Refilling Water Question

[richardhmc]

When the water evaporates, my ATO automatically refills. However, whenever the water is evaporated, the water is, but the salt is not. Is this true? I find my salinity increasing all the time.

So now, to lower the salinity, should I refill with plain RO/DI water or should I do a water change and fill with freshly made lower salinity water? say like 1.020?

Last week, my salinity was 1.025 and now it has crept up to 1.030.

 

[batt600]

when your water evaporated your salinity will raise untill the you refill the amount of water that evaporated.

 

[TonyHNY]

Are you dosing anything into the tank? Any other "salts" would contribute to the readings.

 

[albano]

Last week, my salinity was 1.025 and now it has crept up to 1.030.

what size tank...you're waiting TOO long before topping off...what ATO are you using?



.

 

[richardhmc]

it's a 50 gallon tank. I have a 5g bucket of reservoir water that's used to refill the tank via ATO. I have the JBJ ATO.

I'm not adding chemicals/dosing anything.

So should I refill the tank with salt water that has a lower salinity or with fresh rodi water? what do you guys do?

 

[batt600]

RO/DI water for top off

 

[albano]

ro/di water for top off

+1



.

 

[richardhmc]

oh wow thats interesting. so you don't refill it with salt water but instead just plain ro di water? I've been refilling with salt water this whole time.

so when do you replace with more salt water if the ATO is constantly pumping in ro/di water?

This will definitely save me a ton of salt haha

 

[albano]

I've been refilling with salt water this whole time.

100%...that was the problem!




.

 

[richardhmc]

100%...that was the problem!




.

But see, the reason why I hesitated to use RODI water is that don't the fish NEED the salt??

 

[albano]

the salt does NOT evaporate, that is why the salinity goes up (as WATER evaporates)...you do water changes to remove toxins and replace minerals/elements (you are EXCHANGING salt water for salt water)



.

 

[batt600]

salt doesnt evaporate only water does so you adding salt water to the evaporated water your salinity triples, were adding RO/DI water brings you salinity back to normal. Evaporation lead to rising salinity so fresh RO/DI water will lower your salinity.

 

[richardhmc]

ahhh thank you!

 

[Lunareclipse]

But see, the reason why I hesitated to use RODI water is that don't the fish NEED the salt??

You just need RO/D water added. The water evaporates but the salt stays. You need freshwater to replaced the water that evaporated. If you add saltwater, your salinity will raise in your tank. Just top off with fresh RO/DI water. The only time you add more salt is when you do a water change.