Raising SG

[Acuatica]

I am new to the marine aquarium hobby, so i hire one local store for a 200 gal setup. The guy who the store sent looks to me with very few (if any) experience, so i was very unease with the service. After a few weeks of aquarium "break in", i pay for the stocking: ten damsels, two yellow surgeon, one powder and one blue tang, four "nemos" and two anemones. To the date, only four damsels survived. everything has died within two and ten days. I have read the most that i can here and other marine aquarium forums , and make my very personal analysis for my case and i have found this: aqurium parameters are: SG 1.018, temp 32ºC, pH 8.0, kH 10, amonia less than .3, nitrite and nitrate below reading level (not detected). I have read the anemones doesnt survive in low salinity enviroments, and some fish doesnt survive above 30ºC. I use coral life salt. My question is: is there a safe procedure to increase my aquarium SG? I will add a chiller next week, to solve warm water issue, but i am concerned about doing the SG raise the hard way (losing my leftover stocking). I have two MH 150W each, no fluorescents. my sustrate is fiji white sand, filter equipment is a fluval 403, UV filter and skimmer (dont remember the brand) and 60 lbs live rock (by the way, i only see the rock part, with the "live" out of the picture). There´s a local store who advertises natural sea water, filtered to 1 micron, uv higienized, but with 35 salinity. do you advice to increase salinity? any advice will be appreciated. TIA.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would raise the sg by topping off for evaporation with salt water. That will slowly and safely raise the salinity.

The natural seawater is a fine choice. Coralife is not my preferred salt, but it usually doesn't kill things like that.

[Acuatica]

thanks, but talking about 200 gal, it will take some time to raise SG just with topping. any other suggestion? maybe adding natural sea water (40 salinity) in some proportion. just an idea. TIA

[wasp9166]

i could be wrong but if all those fish were added at the same time the tank surely cycled again no?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Natural seawater at 40 ppt? Where would you get that?

If you top off tank water at a sg of 1.018 with 2% daily of water at 1.026, you'll get:

Day..................sg
0......................1.018
1......................1.0185
2......................1.0190
3......................1.0196
4......................1.0201
5......................1.0206
6......................1.0211
7......................1.0216
8......................1.0222
9......................1.0227
10....................1.0232
11....................1.0237
12....................1.0242
13....................1.0248
14....................1.0253
15....................1.0258
16....................1.0263
17....................1.0268

If you really do want to speed the process, you can use stronger artificial seawater, but some thing smay not dissolve well if you push to 2X normal.

Water changes can also speed the process, obviously.

[Acuatica]

I can get the water from a ocean investigation center, at the coast of california gulf. Any quantity i want. so, water is not an issue. I like the 17 day top off procedure, and i will strat tomorrow morning. I hope my tank evapore 4 gallons of water daily. Anyway, 17 or 30 days, i figure is the most secure way to raise salinity. Thank you very very much.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

If it is not evaporating enough, you can increase it with fans blowing across the surface. The natural salt water is a good way to go, assuming that it is reasonably clean. :)

[Acuatica]

Absolutely. It is filtered to 1 micron, then higienized by UV circulation. It is used for food-growth investigation in farm shrimp, clams and other marine organisms farming (comercial oriented). The people in the center tells me is safer and better than any comercial salt mixture. i will adjust to 1.026 for topping off (noe is to 1.030). Thanks again.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck. :)