Thread: Hypersalinity
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Old 12-14-2012, 03:46 PM
Reef_Geek Reef_Geek is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by windcoast reefs View Post
I'm pretty sure the Red Sea has a salinity of 1.028-1.029 (or higher in some areas).

I think the fish need to be adapted to that environment to do well, I would think it would be very stressful on a fish if it was a rapid change.
That's neat! I did not know about the Red Sea salinity. Wiki says 41 ppt at the north end farthest away from Gulf of Aden, and 36 ppt at the end near Gulf of Aden.

That's a good point to add--whether lowering or raising salinity, the fish need exposure to gradual implementation. For example, ion exchange rates in gill and gastrointestinal cells are expelling salts at a steady rate and need time to adjust, so if you suddenly dropped salinity... ions continue to be steadily expelled while the body's expectation of natural influx of ions isn't there... the fish's salt balance goes out of whack for sodium, potassium etc... both will really screw up bodily functions. (Sodium and Potassium ions play major roles in muscle contractions).
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