raising salt level

[PuterChickFL]

I've been adding salt to the tank every day and I cannot get the level over 1.016 no matter how much salt I'm adding. is the rock absorbing it or something? what am i missing?

[emc7]

Are you getting a nice white crust on anything?

[funlad3]

What are you measuring your salinity with? It's likely you just have a faulty hydrometer. Refractometers are much more accurate and are onl around $25-$30.

[kay-bee]

Originally Posted by PuterChickFL I've been adding salt to the tank every day and I cannot get the level over 1.016 no matter how much salt I'm adding.

How much salt are you adding everyday?

Very approximately (depending on variables such as water temperature, marine salt brand, etc), 1/2 cup of marine salt per gallon of tank volume will achieve a salinity of about 1.020 SG (again, depending on variables).

I believe your tank is a 44gal so total (not taking water volume that's been displaced by rock, etc) there should be about 22 cups of salt in the tank (give or take a few depending on variables and target salinity).

Very roughly, you're short a few cups of salt (~5.5 cups).

If there are no life forms in the tank try adding a cup or two of salt a day until target salinity is attained (ideally, marine salt should be added into the tank as saltwater, mixed in a separate container, rather than directly as dry salt added directly into the tank).

Alternatively, you can mix a new batch of saltwater at 1.030SG and top off with that water until target salinity is attained.

When lifeforms are in the water I would just top off with saltwater @ 1.025 SG for a gradual increase in salinity over time.

[PuterChickFL]

Originally Posted by emc7 Are you getting a nice white crust on anything?

Not that I can tell. When I added the water I used a two gallon bucket, a cup of instant ocean blended in each bucket. While trying to raise it, I was adding about half a cup directly into the power head flow. The bag of instant ocean is for 50 gallons and there's still plenty of salt in the bag, and being the tank is 44 gallons I'm guessing I'm still low.

I will mix water and add it that way now, should I take water out, mix then put it back that way?

Oh, and I plan on checking my LFS stores this weekend for a refreactometer

[grogan]

Im not a salty but wouldn't skipping fresh water top offs and allowing some evaporation help. Water evaporates salt stays and salinity rises, right? Once desired salinity is reached then slowly add fresh/salt water to maintain levels. right?

[TheOldSalt]

No, not quite. You do lose some stuff with spray/evaporation.
Chick, take water out and add salt to it, then put it back.

[PuterChickFL]

Originally Posted by TheOldSalt No, not quite. You do lose some stuff with spray/evaporation. Chick, take water out and add salt to it, then put it back.

that's what I've been doing. I bought a refractometer today and it tested my water at 1.020.

[funlad3]

You'll get there! Refractometers are awesome, never any doubt to your salinity.

[PuterChickFL]

Actually I just learned I need to calibrate it first. The store I bought from doesn't have the solution. Can it be done myself? I don't have ro water but I do have distilled

[TheOldSalt]

Should be close enough.