need help noobie saltinity keeps dropping

[808saltyboy]

hey, guy's i'm a noobie to saltwater and the forums
i was just wondering about the saltinity of the tank mines keep dropping always have to add salt? need help thaks dale

[leebca]

Not enough information for us to get a handle on why your system needs salt. Something is obviously removing salt and leaving water behind. This is highly unusual.

Where did you learn or who has guided you in setting up your aquarium? If you want more help, you'll need to provide us with more information.

We'll need to know more about what you do daily or routinely for water changes, source water, measuring the specific gravity, and making chemical tests. I'd like to know the kind of equipment you use to monitor your specific gravity.

Have you ever had your water checked by another person or your LFS?

The above info is I thin pertinent to your question, however the information/questions posed below could also help us understand your tank better.

How old is your tank? When did it originally cycle?
What is the size (dimensions and gallonage) of your aquarium? Does the gallonage include the volume from the sump and any refugium?
Do you use carbon, skimmer, mechanical or other chemical filtration? List all along with their maintenance.
Do you have live rock in the system? How many pounds or amount and where is it put?
Other than live rock hitchhikers, list all marine life & sizes in the tank (fish, inverts, corals, clams, snails, crabs, shrimp, etc.).
Do you use a quarantine tank and procedure?
Foods you use and feeding schedules.
How long have you had this fish? If the fish was recently acquired (6 weeks or less), two more questions: Did you treat it or give it a dip before it went into the aquarium? How did you acclimate it – what procedure?
Do you use any vitamins? Fat additives? Any elemental or other additives? Please list all.
Chemistries – Do you test for Phosphate, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium? Please give actual current numbers for everything. I would like test kit test results, not dip stick results and actual numbers even if you think all is fine/okay. Have these numbers been changing lately?
Water parameters – please give actual numbers (pH and your pH range, salinity or sp. gr. & range, temperature range)
Do you see any of the following in your system: hair algae; micro algae; cyanobacteria growths (red slime algae); dinoflagellate (zooxanthellae) growths; brown algae; diatom growth; slimes; off-colored patches on rock or substrate that are not coralline; etc.?
Water changes (how much and how often).
What is your source water? (Tap water, RO water, DI water, RO/DI, distilled, etc.)
List what you added or taken out of your aquarium system (living, decorations, and equipment) during the past 6 weeks.
Maintenance schedule. What have you done lately?

[808saltyboy]

sorry, noobie here, i have a 55gal tank 48"Lx13"wx21"H i have a marineland canister filter c220 3 stage filteration, oddessy550 powerhead w/filter, aquarium systems protien skimmer w/visijet powerhead. no live rock in tank only dead coral 30lbs bought from lfs and 30lbs of crushed coral for subtrate planning to add more sand and rocks, i have 2blue/green chromis, 1 yellow tang, 1 domino, 1 squriel fish,1 4banded fish,and 1 blue w/ayellow tail. i feed yhem frozen brineshrimp 2x daily, i had the fishes for about 2weeks very active, when they see me they swim to the glass and at the top waiting to be feed.the lfssaid to place bag intank for 20min before i introduce to main tank. added 5 capful of stress-zyme.brought water to check at lfs and said everything is okay. temp runs 76 degrees, no hair algae; micro algae; cyanobacteria growths (red slime algae); dinoflagellate (zooxanthellae) growths; brown algae; diatom growth; slimes; off-colored patches on rock or substrate that are not coralline; etc. didnt do water change yet going to do it on the 28th of this month. i used tap water
List what you added or taken out of your aquarium system (living, decorations, and equipment) during the past 6 weeks? none going to add 20lbs more sand and about 50lbs of dead coral.Maintenance schedule. What have you done lately? nothing yet.i use a living sea hydrometer with temp reading to check salinity. hopethis could help thanks very much for advise.

[leebca]

Some observations and recommendations about the information so far provided:
1. Seems like you're getting poor advice. Some seems wrong, other seems deficient or incomplete information.
2. Tap water should not be used. Please read these: WATER - Source and NSW and
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm
3. You need to read this to get an idea on how an aquarium should be setup and begun, by a beginner: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium
4. Not wishing to go through everything that deviated from guidelines given in the 3. reference, but: fish are added too fast; water quality not being tested and controlled; tank isn't matured (not ready for fish); circulation volume not verified to be 8X to 10X volume of system/hour; skimmer may not be sized properly by volume of water processed (not by manufacturer's recommendations); no chemical filtration noted; mechanical filtration possibly not being maintained properly, etc.
5. Regarding some of the items in 3., you need to read this: What is Water Quality.
6. With regards to maturity, this will help explain that: The Mature Aquarium
7. Hydrometer readings aren't reliable. Consider switching your equipment to include: refractometer for salt water; portable/field pH meter (like a Hanna model that requires two-point calibration); and continual temperature monitoring.
8. Also with regards to water quality, you need to start performing the following tests:
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate
alkalinity
calcium
magnesium
9. Fish are not being fed properly. Much to learn on this. Read this: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition
10. New fish are not being acclimated properly to the new aquarium. Read this: It Was Acclimation, I know. . .

I'm sorry you have not been properly informed. That link to starting up a FOWLR tank can be modified for a FO tank, but the basics of equipment, testing, water control, water changes, rate of adding fishes, etc. do all apply.

It will be difficult to help you until you've 'adjusted' your thinking to the basics in this hobby. I hope you enjoy reading and that you can learn from it, because there is a lot to do for both.

Once everything (water quality controls, testing, circulation, filtration, etc.) is on track, then we'll see if you are still having problems with salinity.

In the meantime make a huge water change (about 80%) NOT using tap water, but either distilled water or RO/DI water you buy and mixed with the proper marine salt mix. BUT follow these guidelines for making that change: How to Make a Successful Water Change

[808saltyboy]

thanks for your help & experience i will read up on it thanks again

[returnofsid]

Lots of reading, but Lee will lead you in the right direction!!! I'd questions the reliability of your hydrometer.