Is my salt too high?

[edmlfc1]

I have my salt level at 1.019
ph-8-8.2
nitrite -0
nitrate -5-10 (try to keep it less than a 5 but sometimes it creeps up on me.)
ammonia -0
Weekly 50%-60% water changes
2 Whisper 60 HOB filters
1 Eheim 2227 wet dry filter
Up and running since 11/4/07. (moved media, sand, decor & filters from previous tank) (had a mini cycle in the first week and used bio-spira to move things along)
Run water test weekly and keep a chart on my computer.

Tank is 120 Gallons 6 feet long x 2 feet wide x 2 feet deep with 2 green spotted puffers.
I tried to measure my puffers but we all know how hard that is......... I think one is about 3 in. and the other 3 1/2 inches from nose to tail. Or pretty darn close to that. I was just wondering if my salt may be too high for them. I noticed after the last two water changes they have been hiding alot. They never did this before. I brought the salt from 1.015 to 1.019 in the last two weeks. Did I do this too fast or did I do too much?

Also while I am asking questions 2 weeks ago I cleaned the decor (scrubbed off the algea in tank water) then my nitrite jumped to .25 for about 3 days then it dropped back down to 0. Did I clean too much at once? That week I raised the salt from 1.015 to between 1.016 & 1.017. It's been 2 weeks and the algea has returned and I was planning to clean it again but don't want the tank to go through another mini cycle.

Thanks for your help

[yunachin]

This may sound stupid but is this a brackish tank? The ideal level for marine tanks are 1.022. IMO

[crazedpuffer]

ed your adding an extra zero in the sg just so you know. Your salt is not too high, how big are your gsps and are you planning on going full marine?

[Pufferpunk]

I'd throw a protein skimmer on there.

[edmlfc1]

Sorry about that extra 0. One gsp is about 3 1/2 inches and the other is about 3 inches. It's a little hard to measure them. They may be a little longer than that, they are usually by the middle of the tank when I have the tape measure out so I have eye it. I really was not planning to go full marine but I thought with gsp's you pretty much had too. I have been looking at protein skimmers and with no knowledge about them I am not sure what to get. I don't have a drilled tank and I don't have a sump. I have been reading the reviews but I'm still lost as a goose.
So any idea why I went through a mini cycle after cleaning my decor?

[puff_love]

well when you add salt, it kills some of that benificial bacteria and without the bacteria it cant kill off the ammonia. That could have done it. Oh btw you should never have a 0 in your nitrate. nitrate is caused when ammonia is broke down by bacteria.

[Pufferpunk]

With excellent filtration, like a veggie filter, it is possible to have 0 nitrates. I do in my reef tank that has a refugeum attached. Rare for most FW though.

[puff_love]

Wow!!! pp that is very impressive

[pufferfreak]

your salinity level is ok. when ur gsp gett to there adult size they can even be put in full marine levels.

[yunachin]

your salinity level is ok. when ur gsp gett to there adult size they can even be put in full marine levels.

His salinity is basically full marine.