Whats wrong with my water?

I just checked my saltwater and it read 1.032. All my corals are fine and my inverts and fish and I don't know what's wrong? Do you think it is the hydrometer or the water? The hydrometer has not been used in about a year and has dried up salt all over it so i would think it would be the hydrometer. Wouldn't you think that my whole tank would be dead if it was really that high or could everything actually live with that high of saltwater? Please tell me what's wrong?????

 

you answered the problem right there.
they need to be cleaned and are not accurate anyways. get a hydrometer. Marine Depo has them on sale right now.

 

well couple questions...........
1. Do you top off with fresh or salt?
2. When was the last time you checked your SG before this?

Fish can actually get aclimate to higher salinity if done slowly (ie topping off with salt water instead of fresh for a period of time). They will get stressed maybe in ways we can not tell, but usually hang in there. Corals can adjust somewhat, inverts do not tolerate it much at all.............

During the winter when the water was really cold, it took a long time for me to make enough ro/di to support my tanks and my mothers tank, so she ended up buying water frm the store. She kept telling the store person she needed water for "salt" tank...not thinking that RO water is RO water is RO water, if it is for fresh or salt. So she was getting saltwater for topping off. She did this for all winter I think when she said she lost a fish and her leathers were dying off. I went up there to do a water change and Curt said lets check SG...it was 1.033. The remainder of her fish and corals were fine!

So I would take my water to the store and have them check SG for you....and I personally feel all hydrometers should be tossed and refractometers should ever be used!

 

Ohhhhh crap!!!i was using saltwater to top it off. Now what do i do? I just acclimated a foot long anemone to my tank and i will probably die because of the huge change in numbers. I am going to go get distilled water right now and do a water change with distilled water or do you think that will be too much? Do you think that the change in numbers that big can kill everything??? I need help quick!!!!!!!

 

Bring salinity levels down slowly. A sharp drop of salinity will not produce good results. Sloooowly drop salinity.

 

No. Do small changes, something like a gallon or two (depending on your tank size) every day, and replace with RODI water.

 

Take a deep breath and slow down. I've had my tank that high before with no issues. As long as it got that high slowly and you lower it slowly you shouldn't have any problems. The biggest mistake you can make is to do anything drastic such as a water change with just fresh water. The best thing to do is make new salt water that is lower in salinity such as 1.020 or something like that. Over about a week drop it just to be safe and cautious, although I've lowered it .005 in a day.

 

Ok,I just added two gallons of distilled water and took out two gallons of my saltwater so i am heading in the right direction. I will keep doing this until i get down to 1.024. I will switch off every day doing two gallons then one gallon and two gallons and one gallon and so on. My anemone is doing fine and i can't wait till i see where he will move too tomorow! I will definitely post some pics when it is fully open because when it is, it will be the size of a dinner plate!!! I will keep posting and put of pictures when it is open!! Please keep telling me your thoughts and opinions, I would love to hear them!!!

 

exactly, go down slow......they can take upward swings better then down. How is the anemene doing?

 

Actually, for fish, lowering the salinity rapidly is basically a hypo-salinity treatment. No problem whatsoever for them. However, corals and inverts have a tough time with salinity changes (up or down) so it needs to be done slowly for them. Never rapidly increase the SG even in a fish-only tank, as it could kill them.