LFS tank at 1.013!!

Jedi1199 · Dec 24, 2021

I stopped by my fish store today and found a beautiful "red tooth" Niger Trigger. Been wanting to add another trigger to my 180 so it was an easy choice to make. I got home and floated the bags and just on a whim, I thought "I wonder what they run their tanks at". Got out the trusty refractometer and was astounded at what I saw. 1.013 sg!!?? I know from experience and research that many shops will run a lower salinity than we at home do, but WOW!!

My tanks all run 1.026 or 1.025. Naturally he is still floating in his bag as I dose in tank water to bring the salinity up.

The reason for the visit to the shop today is that this morning, while getting ready for work, I saw the cats both very intently investigating something on the floor near the 32g tank. When I went to see what they were looking at I found that one of my clowns had jumped out. Must have been within a few minutes or so as it wasn't all dried out, but still just as gone.

I also picked up a new clown, and a nice RBTA while I was there. they all came from different tanks. The clown water tested at 1.021 (which is low, but about what I would expect) and the Nem tested at 1.025.

I have had very good luck with fish from that store. As you can expect from most pet/fish shops, the staff is helpful, but not really knowledgeable when it comes to saltwater. I actually heard one of them today tell a lady to treat live sand "as if it was a fish". lol Needless to say I corrected that statement and directed that gal here... I wonder if she will join?

Anyway.. Today is Dec 24th, Christmas Eve. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas... May your tanks be healthy and bring you peace and joy!!

Happy Holidays

BeltedCoyote · Dec 24, 2021

That does seem pretty low. Everything I’ve always encountered as far as data indicates 1.018 is the lower threshold for hypo?

I’ve heard the sand treated as an organism idea before, sort of a means of viewing the microfauna of a system as a single entity. Never heard that sand bed = fish before though.

hope you don’t mind me coming in and rambling OP. Sitting here twiddling my thumbs waiting for a family get together to kick off lol

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and/or hope everyone is safe, happy, and with their loved ones.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 24, 2021

They’re doing what is known as hyposalinity to reduce chances of disease such as ich
It will be up to you to place new specimens in a clean bucket and add a cup of tank water every 15 minutes until salinity equalizes

JumboShrimp · Dec 24, 2021

The last two fish I got at my LFS (more of a Pet Store with fish, mind you), inexplicably had them at 1.028 and 1.029; and this was a month apart. Naturally I was asking myself "How?" and "Why?" Plus, I run my FOWLRs at about 1.20/21, so I had some acclimation-work cut out for myself.

Snoopy 67 · Dec 24, 2021

Salinity can be dropped like a rock without a problem.
When I did maintenance one customer had a Powder Blue that would come down with Ick a few times a year.
We would go in on our specified day & drop from 1.023 to 1.010 with the water change. no problem.
Raising salinity however HAS TO BE DONE SLOWLY.

Jedi1199 · Dec 24, 2021

Snoopy 67 said:
Salinity can be dropped like a rock without a problem.
When I did maintenance one customer had a Powder Blue that would come down with Ick a few times a year.
We would go in on our specified day & drop from 1.023 to 1.010 with the water change. no problem.
Raising salinity however HAS TO BE DONE SLOWLY.

Hence the fish are STILL in the bags.. I am adding about 1/4 cup of tank water every 15 minutes or so.

Jedi1199 · Dec 24, 2021

I have always used the "float and add" method for acclimating fish.

I have read and seen many posts/videos that advocate the "Drip method". This is a prime example of why I don't do that. In order to keep the water warm enough, I would have to be running tank water at a very high volume into the acclimation bucket. This would accelerate the salinity acclimation at a dangerous rate I believe.

By floating the bags in the tank and adding a turkey baster full of water every 7 minutes, I can raise the salinity of the bags at a safe rate and no risk of either salinity shock, or accidental flooding of the floor should I become distracted while externally dripping.

JumboShrimp · Dec 24, 2021

Maybe mine is a ‘hybrid method’… I usually open the bag of way-way-off LFS water (lol!) and hang it in the tank for temperature; then I drop in an air stone so time is on my side. Then it’s water adjustments +/- for as long as it takes.