Does salinity matter in a cycle?

[Lonster]

Hello everyone. I've been reading through the forum here for quite some time since I decided I wanted to get a saltwater tank. I've spent the summer pulling together everything that I need to get set up and now i finally have water in my tank starting to cycle.

My question is regarding the salinity of my water. The salinity is at 1.028 and I know that is higher then it should be for fish and corals but is it ok to let the water cycle at this level? I've read up on water changes during the cycle and some say its ok and some say not to do it. I have ammonia showing up at about 0.1 ppm and am looking for advice on what to do.

Thanks ahead of time

[Aquattro]

Salinity isn't perhaps as critical, but it's still important. You've got lots of life on and in the rock that is used to 1.026, so that slight increase coupled with ammonia could kill things off, leading to further NH3 levels.
To drop it, simply add freshwater (chlorine removed).

As for water changes, when I'm curing rock, I perform water changes often.

[Lonster]

Thanks. I'll do a water change to bring it down.

[TimT]

I would bring the salinity down a little via water changes as Aquattro suggested but I would also add in an ammonia neutralizer.

What are you checking your salinity with? The plastic salinity checkers are notoriously off, sometimes up to 0.003.

[Lonster]

I am using a plastic hydrometer for now. I figured that it would be ok until the cycle is done and I start putting corals and fish in and it needs to be more precise. I changed some of the water and now get a reading of 1.025.

As I am just staring the cycle should I not want the ammonia to be there?

[Maverick00]

Originally Posted by TimT

I would bring the salinity down a little via water changes as Aquattro suggested but I would also add in an ammonia neutralizer.

What are you checking your salinity with? The plastic salinity checkers are notoriously off, sometimes up to 0.003.

mine was off .006 when i first started in the hobby but at least the numbers were easier to read than the refractometer :P

[Myka]

I would be more comfortable cycling at 1.020 than 1.028.

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by Myka

I would be more comfortable cycling at 1.020 than 1.028.

+1

lower salinity seems to be safer than higher

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Myka

I would be more comfortable cycling at 1.020 than 1.028.

agreed here as well

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

I would be more comfortable cycling at 1.020 than 1.028.

Why? Personally, I use 1.026, which is where my tank sits day to day...