Lowering Salinity

[Connie]

I just checked my salinity and it is at 130. I need to lower it. I have 180g. I was going to do my routine water change and I have 6 gallons of RO/DI water made up. Would it cause too much of a swing if I take out 6g of tank water and just add the 6 g of fresh RO/DI? I don't know how to do the math on this one.

 

[AngrySea]

I have an issue with that too. I change the water and was using TopFin seawater and still I can't get the levels down

 

[robbrouse]

I think on a 180 6 gallon should be fine.. If you are worried try 3 gallons wait a little bit and test and see where it's at.

 

[socal619]

I wouldn't do that Connie that's a lot of water and will swing your salinity pretty fast. I'd start by taking a few cup fulls of tank water replace with fresh, test it. Lower it gradually

 

[Mike J.]

I agree with the above. I'd do it at most two gallons a day on a 180 gal. tank.

 

[Connie]

I went on the side of caution and mixed 1.5 cups of salt to the 6g of RO water.(It takes 3 cups of salt to make 6g 125sg) The corals needed some fresh trace elements, so I wanted to add some new salt. After exchanging the water, my 180g now reads a sg of 126, which is where I like to keep it. That wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I thought it would take more than that to make a significant change, but I guess not. I hope that wasn't too much of a swing. So far, everything looks happy. Thanks for your input everyone. I don't know what I'd do without R2R friends!

 

[Connie]

Now I'm worried it dropped too much.

 

[socal619]

just keep a eye on the corals, see how they react GL

 

[Connie]

There were no ill effects to any habitants in the tank. The salinity didn't stay ad 126. It is now back to 129. I am going to remove a gallon of tank water a day and let the ATO replace it with RO/DI water.

 

[mike007]

Good idea you don't want to add anymore salt just rodi. I have been using Redsea Pro and when i mix it for a water change it mixes at 1.025 and when i add it to tank my level always rises. I really believe that the salt doesn't fully dissolve in a few hours as they say.

 

[Connie]

I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt too. I really like the salt and will keep using it, but now that I know it gradually creeps up, I can keep an eye on it.