Salt gathering around edge of tank

[Eelzor]

I am getting some salt gathering around the edge of my tank and I know this is because of evapouration. I know one could simply top it off again with de-chlorinated freshwater, but I had preffered the water levels lower because of live rock going in. So I just took the salt off with a cloth. So my questions,

1. Is that ok to wipe the salt off instead of freshwater topping up?
2. What type of freshwater do you use to top up? De-chlorinated freshwater I take it?

Sorry about the questions after questions in other posts too - just gotta be sure.

 

[Mr Miagi]

LOL. If it were me, so take this with a grain of salt, i would wipe off the salt reidue, and re-fill with water you have premixed to the same salinity levels as the water in the tank. Benny

 

[sammydee]

NOOOOO you must not do that!

The water that evaporates takes NO minerals/salt with it - that means the rest of the water in your tank becomes more concentrated. If you keep topping up with premixed water you will increase the salt levels in your tank hugely. You must only replace what has left the tank - distilled, pure water.

If you want your water level lower, don't let it evaporate because that will increase the salt concentration. Top up with distilled water, then siphon out what you dont want.

ok?

 

[Mr Miagi]

damm.........thats why i shouldnt have told u nothin.....

sorry ) should have thought about it harder

 

[Eelzor]

NOOOOO you must not do that!

The water that evaporates takes NO minerals/salt with it - that means the rest of the water in your tank becomes more concentrated. If you keep topping up with premixed water you will increase the salt levels in your tank hugely. You must only replace what has left the tank - distilled, pure water.

If you want your water level lower, don't let it evaporate because that will increase the salt concentration. Top up with distilled water, then siphon out what you dont want.

ok?

ok, but I have wiped off some of the residue from around the tank - the 'salt krepe' as it is called. Can I still add freshwater to return to the normal salinity levels?

 

[Eelzor]

Ok, maybe clarity is required to get better understandings,

What I'm saying is the salt residue around my SW nano has been cleaned by me after some saltwater has evapourated off. Now, my question is - Should have I left the evapourated salty residue (if thats what it is) and mixed it in with the newly put in freshwater? Or can I just still add the top-ff freshwater to my tank?

God Bless the next person to answer that question well.

 

[leon]

put the salt back into the tank, that way the s.g will stay at a more constant level. and top up with RO water, tap water, de-chlorinated or not will cause you no end of problems. Doing the top ups is WAY WAY more important in nano tanks than say a 100g tank!, the parameters can change very quickly cause of the small water volume, this is why they are recomended for advanced/experienced marinists.
leon

 

[sammydee]

Well you have made it more difficult to tell when you wipedoff the residue. Some salt may have stayed in the tank when some water evaporated, and some salt was deposited on the glass. I would top up with distilled water until it was where it was previously, then check the SG just to make sure. I don't think much salt will be left in salt creep - that's just the water on the glass which evaporated.

I hope that's clear?

 

[Eelzor]

Ok, I bought a Hydrometer (wonderful device!) and my SG readings are 1.026.

What are ok levels for crabs/hermits/snails/brittlestars/sandsifters/shrimp/other critters?

 

[chris777]

They should be fine long as it was a suddenly put high or droped. Most of my tanks are at 1.025, i know a friend that use to keep his at 1.030 Which imo was pretty high but all his fish, inverts, corals, clams where all doing good. They will adapt to higher or lower levels over time long as they just werent toss into a tank that has 1.026 and there use to 1.023 for example.