Top off water

[TriggerHappy]

I read on a post here that you should top-off your water with RO water or de-chlorinated non-salt water. Meaning to top it off with fresh water since only fresh water evaporates and the salt is retained. Did I read this wrong cause I topped off with fresh water, now my SG has gone down, which I think killed one of my fish. I'm trying to get it back up to 1.023.

 

[reefobsessed]

I have no idea why your salts would drop if you adding the same amount that has evaporated and not more. I top mine off every other day but I am always careful to only add what has evaporated. In two years I have never had my SG go down. BTY I do use RO water..

 

[Sam]

No reason for the salt level to drop unless you are losing salt somehow. I would suggest that when next you notice the level of water is low, that you check that salinity before you add top off water ( which ideally should be RO water, the same base water you use to make up your saltwater mix). Are you sure you dechlorinated the fresh water (assuming you are referring to tap water) before adding it in? (you do not need to do this with RO water)? HTH 8)

 

[TriggerHappy]

Do you think this is what killed my damsel. He was fine before the level went down from 1.023 to 1.019 because of the top off. I found a scarlet hermit clawing at him, could he have killed the damsel, i dont think he would have.

 

[wseaton]

As water evaporates in your tank the density slowly increases because most of the salt stays in the tank while H20 evaporates. When you suddenly add several gallons of fresh water the density then drops to where it was before - come on guys, wake up.

A density drop like that won't kill a healthy damsel, unless the water had a toxin in it.

 

[TriggerHappy]

 

[jackdp]

A SG of 1.019 wouldn't kill a damsel. It takes much more than that to kill a damsel What do you use for top off water? Is it tap water, do you condition it with a decholorinator? RO water is safer to use it is chlorine free and free of most contaminants that could affect the tank.

How recently have you tested your water? Check ammonia and nitrites if you've haven't recently, if either is present this could affect the fish. If you've recently added much LR you could've caused an ammonia spike. However, usually the snails and shrimp would go belly up before the damsel, they are much more sensitive to changes in SG or chemistry.

 

[snapcrackler]

When ya top off your SW tanks just do a kwik salinity check first. then try this:

Slap your nice full topoff bucket on top of your tank, on the light, against the wall, whatever. Take a few feet of airline tubing and stick it on a foot of rigid airline tubing.

Stick the rigid end of the tubing into the bucket. The weight of the rigid tubing will keep it in the bucket and tucked niceley in a corner where it will suck out the last drops -o- water.

Start the siphon, drop the output end of the tubing into the tank and walk away. Spit that water that's in your mouth now, into a nearby potted plant.

Your freshwater topoff water adds slooooowly to the tank. You can tie a knot in the output end of the tubing if you want to slow it down even more.

I dose my topoff water with kalk and reef amino acids and minerals and stuff too. This way it adds sloowly too.

Hope that helps.

8)

 

[gooyferret]

I have also had my 58 gallon tank evaporate the salt that was in the water doesnt do it anymore but used too when first setup. Sounds weird but true! I use Instant Ocean maybe its the brand although i have never had any problems with my 75 gallon with evaporation although i do have a auto-top off system on that tank. HTH

 

[gooyferret]

I have also had my 58 gallon tank evaporate the salt that was in the water doesnt do it anymore but used too when first setup. Sounds weird but true! I use Instant Ocean maybe its the brand although i have never had any problems with my 75 gallon with evaporation although i do have a auto-top off system on that tank. HTH

 

[jackdp]

Salt can't evaporate, its chemically impossible. It may have left the system through salt creep or some other means but there isn't salt in the air.

 

[possum]

Salt can't evaporate, its chemically impossible. It may have left the system through salt creep or some other means but there isn't salt in the air.

agreed

 

[TriggerHappy]

That makes sense; there is salt creep on my tanks top, i just got the levels back up to where they are supposed to be; aren't u supposed to reintroduce the salt that builds up back to your tank, that's what I've been doing.

 

[possum]

i personally just check the salinity when i do a water change and if it happens to be a little low i just mix the new water a little salty and that usually takes care of any salt i need.