To Much Salt? It Burns.

Fullmoonnight · Dec 1, 2012

I'm new to salt water but the other day I changed the water 50%. I mixed it in a bucket before putting it in the tank but when I was moving things the water burned my hand. My eel has been hiding in the filter for the past day or two. Do I have too much salt?

Chad · Dec 1, 2012

Salt should sit for a number of hours after being mixed. Newly mixed salt water is caustic and the pH will change as it sits and temperature matters as well. Though most salts will be ready after a few hours some take longer so it's a good rule of thumb to wait for 24 hours before using it.

Donya · Dec 1, 2012

+1 to the above. It can even look clear and mixed but still be a bit caustic for a while, during which time it can easily irritate gills and other mucous membranes.

Also, if your hands were really dry, even thoroughly aged saltwater can feel unpleasant. I have that problem frequently. The skin can look fine at a glance even though it's full of tiny little cracks will burn when exposed to saltwater. However, that doesn't solve the too much salt issue. The way to know whether you have put in too much salt is with a hydrometer or, preferably, a refractometer. You should always check the specific gravity of your salt mix before adding it to your tank.

As for the eel hiding in the filter, does it have any other place to hide? Eels hanging out in strange places like overflows is a pretty common complaint.

Fullmoonnight · Dec 2, 2012

I let it sit for an hour or two even though the bucket said "instant" ( yea right).

I guess I'll have to see where I can get a refractometer. In the mean time is there any way I can tell if it's too much salt? Will the eel be okay?

Guess I'll have to use gloves to deal with the water but it really burned tthis time. My hand was red for 48 hours after. D:

He does but it's not pitch black like the filter. Not as small either. He xame out for a bite to eat and then slithered back into the filter again today.

Donya · Dec 2, 2012

Do you have a hydrometer even if not a refractometer? If no hydrometer either, then take a water sample to a LFS and they should be able to test it for you. If they only have a calibrated hydrometer on hand then you'll need to take a fair bit of water, not just few drops sort of sample that a refractometer takes. If you can't find a refractometer straight away at a store, then get a hydrometer as a quick fix while you look for a refractometer or wait for one to ship. Hydrometers are cheap, although prone to inaccuracy and don't automatically adjust for temperature influences on the reading - but if you've been running without testing at all, then those issues are by far the lesser evil for the short term compared to not testing at all. There's no way to know whether the eel will be ok for sure without knowing about the water first.

Chad · Dec 2, 2012

You can get decent refractometers online for around $40 with the calibration solution. Some place like BRS will have them. http

/www.bulkreefsupply.com/refractometer-for-reading-salinity-with-calibration-fluid.html

I agree that a hydrometer is better than nothing but having used them I can say from experience that a refractometer is worth the money.

The eel will probably be okay. I say probably because eels are pretty sensitive compared to many other fish when it comes to issues of the skin. If he's eating, that's a good sign. Eels are ambush predators so you can expect him to hide most of the time and that's not something you need to worry about as long as he's eating.

Fullmoonnight · Dec 9, 2012

tcamos said:
You can get decent refractometers online for around $40 with the calibration solution. Some place like BRS will have them. http/www.bulkreefs...tion-fluid.html

I agree that a hydrometer is better than nothing but having used them I can say from experience that a refractometer is worth the money.

The eel will probably be okay. I say probably because eels are pretty sensitive compared to many other fish when it comes to issues of the skin. If he's eating, that's a good sign. Eels are ambush predators so you can expect him to hide most of the time and that's not something you need to worry about as long as he's eating.

Okay that's good to know. I think I'll just borrow my Uncle's from time to time. ( LOL cheaper than getting my own and twice as much fun to annoy him)

That's good then

He's still sitting in the filter.

He has a hide but I guess he doesn't like it because it's not dark enough. For now I'll just give him a black bowl to hide under or something so he gets his butt out of the filter. What's the point of setting up a big ol' tank if he's going to cul up in the tiny filter right?

Donya · Dec 9, 2012

I think I'll just borrow my Uncle's from time to time.

This is not really any different from relying on the LFS for testing in the sense that if something goes wrong and you need results ASAP, you won't have them and your animals may suffer as a result. You need the ability to test the sg yourself.