So I do 10 gallon water changes weekly. I'm running a Red Sea Reefer 250, 64 gallon total I like my Salinity around 1.025-1.026 I'm using instant ocean reef crystals. 1/2c per 1 gallon makes a specific gravity of 1.021 so when I do my water changes I follow these direction and end up lowering my Salinity to roughly 1.022-23 and end up having to ATO with saltwater until I reach my desired Salinity. It gets pretty annoying doing this after a while so I was wondering if anyone has figured a way to get the mix down to where they are able to get their Salinity to the desired level after the water change without having to top off with saltwater.
pugcrush
Well-Known Member
Are you checking with a refractometer? Why not just use over 1/2cup to get to the desired salinity? (I know what you're saying since a 200 gal box doesn't equate to 200 gal at 1.025/1.026). Plus you have to depend on the salt being well mixed before dumping it in the water (this can affect salinity/parameters). Things like this makes me want to switch but it's always pretty cheap.
Atlantisdelux
Community Member
I'm only running a 10 gallon nano right now, but if the tank isn't topped off at time of water change, I just make a line with a sharpe, mix your salt water to your 1.026 and only add to that line, then top off with RO to return the entire tank to it's original Salinity.
If the sharpe dries, just scribble over the line with the Sharpe again and it will wipe right off. Or just use some masking tape.
If the sharpe dries, just scribble over the line with the Sharpe again and it will wipe right off. Or just use some masking tape.
Atlantisdelux
Community Member
Reading that I feel like I skipped a step.
Make the line at where the water line is, then remove how ever much for your water change and replace with saltwater back to that line.
Make the line at where the water line is, then remove how ever much for your water change and replace with saltwater back to that line.
tjnorthdakota
Active Member
I've run into the same problem and the best way to cure it is to trade your measuring cup in for a scale. Figure out the weight per gallon for your desired salinity and presto. The digital kitchen scales are pretty cheap
I use Red Sea salt, a calculator and a kitchen scale. Then I check salinity with a refractometer. As Instant Ocean doesn't provide this information you probably should make a few iterations of adding precise known amount of salt and measuring the salinity in the mix to calculate same numbers for you salt.
Most of the salt mixes I've used (and there have been several) call for 1/2c + ~2tbsp in order to reach 1.025. If you want to avoid having to rebalance your tank after a water change, it's best to make sure that your new water matches your tank. That will result in less shock for the system overall, as well.
A refractometer is WELL worth the investment, if you don't already have one.
I am checking with a refractometer and I also double check with a hydrometer. The reason I don't add extra salt to the water change water is because I don't want to over add and then have to dilute, a cup of salt to me looks like a lot of salt so could adding a tbs at a time be time consuming since there is 16 tbs in a cup? I think weighing it could be an easy option. Also I would like to change salts how do I go about doing this without shocking fish and coral?
I don't do weekly water changes, but I've done enough of them that at this point, I can mix the salt/water ratio needed without much effort and simply with a measuring cup. I'm rarely off by much; usually low and need to sprinkle in a bit more salt. Granted; I'm usually mixing up 20gal, so a bit more forgiving, perhaps.
Changing salt is generally easy enough. Some people just switch it up and move on (I've done that). For myself (now), I treat it as I would dog food. If you've never had to do that, the idea is to mix in the new food type along with the old so that the change is not so abrupt. For salt, you could mix up a 50/50 batch or two. Or start with 75/25, then 50/50, then 25/75... Whatever makes you feel comfortable. Unless you are going from one extreme to another or doing a major water change (50%+), it's unlikely to have any impact until you've done more than a few (though monitor alk and such as you do so; most salts are different in this regard and you may need to adjust any dosing you do).
tjnorthdakota
Active Member
Check out the aquaforest salt, what I swithed to, they give a weight measurement for their salt for salinity and its pretty much dead on. 10% water changes arent really going to shock anything by swithing to a new salt.
Larry L
Valuable Member
If you use a scale, then you only have to do that process once. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a line at about the 4 gallon mark (give or take), and I figured out that it takes 590 grams of Red Sea Coral Pro to get me to 1.026 for that amount of water. So now every week I fill the bucket to the line, add 590 grams of salt, and let it mix for a while. Super easy. After it's mixed, I pour the new water into a clean bucket, then siphon from the tank into the original bucket up to the line, so I know I'm pulling out the same amount as I'm replacing.
That's good I was using five gallon buckets but since being a MP in the service my eyeballs are calibrated and I fill the bucket up to the first indentatIon. Which is approx 14 gallons. A plastic cup which I use to pour two and cups of Red Sea coral pro salt into and presto I get 1.026 so salinity I was doing three times. Monday I added fifteen gallons to the 32 gallon added7 1/2 cups of salt and presto I get 1.026
Larry L
Valuable Member
It's pretty easy, just:
- Find a container that will hold more salt than you think you need
- (I knew that for about 4 gallons of water, I needed about 4 half-cups of salt)
- Put more salt than you think you need in the container
- (I put about 5 half-cups in there)
- Weigh the container and salt, and write that starting weight down
- (If your scale can do grams, use that instead of ounces since you can get it more exact)
- Add some of the salt from the container to your measured amount of water, but less than you think you will need so you don't overshoot
- (I used about 3 half-cups)
- Let it mix for a while, measure with a refractometer, and if it's below 1.026 add a little more of the salt from your container to your water.
- Repeat previous step until you hit 1.026.
- Weigh the container and the salt that's left in it, and subtract from the starting weight, and you know how much salt ended up in your water container
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