Water requires more salt then box suggests?

[Xavier]

I did a search and didn't seem to dig up any info on this. This Tropic Marin salt I'm using says it makes 50g of water. With my 25g it seemed natural I should use half the salt in the box. To my surprise, it took 2/3 of the box to get the salt to the proper level (I've tested w/ two different hydrometers). Water temp is ~79*. Is it just me, or do certain waters require more salt then others to get it to the proper level?

[LiQuiD]

How long has it been mixing for?

 

If not fully mixed it would appear that you had to add more salt to get the proper gravity.

 

Throw a bubbeler or powerhead in it for several hours and see if the readings change.

 

Not familiar with the salt you are using. IO seems to me is fully mixed in like 5 minutes where other salts take like 24 hours to become properly mixed. Give it time, better safe than sorry, you could put the water in now and wake up the next day to a disaster when you notice the salinity is through the roof.

[Xavier]

Actually.. it's been running with two power heads for over a week now. Thankfully.. I can still play with the salinity because I have added nothing but LS so far.

[cal3v]

When they say 50g it depends a lot, sometimes it takes more salt than what it says since their "50g" of mix makes water to like 1.020 or something like that.

[Xavier]

Originally posted by cal3v

When they say 50g it depends a lot, sometimes it takes more salt than what it says since their "50g" of mix makes water to like 1.020 or something like that.

 

You know.. I thought of that.. but it didn't make any sense to me since 1.020 doesn't seem like the proper level to keep most fish at. Why say that they make 50g of water at a salinity level not compatible with most fish?

 

You may be right.. a different salinity level at a different temp.. which I've thought about as well.. but I wouldn't have expected to use 2/3 of the box for a difference of ~.002 salinity and one or two degrees...

 

I was just a bit concerned that I was doing something wrong. Currently there is nothing in the tank to stir the sand, and I was curious as to whether the salt might settle (even with my PH)... and my LS bed would then have a toxic level of salt.

[Twins Guy]

did you mix the saltwater before adding it to the tank? may sound like a stupid question but...or mix the saltwater in the tank, then add the LS? just trying to help.

[Xavier]

Originally posted by Twins Guy

may sound like a stupid question but

 

http://www.despair.com/demotivators/cluelessness.html

 

Here were the steps I followed (because no where did I find anything that said otherwise in detail - besides "add your sand and water, and cycle it"): 1) Wash new tank with distilled water. 2) add LS and smooth out. 3) Slowly add the rest of the distilled water. 4) Let tank settle. 5) Start filtration. 6) Install PHs. 7) Installed heater and let tank warm to 79*. 8) Slowly add salt to water letting it all disolve before adding more (actually took 3 days to get the salinity right - but didn't need to add more distilled water to lower salinity - just slowly raised it to the proper level).

 

And before I knew it, I was 2/3 of the way through the box.

 

I figured I'd add the heater and get the tank warmed before adding the salt knowing that the temp affects the reading. No article I read detailed why you are to do the water before the LS (it would seem like you'd want the LS in before the water so that you don't make more salt water then you'd need - as long as your PH and filtration were off) - am I wrong in this thinking?

[Xavier]

Now that I read that back in my head I notice a potential flaw in my thinking (damn those Japanese beers I was drinking during the tank setup). Being that the distilled water is "fresh".. and I added the straight distilled water into the LS.. I probably just killed the whole reason of getting LS... X)

 

Yet another page to add to my tank creation journal...

[cal3v]

With just fish, a spec. grav. of 1.020 is what mos people like to cut down on diseases and stuff, but you're right, its not good for a reef tank.

[Twins Guy]

don't fret...i don't think distilled water is ideal for LS but it prolly didn't do it in. on the other hand, i prolly would have liked to see your water mixed in another manner. i would have done it like this. 1)add LS (tank cleaned w/ water, no soap) and setup powerheads, heater, filters etc.-don't plug in. 2) mix saltwater in five gallon batches (use one of your PH to accomplish dissolving) checking SG 3) add water to tank in 5 gallon batches 4) when water levels are sufficient turn on powerheads and filters 5) wait 15-20 minutes before plugging in heater to prevent glass cracking (temp change)

the only potential problem i see in the method you followed-might i say through no fault of your own-is that incompletely dissolved salt may have settled on the surface or in sand. i suppose if the salt is very quick to dissolve or you added very slowly this may not have happened. in that case the fact that it took so much of the salt mix to get your tank up to "proper" SG may just be a salt manufacturer thing. its a business and their trying to make money. if they include less salt and can get away with it (even though 1.020 is on the low side of acceptable) they might try. just some ideas.

[Dave ESPI]

not all salts mix to 1.023. TM perpetualy mixes at 1.022 for me. you could add less water,..... then it will be higher salinity;)

[Xavier]

I'll turn off my PH and Filter tonight and comb through the sand to make sure it gets churned a bit. Then when it settles I'll turn the PH and filter back on. And a bit of self-saving here - I used no soap when cleaning the tank.. been in FW tanks since I can remember - been there - done that - grieved.

 

Thanks for your help - I now know better - and will not make the same mistake again. Trying to keep a log of everything I've done so far... maybe next time I can do it right

[Xavier]

Originally posted by Dave ESPI

not all salts mix to 1.023. TM perpetualy mixes at 1.022 for me. you could add less water,..... then it will be higher salinity;)

 

Well.. I'm going to siphon some of the water out as I add the LR and store it for later with a PH so I'm not wasting anything... then keep another resovour of fresh water with a float switch from Cameron. Waste not - want not.