Changing salinity too fast?

stanleo

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So yesterday I took my water to get tested and the salinity that they came up with shocked me. I have always used a swing arm to test and with that kept it at 1.025. They used a refractometer and it was actually 1.030!! I freeked and bought a refractometer.

That day was water change day so I did a 15gl water change with water that was at 1.025. That brought the salinity down to 1.027. Tonight I changed 5gl of water with fresh RO and now the salinity is 1.025. Did I do it too fast? Are any of my inverts in danger? I have the usual plus a pincushion urchin and a sea hare. Its a 55gl tank.
 
Keep an eye on everything. I recently had similar levels but mine was due to my refractometer not being calibrated. I too was at 1.030 with the fish, coral, and inverts showing no stress. I lowered my salinity to 1.024 within a day and a half. I personally like to run my system at 1.024 (too each their own). I had no ill effects from this drop however I did make sure to match water temps as the corals, fish, and inverts did not need to deal with more than one parameter swing. I also did not use straight RO. I mixed my salt to 1.020 to lower it over 3 x 5 gallon water changes.
 
Salinity should be raised & lowered slowly say over a period of a week or more as it could affect your coral... Check you other parameters as well as that could have dropped too... Maybe check your salinity again before doing another water change...
 
you should also invest in some calibration fluid. pretty cheap stuff and it'll save you from potential trouble. after a month+ of decline and not knowing why. i traced my trouble to not recalibrating and elevated salinity. not i recalibrate before every water change
 

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