too much salt!!! help!!

[0000]

my 36 gallon is on its 4th day cycling.

Assuming I am using the hydrometer correctly I am getting a reading of about 1.027

It is a coralife hydrometer i submerge it completley in water then i pick it up from the water.

is this correct?

is level of salt too much??

what should I do??

 

[melosu58]

It could go down a little. I would just worry about your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates for now. Once the cycle is over then test your salinity. If it needs to go down then just add a lower salinity PWC to your tank and it should go down to where it needs to go.

 

[Zer0]

I agree with Mike. Besides, 1.027 really isn't even that high. 1.026 is natural ocean water, so it's really not all that bad. Just do what Mike said and you'll be fine.

 

[thominil]

Throw the hydrometer away and go grab a refractometer as they are a lot more accurate than a hydrometer which is probably more than likely giving you a false reading. To lower the SG, remove some sw and replace with fw.

 

[catmel]

Just be aware when you DO purchase fish, if you keep it 1.023-1.026 range most fish at least at my LFS seem to be in water around 1.020 or even lower - acclimate very slowly (drip method) when you do.

 

[Mitchell0605]

A few fish stores keep their fish at even lower SG levels. Some keep them at hypo levels all the time to prevent ich.

 

[mrg02d]

Ditto on the hydrometer...I had been using one for nearly a year and just got a refractometer last month. Found my salinity was lower than I thought. I thought I was doing 1.026 and was near 1.023. Not dangerous, but was wondering why my water parameters were differing from what Reef Crystals said...Needed more salt!

Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

I dumped my swing arm after a few months when I realizdd that it did not give me consistent readings. Get yourself an ATC refractometer which I consider a necessity.

 

[melosu58]

Throw the hydrometer away and go grab a refractometer as they are a lot more accurate than a hydrometer which is probably more than likely giving you a false reading.

Great advice.

 

[0000]

thanks for the advice everyone, can this refractometer be purchsed at pet stores like petco and petmsart?

 

[melosu58]

Good articles

Marine Aquarium Water Quality: How to Maintain Proper Specific Gravity

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12132

 

[catmel]

I havent seen one at a petstore yet.. try ebay or just online in general. You can get decent ones for $40-$50 or so.

 

[cmor1701d]

Make sure you get an ATC (automatic temperature compensation) model so you don't have to convert the reading based on the room termperature. Every online retailer sells a model or two.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Can you point me the way of an Australian one? Cause I can't find one!