Changes in salinity.

[michaelabellz]

So it’s my first time cycling a tank and the first few days my salinity was at .025ppm but then on the fourth day it went down to .022ppm I read about salinity going up but not going down. I checked again today and it’s back up to .026ppm. So my question is if it’s normal for salinity to change during a cycle or is it something that I need to fix.

 

[michaelabellz]

Also, my ammonia reached .50ppm but then when I tested 2 days later it was around .30ppm but there’s no nitrite readings in the tank. Is this normal?

 

[ScottR]

So it’s my first time cycling a tank and the first few days my salinity was at .025ppm but then on the fourth day it went down to .022ppm I read about salinity going up but not going down. I checked again today and it’s back up to .026ppm. So my question is if it’s normal for salinity to change during a cycle or is it something that I need to fix.

What are you using to check your salinity? It’s impossible to go down. It will only go up as water precipitates out.

 

[ScottR]

Btw, welcome to REEF2REEF. Please feel free to ask as many questions as you need during your cycle. We are all here to help you. No question is looked down upon.

 

[michaelabellz]

What are you using to check your salinity? It’s impossible to go down. It will only go up as water precipitates out.

I’m currently using a refractor for the salinity which has been recently calibrated.

 

[Cell]

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you had a testing error.

 

[ScottR]

My only other thought is, if you have an ATO hooked up, it could have lowered your salinity.

 

[Oropher]

So it’s my first time cycling a tank and the first few days my salinity was at .025ppm but then on the fourth day it went down to .022ppm I read about salinity going up but not going down. I checked again today and it’s back up to .026ppm. So my question is if it’s normal for salinity to change during a cycle or is it something that I need to fix.

How do you measure salinity?
It's best to do it with a refractometer. But don't forget to calibrate it with RO/DI water.

Welcome to R2R

 

[FreakPrism]

If you didn't add any new salt water when it was 1.022 ppm, then likely it was a testing error. Perhaps RODI water got diluted on the refractometer prior to you measuring this 1.022 reading.

What size is your tank and have you added any RODI water since you took the first measurement? Another theory could be you added too much topoff water that brought salinty down that has now corrected itself through evaporation. But this is hard to imagine over 4 days unless your tank size is small.

 

[scabbedwings616]

They are right the only way it would go down is with an ato adding too much water. It will normally go up with normal precipitation in the tank.
I would check your refractor as well with calibration liquid. See where it is at and clean it off well before you test again. Let us know how it goes.

also, welcome to r2r