How much Sea Salt do I need?

AsaPW

AsaPW

AC Members
Nov 17, 2006
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Lafayette,LA
Hey guys, I have a 55 gallon tank with small brackish water fish. I was wondering how much salt is needed to get my tank up to par. I read in some forums that it's 1/4 cup per gallon. I don't think this is right! Is it? It seems like an awful lot of salt to me.

I want my fish to be comfortable and I know that I don't have enough salt in there right now, but they are getting bigger. I know as they grow that they need more salt.

Help a dude out.

I have a couple spotted puffers, a couple Mono Sebae and a couple Shark Catfish. Now before you guys ream me about it, I know that my tank is overstocked, and I plan on getting rid of a few of them soon. It sucks because I like them all. :-) I know the Shark Catfish have to go, because they get so dang big. I no longer impulse buy.

I do plan on keeping 2 puffers and maybe 1 mono though.

Flame away, just let me know how much Salt that I need.

I do plan on getting a bigger tank when I find a good deal, BTW.
 
You will need a refractometer or a hydrometer to measure the SG of your water. Generally speaking you do not want to raise the SG more then .002/week, otherwise you risk killing off your biofilter. So the amount of salt needed will depend on your current SG. The lower your SG is now the less salt needed. I have a 50 gallon BW tank with 1 GSP and the SG is 1.018. When I do my water changes I use 1 3/4 cups for 4 gallons of water to maintain the 1.018. That breks down to just less then 1/2 cup/gallon.
 
Cool man, Thanks for the help.

I have a digital salinity meter. It keeps saying error because I just don't have enough salt for a reading I'm guessing.

The specific gravity doesn't get a reading. The salinity gets a reading of 3.

What should the salinity read?

All I had bought from the LFS was a small bag of sea salt. I almost have the whole thing poured in my 55 gallon. I figured the whole bag wasn't enough, but the lady that I bought the salt from wasn't sure either.

So I will need pretty much a bucket of salt?
 
Do not add salt directly to the tank. You need to premix it in a separate container(s).If the fish come in contact with the salt it can burn their gills. Another thing is the salt may not mix well and give you varying SG readings over the next day or so as it slowly dissolves.
 
Raise the SG slowly, no need to rush! .001-.002/weekly water change. Eventually the "shark cats" will outgrow that 55g. The puffers may nip at the mono, which is a schooling fish that grows to a foot.
 
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