salt in tank
- Thread starter jhebi
- Start date
Get a couple 5 gallon buckets and remove some water from your 55 and top it off with fresh water to dilute the specific gravity (S.G.). You didn't mention how high you S.G. is so it's hard to say how much to remove and replace. You want to shoot for a S.G. of about 1.020 to 1.025. (1.023 is what most people shoot for) Also, look closly at your hydrometer when tasting your S.g. It is not uncommon that the pointer will get bubbles on it and give you a false high reading, this is espicially true with new hydrometers. If you have bubbles on the inside of your hydrometer, tap it several time to kick them off. Let me know if I can be of any additional help.....Joel
Hiya jhebi, welcome to MFK. I have very little exp. with salt or brackish but when I first starte using a hydrometer I scared myself a couple times by having it stick due to either bubbles or grit, both my fault. I did not usually mix the water as I was near the place I hd caught my fish but if the reading was right are you sure you got the ratio correct and that the salt was completely dissolved and stirred around. I did that once also and in one long 35g tank got one reading that was lightly brackish and another that was hypersaline because I had forgotten to stir it around.
Most fish will tollerate a lower S.G. such as 1.017 or 18. Many inverts will not tollerate it though. A lower S.G. is a good way to help reduce parasite out brakes and is a common practice. I don't know anything about your set up (filtration, etc.) but assuming it is set up properly, you can add a damsel at a rate of about 1 fish per about 15 to 20 gallons to start the cycling process. You do not need to wait an extended period of time before adding your starter fish. The cycling process will not start untill you have fish in the water creating pollution. A good practice is after fish have been in your aquarium for a week or two and you have ammonia present, add some gravel or sand from a freinds or local aquarium shops healthy aquarium. This will "kick Start" your aquariums development of benificial bacteria. The reason you wait untill there is ammonia present is because in a brand new set up, there is not (or at least should not) be any waste to brake down and the bacteria culture would suffer. I question why your aquarium has an ammonia reading right now, perhaps double check that. I guess the question I should have asked first is, what type of filtration system are you using and do you understand the nitrogen cycle and how to manage it? I'm happy to help if you got questions, let me know....Joel
I HAVE 2 EMPERORS 400, 2 PH MAX, HEATER, SKIMMER ARRIVING MONDAY.
I ADDED 3 COOKED SHRIMPS TO MY TANK 2 DAYS AGO, SOMEONE TOLD ME TO ADD IT AND LET IT ROT TO CREATE THE BACTERIA ON THE WATER. SHOULD I TAKE IT OUT NOW?
AND CAN I ADD 1 FISH ALREADY, DONT I HAVE TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS?
I ADDED 3 COOKED SHRIMPS TO MY TANK 2 DAYS AGO, SOMEONE TOLD ME TO ADD IT AND LET IT ROT TO CREATE THE BACTERIA ON THE WATER. SHOULD I TAKE IT OUT NOW?
AND CAN I ADD 1 FISH ALREADY, DONT I HAVE TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS?