OMG! Did I put too much salt in?

[zacdl]

I got some instant ocean. I added 25 half cups (for 25 gallons)
They guy I bought the tank from said it is 30 gallons (and I think it is)

Anyway I mixed most of it in and tested it. The Specific Gravity is too high to register.


My Q, do I need to wait a while before testing it again? Or did I put way too much in? If I put too much in, than why did the bag tell me to put too much in?

 

[JohnS]

If you're using a hydrometer, make sure there isn't an air bubble on the arm. I had that happen to me one time and I freaked out and almost began lowering my salt content!

The ratio you used sounds right for 25 gallons of water. You may come up a little high, but shouldn't be off the chart.

 

[zacdl]

Thanks jon ill try it tomorrow and make sure of that.

 

[zacdl]

I just retested it. It was at 1.295

Isnt that too high????

 

[reneeanneb]

my sg never registered right for about 2 months.check salt with a hydrometer(i think thats what it's called) ,i use it when mixing for water changes to make sure the saltilinty is the same.from what the lfs told me and from my tanks it wont register with a sg meter untill the tank is settled.(if its a new tank)
is this correct?anybody else?(i'm still a newbie)

 

[RocketSeason]

yes that is to high if that is the correct salinity.

what does the salt bag say? 1/2 cup per gallon sounds right.

take your hydrometer full of water and bang it on the counter a couple of times to loosen the bubbles. this should give you a more accurate reading.

Your sg should be somewhere between 1.021 and 1.025

Are there any tank inhabitants in there?

 

[IworkatPSP]

Another thing with Instant Ocean is it takes a while to fully disolve, so don't be scared...give it time.

 

[arminkropp]

did you "season" your hydroeter before useing it?
That might help.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I've noticed with my salt(oceanic) I use much less than they say on the back and I achieve correct salinity. Try using a little less than instructed as you can always add more salt if needed.

 

[Jonathan G.]

i strive for a SG of around 1.024

 

[AR15 guy]

Did you mix the salt while the water was in the tank? Or is a separate container?

If you mixed in the tank you better stir up the substrate really well. And make sure there isn't any salt sitting in the bottom of the tank.

Stir it up really good and wait awhile. I'd say 6 hours or so just in case. Then check the SG again. If it is still high...or higher you may have to remove salt water and add fresh till you get a SG of 1.020-1.025 or so.

Also many people have told me to fill my SG tester up with salt water and let it sit for 12 hours to break it in. Seems to work ok.

 

[zacdl]

Test Kits

OK. Ill let it sit and extra day and let it cycle some more.

My next q...
What tests do I need to get for a saltwater tank?

 

[mastershake]

FWIW i think it definitley depends on thje hydrometer as well, i had this marineland enterpirses one , that i just knew was wrong, and when i got my new instant ocean one, i tested it against my bosses glass one to calibrate it, it showed up .001 too high, the marineland one compared the the IO one is like .0004 too low, my tanks salinity was wayyyy to high when i fouind out i had to do some huge water changes,

 

[JohnS]

We just switched to refractometer. Got a good deal on eBay for one (like $40, I think). After using it, we found our display tank was up around 1.026 even though our hydrometer read around 1.024. We've been working to bring it down since we made the switch.

I'm still not sure why you'd be seeing 1.029 using 1/2 cup per gallon. That sounds way too high. Like the others said, let it mix for a while and test again. If you use a hydrometer, either bang it on a table or shake it while it's underwater to remove any errant air bubbles.

Good luck!

 

[zacdl]

1.0235 is what it is at now.
I drained some of the water and added fresh, left it a few hours and this is the measurement I just got (And I didnt add any salt)

Is this a good measurement?

 

[No_Floaters]

Try to use a little less salt than it calls for, let it mix for a couple of hours and check the salinity. If it's too low, you can add salt. Too high, you can add water. Let it mix for a couple more hours and check it again to be sure before adding it to your tank.