Salinity Issue

so my specific gravity and salinity were fine showing aspecific gravity 1.022 and salinity 30 and the water change I did was The same. Now today the specific gravity is at 1.019. I took some water from the tank and added salt till it dissolved and then dumped it in, what other way can I increase that or keep it from getting so low again?

Also I don't think my live rock is live. It was at the local fish store and indicated "live rock" but it was dry. My understanding was put it in the tank and let it do its thing. After reading on here a lot I think I went about it wrong. Should I buy already 'cured' is that the term? Live rock that's in a sump tank (there is a place that has some for sale) and use that to seed the rock I have now? I do plan on adding much more live rocks to the tank as down the road I want to add coral but I know I'm a long way off. (It's kind of buy some with every check kinda tank. I'm not adding any other fish or anything till I get all the rocks that I want and am more comfortable with the water changes. And I know bad me- I don't have a tester kit for everything else - that's legit next to buy (also why I'm not adding/messing with the tank much)

 

You need to cycle your tank, that little bit of rock is not sufficient for that tank, the hob filter is more for water polishing or a minI refugium on sw set ups, usually there is more live rock to provide biological filtration there is a lb to gallon ratio but I work off scape, also you need a decent wave maker to circulate the water through the rocks. wet live rock is the fastest way to fix this tank but you will still go through a minI cycle and your tank will not be stable for a little bit.
Sorry to be coming at you like this but you need to do a little bit of research my friend, as what ever you have spent is going to be wasted, get the test kit too apI saltwater test kit will suffice I use that 1, I'm not a genius or anything but I have a nice set up with the bare minimum you need to be in the safe zones so to speak. Easy Reefing, Reef,fowlr. For The Beginners/minimalist read the first couple pages of that thread as it will take 2 minutes to read and you will see all that I have. Do lots of your own research though as I don't cover cycling its very brief but has pics of everything needed.

 

Yea I did research but clearly not enough and it was after reading a lot on here I realized that things weren't going like I'd previously thought. I have a smaller tank I can use to either cycle the rock I have now or just put the tow damsels in while fixing everything else. It was kind of one of those went off the info I had then started it and found this forum and have been non stop reading and going ummm I think I need to re start this. And everyone who's been on here always seems super knowledgeable and helpful

 

Its good on here there's a lot to look through you can learn all you need, also see problems others run in to.
People do what you have done and worse, we are only human and make mistakes, loads of people have tanks and don't understand the nitrogen cycle, you have the best intentions and your on the learning path as we all are. Damsels are apparently rather hardy, if you get some wet rock and a test kit I reckon they will be ok with the cycle providing you keep the ammonia and nitrite below toxic levels. Research the fish in cycle and your fish to see what it says.

 

You might use your smaller tank to quarantine your damsels while your tank cycles and prepares.
Do you have your own sump?
Perhaps adding more wet, live rock will help you cycle versus the dry live rock you've already purchased. A few helpful things that I did when re-starting a used, established tank: (mind you, I'm no expert)
Grab yourself a master test kit and test your water so you know where you are in your cycle (once you read up on the nitrogen cycle, I'm sure it'll make more sense as to why you're testing).
Establish yourself at a LFS, ask if you can have a little of their substrate/media to add to your tank (this will help cycle and in most cases is usually free) - THIS is where we have learned a ton as far as products, procedures, etc. They can direct you when it comes to setting up your tank more than you know.
You can try some bio spira to help your tank along in the cycling process, but it isn't always an immediate answer.
We swear by ROWAphos here, for your sump and/or reactors.
What are you measuring your salinity with??

 

I do have a coralife deep six hydrometer.
We aren't running a sump, a couple reasons, we done have much space and the power has gone out a couple of times when it storms and I don't want to wake up to an empty tank.

I have no problem using the smaller tank for quarantine or even just putting the wet live rock in there and using it to seed and cycle the others.
The damsels are doing great right now, eating really well super active. The domino actually charges at the dog when she stares at the tank

So I think that be my plan, get the other tank going real well and start getting some wet live rock (I really was looking for every excuse to turn that smaller tank into another saltwater. The big tank has crushed argonite/ seashell mix and I want to do a tank with sand. But I'm not even trying to start any of that till I get this tank all fixed and set up.

 

That might be your problem Vision

Hydrometers are typically very inaccurate.
Most of us use a refractometer, so you might want to look into getting one. Also, get refractometer calibration fluid that calibrates it at 35 ppt (1.026).
If you don't have the $ for refracto calibration fluid, you could use RODI water in a pinch, but calibrating the refractometer at 0 with RODI water is far from what you'll be measuring it at.

 

Well I'm going to pick up some wetlive rock today and a test kit. And just had a second interview for another job. I'm officially hired so more money for fish stuff

 

The refractometer I use cost me £15 off amazon it does the job great, definitely a must. It comes in a blue box the atc one.


That's the one just so you know, happy for you on your road to salt water success !

 

So I went to the fish store today to get rid of a pesky algae eater that I inherited. And asked him about the live rock, curing and all that and if he had any already cycled wet that I could buy he said that the live rock - which was the kind I had bought - what actually created to have all the good bacteria that you need but without getting the bad 'hitch hikers' that they don't have to cycle. That When they are placed in the tank and wet it basically 'activates' the rock.