Salinity in reef tank

[ong2ah]

Juz want to get a rough idea what is the ideal/popular salinity level reefers keep in tank... still quite a newbie despite 2 yrs in this hobby. Please vote. Thanks

[Alvin Tan]

for my tank....1.023 is gd enuff for the corals to bloom..

[Lin]

i keep it to 1.019-1.020, and i dun have a chiller.. actually it also depends wats the temp of ur tank.. you must also understand the relationship between the SG and the concentration at diff temp.

My 1cents..

[Gouldian]

If keeping FOWLR, 1.020 OK.

But for reef tank with corals, I will put my money on 1.025.

[Lin]

For ur futher reading..

CheeRs

Specific Gravity

Specific Gravity: Oh How Complicated!

[ong2ah]

over 40% keep the salinity at 1.025... i am a bit surprised by the results... i being keeping mine at abt 1.022 to 1.023 (measured using corallife deep six hydrometer). Recently dropped it to 1.021 and it seem that my fishes seem to be doing better at a lower salinity... and i heard fishes from indo-pacific do better in lower salinity water... hope to gather more info from this poll...

Bro Lin, the links provided by you is very gd.

[FuEl]

Best is to measure using refractometer using the units ppt. Keep around 35-36 ppt. The main problem using specific gravity is that it will fluctuate according to water temperature and the resultant density of the water. For example if you keep your reef tank at 28 degrees celcius at 1.025 it should'nt pose a problem. If you unknowingly have your reef tank at 25 degrees celcius with a s.g of 1.025 chances are that your salinity is different from the norm. Won't be a problem for your livestock in your tank, but can pose a problem to newly introduced inverts.

Not to mention that swinging arm hydrometers can lose accuracy without you knowing it. Even floating hydrometers can have readings affected if coated with coralline algae, etc. I lost trust in all hydrometers after faulty hydrometers caused me to lose livestock over months without knowing why.

[Maxstar81]

Very insightful poll.

Will go chk my salinity levels tonight.

[AlfaRomeo]

For a reef tank, its the usual practise to run it at 'Full Strength Saltwater' which translates to 1.025. CA/MG/KH should also be tailored to the levels found in NSW.

[Gouldian]

Best is to measure using refractometer using the units ppt. Keep around 35-36 ppt. The main problem using specific gravity is that it will fluctuate according to water temperature and the resultant density of the water. For example if you keep your reef tank at 28 degrees celcius at 1.025 it should'nt pose a problem. If you unknowingly have your reef tank at 25 degrees celcius with a s.g of 1.025 chances are that your salinity is lower than 35 ppt. Won't be a problem for your livestock in your tank, but can pose a problem to newly introduced inverts.

Not to mention that swinging arm hydrometers can lose accuracy without you knowing it. Even floating hydrometers can have readings affected if coated with coralline algae, etc. I lost trust in all hydrometers after faulty hydrometers caused me to lose livestock over months without knowing why.

Agree with bro Fuel.

Thats why I feel that the refractometer or the JBJ digital SG meter recently sold by Bio Ocean is pretty good.

Especially the JBJ, it not only measure SG and Salinity, it also indicate the temperature so that you may make the necessary minor adjustment when necessary.

It is through this equipment that I realize that the temperature in my mixing tub is pretty high due to the cheap pump I was using causing me to have inaccurate read.

[yus75]

over 40% keep the salinity at 1.025... i am a bit surprised by the results... i being keeping mine at abt 1.022 to 1.023 (measured using corallife deep six hydrometer). Recently dropped it to 1.021 and it seem that my fishes seem to be doing better at a lower salinity... and i heard fishes from indo-pacific do better in lower salinity water... hope to gather more info from this poll...

Bro Lin, the links provided by you is very gd.

u b surprised @1.023 u using deepstick n wen use refractometer will give u a higher readin......worst wen using those like thermometer(aiya 4get the name)...tis wat i encounter lastime

[ong2ah]

i think salinity do play a part in livestock health... i got a medium sized unicorn tang being suffering from cloudy eyes (a little bit) ...juz won't recover totally... coming to 2 mths... but still very healthy...grab food like pig... after i drop my salinity to 1.021 from 1.023 (Reading from deepsix corallife hydrometer)... the cloudy eyes disappear after 2 days...dnt know coincidence or not....

Purpose of this poll is to get the most basis right... as most reefers seem to be pre-occupied with other parameters like NO3 and calcium.. think i myself need to get a refractometer for a better SG reading...seem that hydrometer not very reliable...

A very big thank you for all those who provide great info like bro fuel and bro lin and a lot more... hope more will post to keep this thread very informative

[Synanceia]

The internal fluid of marine fish is hyposmotic compared to seawater. Hence a lowering of salinity for a sick fish helps the fish by reducing osmotic stress (fish needs less energy to actively excrete salts and absorb water).

I am keeping lobsters, snails, star fish and marine fish at salinities fluctuating from 23 ppt to 32 ppt, with an average of 28 ppt, without any problem so far. It seems that they can adapt to the salinity of seawater better than we think they can.

[Synanceia]

For info, for rough conversion:

(value in SG minus 1) multiply by 1250 = value in ppt

(value in ppt multiply by 0.0008) plus 1 = value in SG

where ppt = parts per thousand, SG = specific gravity

[Lin]

Bro Lin, the links provided by you is very gd.

No wori bro, u are most welcome, most bro here are nice and most willing to lend a hand! all those URL really comes handy coz i keep them in my Favorites.. and i always believe we all shld learn frm each other..

Anyway, in keeping marine, we are talking abt success, end of the day you succeed, u pat urself and u see thumbs up before you!

CheerS

Happy reefing!

[ong2ah]

No wori bro, u are most welcome, most bro here are nice and most willing to lend a hand! all those URL really comes handy coz i keep them in my Favorites.. and i always believe we all shld learn frm each other..

Anyway, in keeping marine, we are talking abt success, end of the day you succeed, u pat urself and u see thumbs up before you!

CheerS

Happy reefing!

Bro, can i check with u... if i use hydrometer to measure SG to be 1.023. The temp abt 27.5 degree C. The actual SG is higher or lower than the 1.023. I using Deep Six Coralife hydrometer ...it is said to be calibrated to measure SG accurately at all Temperature..which i start to doubt... most Hydrometer is calibrated to 25 degree celsius from what i c in the market....

And i heard from LFS that if salinity is not that high (<1.025) then its not possible to get Mg at 1300-1500ppm or calcium at above 400ppm (unless using calcium reactor) is it true?? Right now my tank Mg is at 1150ppm and calcium at abt 370ppm (Salifert testkit) and kH abt 10..should be ok right..

[Rex Ng]

temp play a part too

[jackal]

Bro Ong2ah, I have the same situation as yours but my temp is kept at 26 degree C.

Im trying to boost up my Mg from 1200....quite difficult leh. My dKH is 10, Ca is 400. Jz started using TropicMarine salt....used to be Corallife.

Any advice???

[RX_GAN]

TropicMarine Salt is one of the best around and also very costly compare to the rest.

Magnesium level is to be raise over time with constand monitor and maybe increasing dosage. You can't suddenly increase the Mg level as it will only bring in more harm than help.

Salinity is important and like wat is mention earlier on. a good way to gauge salinity and maintain it the cheap way is to measure it at a standard temperature.

Keeping your salinity level constant is most important than asking others what is their salinity level and try to follow suit.

Right now the highest vote is 1.025. Don't tell me that you are going to adjust it to that SG then what if next day the highest vote is 1.020 ?

are you going to change SG again ?

Keeping a reef or fish tank. The utmost important thing is to know why you are doing so and not what they are doing so.

Consistancy is utmost important in reef and marine tank.

After all, the tank itself is an artificial system.

I am say that even if after one thousand years of R&D, you also can really achieved the standard of the real ocean and habitat.

The micro-organism and concentration of each element is too detailed and costly for home-user or extreme hobbyist.

Seawater don't just contain Mg, Ca, Sr and other elements available in the market.

Are you going to measure each and every trace element ?

What I can tell you is that to keep it constant. If at the start it is at that level, then it should be at that level ten years later.

Consistancy is the way to excellency.

Once it's constant at that level, you can harvest what you sow.

You mention that the fish becomes alright after you drop SG.

In the first place have you asked why your fish is sick ?

Without knowing the source, you can't say that's solution which eradicate the situation.

It's like "Hey, ###### is sick today. Then tomolo you win 4D, and ###### recovers."

So 4D can cure ppl ar ?

Hahaha..you understand what I'm saying ?Hope so.

To maintain consistancy in your tank, a good and precise top-up system is very important. As precise as possible.

Have fun with your tank. Patience is success in everything.

Like they used to say, only bad things happened fast.

CHEERS

[reeftask]

I am maintaining 1.0235 with a refractometer with temp 26-28. Because my corals demanded me to do so and my fishes had boycott me to do so too. What can I do but to obey my pet masters.

Well, I dont want my fish to stress so much so I maintain the 28C temp salinity for Indonesia sea standard. Well most of our reefs are taken from them and this is Singapore so must follow Singapore sea standard

[mopiko]

i'm keeping FOWLR at 1.025. will be lowering down to 1.021 eventually because been reading that FOWLR doesnt require such high salinity. just back from indonesia took some water back around the reef and measure the salinity its 1.021.....

[angelfishlover]

The water warm up already that's why is 1.021.Mus bring ur refractometer there to test.Wah bro reeftsk u also maintain that temp???My salinity is 1.025 but evaporation occurs goes to 1.026.

[mopiko]

with my little sea cucumber knowledge. most of today's refractometer come with ATC (automatic temperature compensation) see attached. so no need lose brain cells over that

[reeftask]

my fowlr is kept at 1.014. colors of the fishes are still intact and they seems to survive better in low sg

Fishes are OK, not corals.

[reeftask]

The water warm up already that's why is 1.021.Mus bring ur refractometer there to test.Wah bro reeftsk u also maintain that temp???My salinity is 1.025 but evaporation occurs goes to 1.026.

so are you satisfy with your salinity after evaporation? If not, lower to 1.024 loh.

At my this temperature and salinity, some corals have grow by themselves.

My pipefish and seahorse tank has no chiller, so I keep at 1.020 at 29C