Cycling is so frustrating!!!!!!!

i'm topping off with ro/di mix from lfs

 

i just tested salanity with the hydrometer, and it's really high 1.028

 

If you top off with saltwater, your specific gravity will climb because you are loosing water from evaporation and the salt stays in the tank(except for salt creep which will be a very small percent of the total salt. So you need to do daily top offs with RO/DI (or distilled) water that does not have any salt in it.

The SG will only climb a little each time you top off with saltwater, but after a while your SG will be out of range. It is also a lot cheaper to top off with water that has no salt. The place I buy water from has RO/DI water for $2.50 for 5 gallons and $7.00 for RO/DI mixed with salt.

 

oh and i should correct myself, it was just ro/di mix, according to the receipt, so am i doing it right? Oh and would RO/DI water be considered freshwater? i thought it was bad putting freshwater in s.w.

 

When you do a water change, remove the amount of water you want to change then add water without salt a little at a time (maybe 1/2 gallon) and let it mix up for about 5 to 10 minutes then recheck SG. When you get it down to where you want it(shoot for whatever the new saltwater tests at) then add the rest saltwater until the tank is full. If you SG gets lower than what you want, then after evaporation, top off with saltwater until it goes back up to where you want it then continue with no-salt top offs and it should stay where you want it.

Also, when you go to the LFS, take your hydrometer with you and ask them to check the accuracy of it(assuming they have a refractometer) then write a +1 or -2, or however much it is off, on your hydrometer.

 

RO/DI water is fresh water that has been filtered to remove the bad stuff. You can get it with or without the salt mix. You need to have both. Mixed for water changes and not mixed for top offs.

 

ok, so i know my lfs sells Catalina water, RO/DI mix, and freshwater, so should i ask for the freshwater for top offs and ask for the RO/DI mix for w.c.'s?

 

haha lol guess we posted at the same time you just answered my question

 

looks like i have to label my jugs now. Is it ok to put the freshwater in the jugs that i had saltwater in, would the previous saltwater do anything

 

;Dhaha