caustic to fish gills. Some mixes produce Ammonia temporarily. Often times, you can actually drop your Calcium and alkalinity by adding dry salt to a running tank.

 

Finding my tank low on Salinity

Hello! After 5 years of 1.022 Salinity, I'm seeing that my tank salinity has dropped. It was at 1.019. Then I started small increases of fresh saltwater. RO/DI H2O mixed to the same ph, calcium level and temp. as the replacement tank water(water changes). I top off daily(now), again with RO/DI water. I have gotten it up to almost 1.022. Is this sufficient? Do I need a higher salinity level? Where is it going?

 

If you are doing "water changes" this would tend to mean you are taking out old water from the tank and replacing with new, so obviously there is no top-off discussion here.

I would recommend you pre-mix your salt and water in a plastic container and put a heater and powerhead in there. Warmer water dissolves the salt quicker and more evenly (for lack of a better word). Check to see that your salinity level is the same as the main tank's. Leave it be overnight and the next day you should be ready for the water change (not top-off). So for every gallon of old water you take out you replace with the exact amount of new. If not, this will alter your salinity level in the main tank.

I use a plastic pail to pour gently the new water into my tank. You don't want a waterfall effect......you'll freak the fish out.

I used to use a "Marineland" floating arm hydrometer but I bought a refractometer recently. More accurate and stable readings this way.

Hope this helps somewhat ........ good luck

ps: I take my martinis with a lemon zest

 

I do that. I was talking about topping off. I check my water's salinity almost daily. I've noticed it's gone down the last few days. I did a water change and added more ro/di water and then the next morning(this monring), I did about a 10gal change. I increased my salinity a little while doing it. Will check in a few hours to make sure not a big spike. I had it in the bucket at 1.022. Like I said, I'm having to increase from a 1.019, after having it stay at 1.022 for 5 years. Where is my salt going? I did have the bad Algea Bloom, which I atribute alot of that to this(plus..temp/overfeeding/inadaquate water changes). I am learning so much every day! I will be out of town for a week. I will try to get on to post a hello. See ya'll soon!

Linda