revhtree
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just trying to find the general concensus about where most like to keep their salinity range for a REEF TANK.
So what is yours?
TIA!
So what is yours?
TIA!
Reef Salinity
- Thread starter revhtree
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
IndyReefMan
Aquarium Advice Activist
I keep my specific gravity at 1.025. I can't remember what salinity that equates to. From the messages I've seen on these boards, most people seem to agree that 1.025 is the way to go. I've had no problems at all. Best of luck to you.
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
I also keep mine at 1.025.
JohnNLuc
Aquarium Advice Freak
1.025 on the refractometer here for me.
Z
zacdl
Guest
Wow.
I thought 1.025 was high, I am right at that
I thought 1.025 was high, I am right at that
OP
OP
revhtree
Aquarium Advice Addict
That works out to be 35 I think. I looked but forgot...
Well so far all think 1.025. That is where I am at as well.
Well so far all think 1.025. That is where I am at as well.
dralarms
Aquarium Advice Addict
Let me throw my 2 cents in as well. Mine is also at 1.025.
in as well. Mine is also at 1.025.clowninround
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Me too
markh30
Aquarium Advice Regular
Mine is just a little lower then 1.025. Someone once told me that the higher the salinity, the better foam production in your protein skimmer. Makes sense to me..
gooyferret
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I keep mine a little lower mine is around 1.022 I have heard keeping the salinity a little on the lower side fights parasites and bacteria off better and i have had great luck keeping corals and fish both. I have no problems with my AquaC Urchin Pro protein skimmer pulling out foam and DOC. JMO
RLG2182
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hmmm... my little meter says perfect is 1.020-1.023. 8O Strange... I thought 1.025 would be too high. Nice to know. Would this also be safe for common fish like clowns & tangs?
IndyReefMan
Aquarium Advice Activist
Most LFS keep the specific gravity in their tanks in that 1.020 to 1.023 range because it does reduce the amount of parasites (the difference in the osmotic pressure causes them to lyse) and it cuts down on their salt costs. The reef keeping literature that I've read recommend keeping the specific gravity higher than this for invertebrate health. Apparently, most inverts can not handle this lower specific gravity. I know that some reef keepers are keeping it lower but I can't help but wonder about the long term health effects that it may cause on their inverts.
Serge
Aquarium Advice Addict
Umm... With the plastic hydrometer that I have, I aim at 0.023 but I usually end up with the tank at 0.022-0.0225. Does this look OK to you?
8)
8)
IndyReefMan
Aquarium Advice Activist
1.022 to 1.023 should be fine for a fish only tank. I think that is too low for most inverts. They'll probably survive short term but they may not thrive and it could affect their long term health. I can't speak personally because I've never kept the specific gravity of my reef tank that low. I've always kept it at 1.025. I'm going by the postings and literature that I've seen. You may want to invest in a refractometer for measuring your specific gravity... they are much more accurate and convenient than the plastic hydrometer that you are using. You can calibrate them with RO water too to ensure that you are getting accurate readings. It was some of the best money I ever spent.
popothemailman
Aquarium Advice Activist
Darn! I'm out of the club I have 1.026 8O
darb2
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I'd stay at 1.025 or so. as long as it is constant.
For those of you that think that 1.020-1023 will reduce the number of parasites, you would be incorrect. It has been proven that ick(the most common parasite that we all try to avoid) will live in a sg as low as 1.016 or maybe lower
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=49228&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=10
For those of you that think that 1.020-1023 will reduce the number of parasites, you would be incorrect. It has been proven that ick(the most common parasite that we all try to avoid) will live in a sg as low as 1.016 or maybe lower
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=49228&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=10
While ich will survive that low the fish will be better able to fight it off, thereby giving the presence of making it go away. If you have a hydrometer you can pretty well count on adding .003 to whatever number you come up with on that thing as I've seen them off fairly normally by at least that much.
I used my refractometer to test some fellow reefer's water (because they'd given me frags) and found that most of them had water up around 1.029! My LFS sadly SELLS premixed saltwater to 1.017 and says that their reason behind that is that you can use it like that. I don't ever want to buy water from them again, I can tell you. What's the point in buying water if I have to add salt to it anyway. May as well just go ahead and mix the salt myself. *sigh*
I used my refractometer to test some fellow reefer's water (because they'd given me frags) and found that most of them had water up around 1.029! My LFS sadly SELLS premixed saltwater to 1.017 and says that their reason behind that is that you can use it like that. I don't ever want to buy water from them again, I can tell you. What's the point in buying water if I have to add salt to it anyway. May as well just go ahead and mix the salt myself. *sigh*
Serge
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ummm... Guess I will have to "crank it up" a wee bit then. Thanks for the tip!
Now, to convince "Da Boss" that we need the refractometer. LOLOL
8)
Now, to convince "Da Boss" that we need the refractometer. LOLOL
8)
IndyReefMan
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have found two well respected authors that concur on this:
Robert M. Fenner, The Conscientous Marine Aquarist, page 96:
Commercial fish-only systems are frequently kept at artificially low specific gravities (1.017-1.020) for three principal benefits:
1) cost of salt mix is less.
2) parasite and microbial levels are reduced (these life forms can't make the osmotic stretch as well as macrolife).
3) gas solubility or oxygen content is enhanced.
Nick Dakin, Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium, page 89:
The control of salinity can be utilized as an aid to disease prevention. Many disease pathogens, particularly external crustaceans and protozoans, can not survive in low salinities and it has become common practice to maintain marine aquariums at a specific gravity of 1.022, and in some cases as low as 1.018. Most fishes can tolerate these levels and actually seem to benefit from them because of less demanding osmotic pressure. However, many invertebrates will not do well below 1.022.
These are both very recent publications, too. If anyone has any sources of reference that would contradict this, please post it.
Robert M. Fenner, The Conscientous Marine Aquarist, page 96:
Commercial fish-only systems are frequently kept at artificially low specific gravities (1.017-1.020) for three principal benefits:
1) cost of salt mix is less.
2) parasite and microbial levels are reduced (these life forms can't make the osmotic stretch as well as macrolife).
3) gas solubility or oxygen content is enhanced.
Nick Dakin, Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium, page 89:
The control of salinity can be utilized as an aid to disease prevention. Many disease pathogens, particularly external crustaceans and protozoans, can not survive in low salinities and it has become common practice to maintain marine aquariums at a specific gravity of 1.022, and in some cases as low as 1.018. Most fishes can tolerate these levels and actually seem to benefit from them because of less demanding osmotic pressure. However, many invertebrates will not do well below 1.022.
These are both very recent publications, too. If anyone has any sources of reference that would contradict this, please post it.
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