Hypo Salitity

[Anonymous]

Doing my water change last evening, I screwed up the measurements for the salt and ended up dropping the salinity of the specific gravity from 1.023 to about 1.0185 or so. I immediately mixed a smaller batch of water, with higher salinity, drained some of the water out of the tank and added the saltier water to the system. This raised salinity back up to 1.0225.

During the 5 to 10 minutes that the tank was hyposalinated my mushroom all shrivled and my Pachyclavularia violacea (don't know the common name, I think star polyps) all closed up, but the colt was not phased, and the fish showed little distress.

This morning, most of my mushrooms have opened back up nicely, but several remain shrivled, and only about half of the polyps opened after an hour of lights on. This is after sitting in water very close to my normal salinity paramaters all night.

Should I scrape off the sickly looking mushrooms? Should I expect some die off from my polyps?

Chemical tests this morning showed normal water paramters with the exeption of a very slightly lower salinity than I usualy try to keep.

TIA

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't scrape off the sickly looking mushrooms, unless they are actually melting. Never lose hope on a soft coral unless the flesh is actually falling apart, until then they may always snap back.

 

[cdeakle]

Yuppers,

Why kill them for sure when there not dead yet? Give them a chance brutha! Shrooms will suprise you with there stuborness :wink:

 

[ChrisRD]

I don't think you can actually kill mushrooms without a nuclear weapon...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks.
Hopefuly the star polyps (hope that's the right common name) will be more open this evening too.

 

[Anonymous]

IDK, but I would be prepared for some more water changes. - If the hypo tanked a bunch of stuff on the rocks and sand or wherever, you might find yourself in the middle of big new cycle eh?

Just a thought, feel free to smack me and tell me to sit down and shut up if I'm being stupid.

 

[Anonymous]

Gawd, I hope not. The Hypo period was prety short, but I am sure long enough for some die off. I hope the fact that I did not loose any snails is a good sign

 

[Anonymous]

Gawd, I hope not. The Hypo period was prety short, but I am sure long enough for some die off. I hope the fact that I did not loose any snails is a good sign

I wouldn't worry about it.. I've brought my tank down to 1.014 with no ill effects, provided that you do it slowly. In a little bit, you should be fine and I totally agree with the mushroom comment.. they should bounce back fine.
~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

well, I got home this evening, and everything looks good. I do have one question, non-related to salinity. By experience, what level of flow does Pachyclavularia do best in? The majority of polyps have opened nicely but there are some that just barely peak out. I am sure they get enough light.

 

[Anonymous]

I have mine in a high flow, but low velocity area. It's thriving too. Don't worry if all the polyps aren't open all the time... mine seems to go in cycles. I've had some die off right in the beginning, but then the other area (actually away from the current) really start to grow like crazy. Neat stuff, and great under the actinic lighting.
All the best,
~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

couple thoughts

buy a hydrometer, or preferably a refractometer (USE IT)

mix your salt a head of time, TEST it, let it mature for at least 24 hours.

 

[Anonymous]

albennet,
Have you considered using natural sea water? It's all I've been using for the past 5 years, and I don't miss mixing my own water. Most of the better LFS's have it.

Cheers
Jim