Topping off quick question

[Gdbyrd]

Just wondering about something. When you top off your tanks, is there any need to worry about how quickly you pour it in, or anything like that?

My fish swim up into it all the time and I have corals towards the top of my tank now, worried if they get hit by the stream it could hurt them.

While I am asking, I'm using just regular instant ocean. Should I change over to a reef formula? Does my salt contain anything to replenish what my corals and stuff take up?

 

[project5k]

well, when i top off my tanks i'm pouring into the sump, thats where i have my "normal" lines drawn so i know how much to pour in, and i just pour it in as fast as it will come out of the jug....

its starting to sound like you dont have a sump, if you do, then do your top-offs there and not in the main tank, in theory, if you dont actually have to touch the main tank, then dont, if you can do whatever you need to via the sump, then do it there(its safer, and less disturbing and less stress for your fish)

i hope you are asking for when you mix up salt water to do a water change, and not that you are topping off with salt water, you should be topping off with just plain RO/DI water. If you are topping off with salt water then your salinity is going to continually climb till things start dieing...

oh, and the only way to know whats in the salt your using is to read any information that you can on it, perhaps its on the bucket, perhaps you'll have to look that particular product up on the net, but thats where your gonna find out if it has just the salt, or if it includes the trace elements.

I'm just using instant ocean, the 6 gallon bucket with the big clownfish on the front. and thats all i use when i "mix salt"

 

[Gdbyrd]

Yeah no sump. No option for a sump really. Topping off with ro di water. Doing it at least twice a day, usually in the morning and when I get home from work. Sometimes when I go to bed. Just worried that as it mixes with the water its going to mess with the tank mates.

Good idea with the salt. I think ill just test it to see what its going to add. I have been buying my salt by the case and there is no breakdown on the sides of it.

 

[yote]

+1 Project.
Your salt does contain minor and trace elements,So your good there.
But you do need to be testing alkalinity,calcium,and magnesium on a regular basis.
On the top offs,think about the reefs durning a rain storm.If it rains hard enough,it'll effect the salinity some.

 

[project5k]

yea, i'm still doing my top-offs by hand too, about 2 times daily, when i get my tank moved onto the new stand, then i'm gonna build an ato...

how much are you adding each time you top off the tank? if this is your 47 then anything less than a half gallon, you should just be able to dump in and not "shock" anything. if the fish are swimming up into the stream, then they must like it, or they would swim away from it....

the rule on that is, if your concerned, then do it slower, cant hurt anything to go slower, and if your more comfortable and wory less, then i say do what feels right.

yea, you know the rule is dont add it if your not testing for it... i'd start out with some good test kits, test the parameters that are important for what you are keeping in the tank and then dose as needed, but you already know that.

water changes and whatnot will take care of the more minor elements, but if your keeping hard corals, then i'd be checking my calcium levels, and IF the water changes arent keeping the levels where they need to be, then you dose in adition

 

[Gdbyrd]

Ah, alright. Thanks guys. Its usually like a 1-2 galons a day max. But I usually spread it out as much as possible.

I'm testing my dkh and Ca but cannot find a mg test kit. Guess I should order one. Have not had to dose anything yet. Any advice on a decent test kit?

 

[yote]

Salifert has the cheapest magnesium kits that I've found,and thats what I use.

 

[Gdbyrd]

Have you been able to find them locally? I asked my lfs and they kinda laughed at me like I was missing out on an inside joke. He said they are super hard to find, something about tree huggers. I'm just going to order from marine depot.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Maybe your LFS workers are retards? All the LFS stores around here have any and all test kits. But I'd order them online if I were you just to NOT support that store.

Pre-sump days I used to dump my top off water high, relatively high, into my DT just to stir up any poo that might've been on the sand bed.

You should setup a sump at some point. They're great. No more adding stuff into the DT, just add into the sump :D

 

[yote]

I've bought one mag kit local.It was a Tropic Marin,and I just didnt like it.
But I ordered the kit I have now from Aqua Cave last week.

 

[Hornet]

Have you been able to find them locally? I asked my lfs and they kinda laughed at me like I was missing out on an inside joke. He said they are super hard to find, something about tree huggers. I'm just going to order from marine depot.

Something has been going on with Salifert's supply of magnesium kits. All of the LFS's near me kept saying they were on back order. Even a couple of online dealers were out of stock. I ended up getting my Salifert Mag. kit from a guy on ebay.

 

[KidJ57]

The other thing you could do is something like this: Micro-Jet Pumps and drop the pump right in your water jug, then run the hose into your tank right behind a power head so it get's cycled into the current almost unnoticed by your fish...what's cool too is that the flow rate is changeable so you can decide how gradual you want the water to flow. The best part...no more lifting and carefully pouring 5-gallon jugs...not that they're all that heavy but it's still a plus :mrgreen: