Salt mishap!!

[clownfishi]

Okay, so I salted my new ryukin's quarantine tank to a level of .3% over three days, following internet instructions that told me one tablespoon per gallon of water, added over the course of a few days. The fish was fine until I came home tonight, when it appeared very lethargic and had cloudy eyes! I suspected a bacterial infection or sensitivity to salt, so I tasted the water to check it (gross I know, but still figured if the salt concentration was where it should be, the water wouldn't really taste salty.) It did. So I dig out my refractometer from when I kept saltwater fish, and lo, the salt concentration was about 7 ppt when it should have been 3!! It stayed in this water for 24 hours. I feel retarded for putting my fish at risk like this, but I followed the instructions for salt like are on websites like goldfishconnection! So I would advise all of you, if you treat your tanks with salt, to invest in a refractometer. It could save your fish! (the swing-arm hydrometers are practically worthless for such low salinities, and I think floating hydrometers would also work decently.) I really hope this isn't detrimental in the long term to my poor Dante!

[SeaWitch]

I'm so sorry that happened to your fish.  Too bad you didn't follow AP's instructions, as we have them posted correctly.   How is your fish doing now?

[clownfishi]

Actually, this site has the same amount listed. .3% = 3tsp per gallon total = 1 tablespoon per gallon. I followed this instruction but the salt still came out to be .7%.

ETA: I didn't do anything stupid either, like doing a 50% water change and re-adding 100% of the salt. I was doing 80% water changes daily and re-adding 80% of the salt needed--16 tablespoons=48 tsp in a 20 gallon tank. I never added it suddenly or directly to the tank.

He's doing a bit better now. Almost as perky as normal, he is not bottom sitting at all like he was. The eyes are still cloudy. My guess is that this is due to excess mucus production and will go away in a few days. I'm still worried, though.

[zookey]

If you followed the instructions for adding the salt you added 1 teaspoon per gallon, then 12 hours later you added another 1 teaspoon per gallon, and 12 hours later you added the last 1 teaspoon per gallon right?

Well according to the way I see it on paper..... there are 768 teaspoons in a US gallon.  So at 1 teaspoon per gallon you would have 1/768 % salt (0.13020833%) at 2 teaspoons you have 2/768% salt (0.26041666%) and at 3 teaspoons per gallon you have 3/768 % (0.390625%).  That is pretty close to 0.4% by my math and the only way I can see it creeping up to almost .7% would be if your tank is not a TRUE size..... claims to be a 20 gallon but is actually only 18 gallons or something.  (I have a tank that was advertised as a 15 gallon tank but it only holds 12.5 gallons).  Or if you have any substrate or decorations that is taking up water space.  These things, including your filter and air tubing etc, are displacing water volume and the salt calculation would need to be adjusted so as not to add tooo much salt.  Where you fill your tank up to will also make a difference when it comes to how much water is actually in the tank.  I know I don't have a full 55 gallons of water in my main tank, as there is substrate, plants, and of course my fish are displacing water themselves and there is a 1-1.5 inch air gap at the top of the tank for carbon monoxide to escape.  I don't know exactly how full the manufacturers expect you to fill your tank to get the advertised volume..... all the way to the top? to the bottom of the black trim? or do they allow for the water level to stay down an inch or so?  I  don't know........

I don't know if you have a true tank or if you have decorations or not, but these are things that should always be kept in mind when treating with salt or any other medication that is dosed at  "X amount per gallon" 

I am sorry you had a bad experience and hope your new Ryukin does alright after this experience.

EDIT:  I have often wondered if you have soft water if that effects the amount of salt you can safely add or not also.   

[clownfishi]

Zookey, that is exactly how I added the salt, except I waited 24 hours in between each time.

My tank as measured is 24x12.5x16" (trimming included). Holding around 20.6 gallons. I have left a small gap at the the top, meaning the height of actual water is 14", making the current volume of water 18.1 gallons. The only decorations are a 48" bubble wall curled up in one side of the tank and several seashells made of colored glass at the bottom of the tank (small, only a little over inch in diameter, not enough to displace a significant amount of water.) No substrate either. I've been at .3% salt for two days, not enough time for the salt to creep up if I'd been adding too much by measure, which, having added the exact amount of salt needed to the new water change water and disregarding the water I'd left in the tank, is not really a possibility anyway. It's possible I could have counted wrong and added two or three extra tablespoons, but not that many! Not more than twice what it should have been! I wasn't heavy handed with my tablespoonfuls. I tried to make sure they were level, but for every rounded one I made sure there was one that was a little below the measure. I also made sure my refractometer was calibrated correctly. I guess it's possible that my tablespoons are mismeasured, but I don't think so since it looks right and we've used them to cook for years.

My water is hard, if that makes a difference. My pH never moves from 8.0.

So by any standard I would be much more likely to have been adding less salt than I needed rather than over twice as much! I don't understand.

[zookey]

With the dementions you mention that is the same volume I came up with.  I assume that was exterior measurements.  The glass in a standard aquarium is 1/4 inch so you would need to reduce the length of the sides (or width) by 1/2 inch and the height by .25 of an inch.  I don't know how the salt would have gotten so high either.  The time between additions of salt would not make a difference.

What kind of salt did you use?  Aquarium salt or something else?

Personally I don't go beyond the 2 tsp per gallon because I have 2 fish with issues with salinity.

Sorry I am not much help on how the salt got so high though.

[clownfishi]

Yeah, exterior measurements. Even including the thickness of the glass there's just no way. Taking that into account the water volume is still 16.7 gallons. I added 16 gallons' worth of salt with 2 water changes of 80%, having assumed a volume of 20 gallons. I could see it creeping up this high over weeks, but not two days! It's just not possible! I could see .5% maybe, but .7%? 

I used API aquarium salt.

[zookey]

Wow I have run out of ideas on how your salt would have gotten so high.  Maybe one of the others here will a better idea for you.  I was thinking your salt could be more concentrated but if you are using AP Aquarium salt that should be fine and not be the cause, either.

I am sorry I am not of any help... but I think we ruled out some of the things that didn't cause the problem.

[clownfishi]

Yeah, you did help narrow things down. Thanks. It seems like I was really meticulous and covered all the bases, but I must have missed something somewhere or this wouldn't have happened. I thought about the salt being concentrated also, but I don't think that's possible. It's all the same chemical formula. It can't really be concentrated, I don't think.

[Puritychild]

with the amount my fish poo in the water and how "frisky" George is, I would never be brave enough to taste my water ...even after a WC

[clownfishi]

I just did tonight's water change. I siphoned out a little more water than normal and added back a bit more water than normal, meaning I replaced about 13-14 gallons. I added exactly 8 tablespoons of salt back into the tank. The salinity remained exactly where it was, 3-4 ppt! Something's not right here...

[Lolafish]

The salinity remained exactly where it was, 3-4 ppt! Something's not right here...

You may have a bad salinity kit.  Personally, I wouldn't even worry about it.  The easiest way to fix a possible wrong salt solution, is to do a 100% WC and start over.  It's really nothing to stress over.

[clownfishi]

I'm almost certain my refractometer is accurate. I made sure it was calibrated and all. I'm not really worried about it anymore, it's just a curiosity. The good news is Dante has continued to perk up and I just checked his eyes and they're almost completely clear again! 

[SeaWitch]

That is great news!!!  I am sure he will recover 100%!