Advice please

Jilly92

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
1,147
Location
Ellijay
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Some of you may know I've been running my tanks at 1.015 at the highest and 1.010 at the lowest for the past 6 months (I'm an idiot and didn't calibrate my refractometer). That being said, I've been slowly raising my salinity and have gotten it to 1.023. I switched up salts this week to the fluval sea mix and it definitely elevated my numbers in basic elements. My question is should I keep raising the salinity to 1.026? I'm using redsea test kit and seachem for po4 and api for ph,no4,ammonia.

20210805_111520.jpg
 
OP
OP
Jilly92

Jilly92

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
1,147
Location
Ellijay
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Some of you may know I've been running my tanks at 1.015 at the highest and 1.010 at the lowest for the past 6 months (I'm an idiot and didn't calibrate my refractometer). That being said, I've been slowly raising my salinity and have gotten it to 1.023. I switched up salts this week to the fluval sea mix and it definitely elevated my numbers in basic elements. My question is should I keep raising the salinity to 1.026? I'm using redsea test kit and seachem for po4 and api for ph,no4,ammonia.

20210805_111520.jpg
Po4 is .08 not .8
 

Garf

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Messages
5,017
Reaction score
5,854
Location
BEEFINGHAM
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Po4 is .08 not .8
I don’t know what Alk, Cal and Mag are on your new salt but if they are lower than your tank numbers, you could carry on slowly increasing salinity with water changes, not reducing top off. However,Lots of folks run it a bit low, I think.
 
OP
OP
Jilly92

Jilly92

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
1,147
Location
Ellijay
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don’t know what Alk, Cal and Mag are on your new salt but if they are lower than your tank numbers, you could carry on slowly increasing salinity with water changes, not reducing top off. However,Lots of folks run it a bit low, I think.
What do you mean not reducing top off?
 

Attachments

  • 20210805_113840.jpg
    20210805_113840.jpg
    173.6 KB · Views: 13

Garf

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Messages
5,017
Reaction score
5,854
Location
BEEFINGHAM
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What do you mean not reducing top off?
I made the assumption you have increased the salinity by adding salt water when the tank evaporates. This in turn will increase Alk, Cal and Mag if its not consumed. I would actually mix up some of your salt and test it instead of relying on packaging info. If the packet is correct, water changes will actually bring your high Alk, Cal, Mag tank numbers down over time, whist still increasing salinity if you still wish to do so.
 
OP
OP
Jilly92

Jilly92

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
1,147
Location
Ellijay
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I made the assumption you have increased the salinity by adding salt water when the tank evaporates. This in turn will increase Alk, Cal and Mag if its not consumed. I would actually mix up some of your salt and test it instead of relying on packaging info. If the packet is correct, water changes will actually bring your high Alk, Cal, Mag tank numbers down over time, whist still increasing salinity if you still wish to do so.
Oh ya I've been doing waterchanges to raise salinity but this last time I did top off with sw. But is it going to hurt the corals or fish?
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 68 52.3%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 67 51.5%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 33 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.9%
Back
Top