How do you raise salinity with the least stress on livestock possible?

[cr500_af]

Unless I've missed something obvious, most people mix their new water a little heavier and let the water changes move it up.

I was thinking that using salt water in the ATO (with a limited amount so no risk of overdoing it) would be more gradual and easier on the fish and inverts.

Any negatives to doing it that way? And is there a formula/rule of thumb for how "strong" to mix the topoff water for, say, 2g going into a 100g system, maybe to arrive at the level of salinity needed to raise the tank each .001?

 

[drnecropolis]

most people use salt..

 

[ralph atl]

Lol!

 

[cr500_af]

Thanks Ansley. I have some in the pantry.

 

[ralph atl]

Water change will work, just add a little bit more. Or topoff manually with saltwater instead.

 

[wbrown]

brutal!
I like it.

 

[cr500_af]

Well, Ansley the closest I have is soy sauce. That's pretty salty. Whatcha think?

 

[ralph atl]

I wouldn't put it in the ato. ManualLy only. That's my humble opinion.

 

[drnecropolis]

Only if it Kikomann(sp) or how ever you spell it..

Everyone knows table salt will work..

DUH

 

[jmaneyapanda]

When I know my skimmers gonna go nuts, I simply plug my fill pump (for water changes) into the ato, and have it pull from my salt mixing container (55 gallon brute).

 

[skriz]

I've dumped salt mix directly into my sump before.. I know, I'm a bad reefer.

I've also added sw into my ato.

 

[mojo]

Skriz;364206 wrote: I've dumped salt mix directly into my sump before.. I know, I'm a bad reefer.

Same here... if you have enough water volume, dumping stuff like salt and calcium in your sump seems to be ok, as long as you do it in moderation. Or at least I've never had any problems with it...


What I usually do to raise the salinity is to just add a bunch of SW to the tank that matches the existing tank salinity and just let it evap down to the normal ATO level. There's no shock to the system, and it's hard to "forget" about something. IE - if your current system is 1.023, add 5 extra gallons of 1.023 and just wait for it to evaporate off. You'll end up with 1.025 or whatever.

 

[hn1]

ares;364197 wrote: Ive never taken that much care for salinity... Id say mine probably fluctuates by .002 or more in the course of a water change, and then I just mix the new high or low to adjust... very little concern about it, and Ive never had anyone complain.

Thanks for "saying" this out loud. My SG fluctuates from 1.025 up to 1.028 (1.030 if I miss a top off!) and everyone is healthy as can be. I thought my disbelief in salinity sensitivity was just my dirty lil secret. I'm upgrading next week so it should become more stable, but then again I'm not really worried about it. I guess I'm a bad reefer too. Just don't tell the fish and coral!

 

[smoothie]

acroporas;364219 wrote: I am not a believer in stress from salinity variations. When I take water out of the tank to suck detritus or what-ever, I just replace it with freshwater. When the salinity gets down to 1.017 or so, I will dump a 50 gal bag of salt in the sump. That usually raises the salinity to somewhere around 1.025.

And no, I am not joking.

That is some crazy ****e.

 

[acroholic]

I sometimes add small amounts of salt directly to my sump as well. I just dump it into the filter sock I use, and it dissolves by itself over a few minutes from the water flowing thru it.

 

[corigan]

Also realize if you top off with saltwater all your levels may rise (alk, calc, etc.).

Matt

 

[acroholic]

acroporas;364219 wrote: I am not a believer in stress from salinity variations. When I take water out of the tank to suck detritus or what-ever, I just replace it with freshwater. When the salinity gets down to 1.017 or so, I will dump a 50 gal bag of salt in the sump. That usually raises the salinity to somewhere around 1.025.

And no, I am not joking.

What is the volume of your system?

 

[dakota9]

acroporas;364219 wrote: I am not a believer in stress from salinity variations. When I take water out of the tank to suck detritus or what-ever, I just replace it with freshwater. When the salinity gets down to 1.017 or so, I will dump a 50 gal bag of salt in the sump. That usually raises the salinity to somewhere around 1.025.

And no, I am not joking.

Wow, talk about a maverick!

I do mine through waterchanges, or if sever, will syphon a gallon or two of tank water, mix with alil salt and replace it........

 

[realfish]

I generally find that my salinity is always on the decrease. I assume through some salt creep. I have always used the same container for top off and water changes. The container never quite gets emptied. So the tiny bit of salt left in the topoff water tends to keep the salt level in the tank more stable.

I've increased it in all the ways described above including directly into the sump/tank. I think small changes are the key as with anything in this hobby. Heck, even removing Phosphate too fast has negative consequences.