Salinity Mistakes, please help

[laezur]

Hi guys, I've completely messed up here and my refractometer was not calibrated correctly. I've just purchased a new one yesterday, the D&D one, and calibrated it properly. As I tested my water I'm around 20PPM which is incredibly low, and while my fish are happy and dandy it now makes sense why my corals are not doing so well.

I am on my way to the store as we speak to pick up some extra salt, and buckets for mixing - how can I get this to an acceptable 30-35ppm without killing everything, and hopefully saving the coral? I believe the coral has only been exposed to this salinity for a few days, I was losing water into an overflow that was not running and so as I was topping up with fresh I was slowly lowering this and not realising.

Can I add salt directly to the tank to speed up this process? Shall I change 50% of the tanks water with the proper salinity water and then top up from there with salt water instead of RO until desired levels? Whatever is fastest to save the coral from dying.

 

[Fish Styx]

Hi guys, I've completely messed up here and my refractometer was not calibrated correctly. I've just purchased a new one yesterday, the D&D one, and calibrated it properly. As I tested my water I'm around 20PPM which is incredibly low, and while my fish are happy and dandy it now makes sense why my corals are not doing so well.

I am on my way to the store as we speak to pick up some extra salt, and buckets for mixing - how can I get this to an acceptable 30-35ppm without killing everything, and hopefully saving the coral? I believe the coral has only been exposed to this salinity for a few days, I was losing water into an overflow that was not running and so as I was topping up with fresh I was slowly lowering this and not realising.

Can I add salt directly to the tank to speed up this process? Shall I change 50% of the tanks water with the proper salinity water and then top up from there with salt water instead of RO until desired levels? Whatever is fastest to save the coral from dying.

Good morning. Sorry to hear that you are dealing with this. You can start by doing a sizeable water change (no more than 25%) at the desired salinity of 35 ppt. Then slowly and safely raise your salinity by roughly 2 ppt per day by using small WC's and topping off (replacing evaporation) with saltwater. You should be able to reach your target over the next seven days. Best of luck and happy reefing.

Namaste.

 

[laezur]

Good morning. Sorry to hear that you are dealing with this. You can start by doing a sizeable water change (no more than 25%) at the desired salinity of 35 ppt. Then slowly and safely raise your salinity by roughly 2 ppt per day by using small WC's and topping off (replacing evaporation) with saltwater. You should be able to reach your target over the next seven days. Best of luck and happy reefing.

Namaste.

Thank you, I'll go with this action plan. What are the odds of the coral surviving this ordeal do you reckon? They arent melting or anything, just really closed up. My elegance took the biggest hit and seems to be either expelling zooxanthelae or its covered in a fine hair type brown algae (not brown jelly disease)

 

[Fish Styx]

Thank you, I'll go with this action plan. What are the odds of the coral surviving this ordeal do you reckon? They arent melting or anything, just really closed up. My elegance took the biggest hit and seems to be either expelling zooxanthelae or its covered in a fine hair type brown algae (not brown jelly disease)

Too difficult to say. I would prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

Namaste.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

First step is to be 100% sure you are not trying to correct a problem that is a faulty test with the new refractometer.

Do you mean 20 ppt for salinity, or a sg of 1.020, or what? 20 ppm is not a salinity.

If salinity is very low, I would not add salt directly or try to raise it too fast.

 

[srobertb]

Hi guys, I've completely messed up here and my refractometer was not calibrated correctly. I've just purchased a new one yesterday, the D&D one, and calibrated it properly. As I tested my water I'm around 20PPM which is incredibly low, and while my fish are happy and dandy it now makes sense why my corals are not doing so well.

I am on my way to the store as we speak to pick up some extra salt, and buckets for mixing - how can I get this to an acceptable 30-35ppm without killing everything, and hopefully saving the coral? I believe the coral has only been exposed to this salinity for a few days, I was losing water into an overflow that was not running and so as I was topping up with fresh I was slowly lowering this and not realising.

Can I add salt directly to the tank to speed up this process? Shall I change 50% of the tanks water with the proper salinity water and then top up from there with salt water instead of RO until desired levels? Whatever is fastest to save the coral from dying.

The best answer is through water changes. Everyone here will differ in opinion on how quickly. If I had corals not doing well and dying, I’d aim for “really fast” personally. Probably work to get it back up in 1-2 days…and honestly I am guilty of making a salt slurry and letting it run through my sump area to rapidly raise my salinity once or twice in my life. I was going probably from 1.023 or so back up to 1.0265.

 

[laezur]

First step is to be 100% sure you are not trying to correct a problem that is a faulty test with the new refractometer.

Do you mean 20 ppt for salinity, or a sg of 1.020, or what? 20 ppm is not a salinity.

If salinity is very low, I would not add salt directly or try to raise it too fast.

I am seeing 1.020 on the refractometer, and on the right hand side of the test this seems to also be 20ppt (i meant parts per thousand i think)

I am going to do a 1/3 water change now, and try to slow bring this back up. I calibrated the refractometer with RO water to test for 0.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am seeing 1.020 on the refractometer, and on the right hand side of the test this seems to also be 20ppt (i meant parts per thousand i think)

I am going to do a 1/3 water change now, and try to slow bring this back up. I calibrated the refractometer with RO water to test for 0.

OK, for sure never write that as 20 ppm. lol

That's not crazy low (not as low as 20 ppt would be), and I would replace all evaporated water with normal strength seawater until you get to your target, which I would recommend to be sg = 1.026.

I personally think water changes for this purpose are a waste of time and money.

 

[KStatefan]

I am seeing 1.020 on the refractometer, and on the right hand side of the test this seems to also be 20ppt (i meant parts per thousand i think)

This does not seem correct.

A specific gravity of 1.020 does not match up with 20 ppt

 

[Cyanohater]

Thank you, I'll go with this action plan. What are the odds of the coral surviving this ordeal do you reckon? They arent melting or anything, just really closed up. My elegance took the biggest hit and seems to be either expelling zooxanthelae or its covered in a fine hair type brown algae (not brown jelly disease)

I am hopeful it will work. I think you'll see things perk up as you make the water salter. And maybe it won't worsen as the water gets saltier.

 

[laezur]

This does not seem correct.

A specific gravity of 1.020 does not match up with 20 ppt

You are correct. I've just retested and it's closer to 20ppt and 1.15

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You are correct. I've just retested and it's closer to 20ppt and 1.15

It's very important to get the numbers and the units of measure correct.

SG of 1.15 is super high. Presumably you mean sg = 1.015?

 

[laezur]

It's very important to get the numbers and the units of measure correct.

SG of 1.15 is super high. Presumably you mean sg = 1.015?

Yes, sorry haha im such an idiot. 1.015 is correct. I am doing the water change anyway at the minute just because my tank is due one so it wont hurt

 

[EricR]

Re-emphasizing point made earlier:
Be sure your measurement is accurate first.

You have two refractometers now, right?
Calibrate both and compare.
Take water to LFS to check if you can.
...just so you don't potentially really have closer to normal salinity and raise it too much higher on accident

 

[laezur]

Re-emphasizing point made earlier:
Be sure your measurement is accurate first.

You have two refractometers now, right?
Calibrate both and compare.
Take water to LFS to check if you can.
...just so you don't potentially really have closer to normal salinity and raise it too much higher on accident

I have just now taken a sample of the saltwater provided to me by my LFS today that im currently doing a water change with, and the reading is coming out at 35ppt 1.026 so I believe my refractometer to be correct as this is what they advertise at the LFS

 

[laezur]

Water has been changed now, so I will keep an eye on where we are at and top up with either RO or Salt depending on what's needed.

Thanls guys, fingers crossed for the coral!

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I second Randy's suggestion to simply use saltwater as your top off.

My concern is the sudden increase in salinity leading to more issues. Bringing the salinity up 0.002 a day would be acceptable for me to ensure minimum negative impact.

 

[workhz]

It's very important to get the numbers and the units of measure correct.

Are you throwing shade at my billionaire status in Zimbabwe dollars?

 

[laezur]

I second Randy's suggestion to simply use saltwater as your top off.

My concern is the sudden increase in salinity leading to more issues. Bringing the salinity up 0.002 a day would be acceptable for me to ensure minimum negative impact.

Well following my water change, it hasn't made a huge dent but it's definitely altered a little bit, so that's what I'll be doing from now. I won't lie, I expected a 1/3rd water change with 35ppt saltwater to make a larger difference than it did, this could take forever lol

 

[workhz]

Well following my water change, it hasn't made a huge dent but it's definitely altered a little bit, so that's what I'll be doing from now. I won't lie, I expected a 1/3rd water change with 35ppt saltwater to make a larger difference than it did, this could take forever lol

You should be up to around 25ppt?