Overthinking Salinity levels?

[1stMarineTankDude]

Hello, I'm new to the hobby and have cycled my display tank. I have also stood up an observation tank which will be used Observation and possibly QT. I may setup separate micro tanks for full on QT or TTM. Still trying to decide my approach given time/inverts/fish/corals all having different needs during that process and my wife's tolerance for gear piling up!

My question here is around salinity. I've slowly moved my level up to around 35 ppt. I say around as the electronic meter i have gives me a reading of 35.5 PPT at 75 degrees F on initial dip. However, leaving the electrode in the water until it raises to 77.5 as the salinity reading drops to 34.6 PPT.

Is this acceptable? Should i pull some salt out? I will be running a mixed tank. Fish/inverts/coral. Tank running for 1 month. Dosed with Beneficial bacteria, and twice with ammonia. I watched it drop down to zero both times. No live stock in tank yet.

While mentioning livestock, would it be a problem to go ahead and launch a pistol shrimp to go with his future goby mate? Can any other inverts be put in like snails or crabs? or should i wait on them until the fish go in?

I'm looking to purchase fish in the next few days. They will be managed as mentioned in the opening statement. Still thinking that through. ha-ha, i am in a hurry to care for something other than a bunch of water!

 

[DDenny]

With my ATO my salinity ranges from 34-35 depending on the time of day and evaporation rate. I have not had an issue in my tiny 4g tank. Just moved into a 25g lagoon so I am hoping the swing is not as much.

 

[amarck]

Both are 1.026, you’re more than fine. Inverts can go in before fish if you want. Pistol shrimp are great but some find them less than reef safe. Personally i like them. Start researching fish and have fun.

 

[TX_REEF]

Hello, I'm new to the hobby and have cycled my display tank. I have also stood up an observation tank which will be used Observation and possibly QT. I may setup separate micro tanks for full on QT or TTM. Still trying to decide my approach given time/inverts/fish/corals all having different needs during that process and my wife's tolerance for gear piling up!

My question here is around salinity. I've slowly moved my level up to around 35 ppt. I say around as the electronic meter i have gives me a reading of 35.5 PPT at 75 degrees F on initial dip. However, leaving the electrode in the water until it raises to 77.5 as the salinity reading drops to 34.6 PPT.

Is this acceptable? Should i pull some salt out? I will be running a mixed tank. Fish/inverts/coral. Tank running for 1 month. Dosed with Beneficial bacteria, and twice with ammonia. I watched it drop down to zero both times. No live stock in tank yet.

While mentioning livestock, would it be a problem to go ahead and launch a pistol shrimp to go with his future goby mate? Can any other inverts be put in like snails or crabs? or should i wait on them until the fish go in?

I'm looking to purchase fish in the next few days. They will be managed as mentioned in the opening statement. Still thinking that through. ha-ha, i am in a hurry to care for something other than a bunch of water!

Your salinity seems fine. I'd recommend picking up a refractometer as well as I personally have seen inaccuracy issues with the digital checkers. As long as you add salt to water per the package's instructed ratio, you should be good. You'll probably be fine to start out with adding the pistol shrimp, and unless your tank is so small that bioload is a concern, you could do the goby with it as well. I wouldn't bother adding snails/hermits for cleanup crew en masse until you have started building up some algae and detritus for them to snack on. Try to avoid adding fish too often since it's a new tank, I'd space out new additions 2 weeks or so to give your tank's biofilter time to grow in parallel with your bio load.

 

[1stMarineTankDude]

With my ATO my salinity ranges from 34-35 depending on the time of day and evaporation rate. I have not had an issue in my tiny 4g tank. Just moved into a 25g lagoon so I am hoping the swing is not as much.

My tank has a gravity fed ATO, which conceptually i like due to reduced parts to fail, however the valve that turned off by blocking the float valve input would drip unless turned enough to turn off the float. I tried to trim it back enough to prevent this. In the end i just eliminated enough to leave float always on and turned enough to stop the drip. I figure the small amount of water in the ATO was not enough to worry about blocking if i wanted to remove it for some reason and cannot think of any other reason to have the ability to turn off. As it will turn it self off due to evap over a few days left unfilled.

 

[fishyjoes]

Salinity is important to get right, so you're not overthinking it.

I've never used an electronic salinity measurement device because I never know whether to trust them or not. Even if they're accurate for a while, they come out of calibration at some point (going off reports from others, not personal experience).

I use a tropic marin high precision hydrometer - they're not convenient at all, and easy to break if you aren't careful, but I know I can trust the reading.

I also have a refractometer but I don't like it because it's too hard for me to tell precisely what the reading is (the lines are very close together). I use this in cases where I only have a small sample size to work with (like water in a bag from a fish store)

 

[amarck]

I do recommend having multiple checkers for salinity temp phosphates and nitrates. Lets you trust but verify. But again, your salinity sounds fine. If you’re nervous get it tested by a lfs, or order an icp test.

 

[1stMarineTankDude]

Salinity is important to get right, so you're not overthinking it.

I've never used an electronic salinity measurement device because I never know whether to trust them or not. Even if they're accurate for a while, they come out of calibration at some point (going off reports from others, not personal experience).

I use a tropic marin high precision hydrometer - they're not convenient at all, and easy to break if you aren't careful, but I know I can trust the reading.

I also have a refractometer but I don't like it because it's too hard for me to tell precisely what the reading is (the lines are very close together). I use this in cases where I only have a small sample size to work with (like water in a bag from a fish store)

That is exactly the reason i bought the electronic one, the refractometer was just too hard to read and required more light that was readily available for me to see very well.

 

[1stMarineTankDude]

I do recommend having multiple checkers for salinity temp phosphates and nitrates. Lets you trust but verify. But again, your salinity sounds fine. If you’re nervous get it tested by a lfs, or order an icp test.

my thoughts exactly. Check, check, then check! It is really the only reason i have no fish yet as I do not want a mistake to be the reason they die. ha-ha, but i need to cross the bridge to the fun part of the hobby!

 

[1stMarineTankDude]

Updating you all, I have acclimation and released two black ice clowns into the observation tank. In a few weeks they will move into their nice new home. I plan to spin out tomorrow and see if i cannot find a YWG and Red Banded Pistol Shrimp so they can keep up and get in a day early!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My question here is around salinity. I've slowly moved my level up to around 35 ppt. I say around as the electronic meter i have gives me a reading of 35.5 PPT at 75 degrees F on initial dip. However, leaving the electrode in the water until it raises to 77.5 as the salinity reading drops to 34.6 PPT.

The time of salinity changes is likely just the time for the meter to properly read them temp. Use the measure after it has been in the fluid for a bit.