Need advice for lowering salinity

[RocksNStuff]

Great tips here. Thanks everyone for the help. I'll start dropping it today and keep you all posted.

 

[srobertb]

Good idea. But I do have something competing against the high salinity. Low Nitrates. Like 0 Nitrates. I'm trying to get them up by feeding but can't seem to. This is all to say that I'd like to do as little water change as possible. Does that make sense?

I’d get my salinity down there worry about your nitrates.

You need to pull out salt so you’re going to have to pull out the water mixed with that salt. Just scoop out water every day or 2x a day and let the ATO refill it until you’re back to where you want to be.

 

[RocksNStuff]

I’d get my salinity down there worry about your nitrates.

You need to pull out salt so you’re going to have to pull out the water mixed with that salt. Just scoop out water every day or 2x a day and let the ATO refill it until you’re back to where you want to be.

Sounds good. I don't have an ATO but the concept still applies. I'll just add the RODI back in slowly. Thanks!

 

[WVNed]

Really? I don't need to take it slower?

Scary? Then 2 days and bring it down to 1.025-1.026
LOL

I would do it in 4-6 hours.
But why would I know what the heck I am talking about. It's the internet everyone is an expert.
Weeks? Now that's scary. If it's bad enough to fix why would you take weeks doing it?

 

[RocksNStuff]

Scary? Then 2 days and bring it down to 1.025-1.026
LOL

I would do it in 4-6 hours.
But why would I know what the heck I am talking about. It's the internet everyone is an expert.
Weeks? Now that's scary. If it's bad enough to fix why would you take weeks doing it?

Don't take it personally. You obviously have a ton of great experience. My reason for going slowly is to not shock the fish and corals. I figure if they've been in high salinity for probably 2 months or more, I don't want to drop it that fast.

 

[WVNed]

Dont take this personally but if something is screwed up the faster you can get it back to normal the better off the tank is going to be within reason. The livestock is much less likely to be shocked by a return to normal
than when it goes out of normal.
You are essentially acclimating the animals to a new SG level. If they just came in the mail would it take weeks for you to do it?
I will say no more.

 

[fish farmer]

Dont take this personally but if something is screwed up the faster you can get it back to normal the better off the tank is going to be within reason. The livestock is much less likely to be shocked by a return to normal
than when it goes out of normal.
You are essentially acclimating the animals to a new SG level. If they just came in the mail would it take weeks for you to do it?
I will say no more.

I agree. I've had quick drops in salinity or found salinity way high and I've corrected them within hours to days depending on the situation and never seen issues, but I don't keep delicate critters, mostly softies and hardy LPS.

 

[WVNed]

I agree. I've had quick drops in salinity or found salinity way high and I've corrected them within hours to days depending on the situation and never seen issues, but I don't keep delicate critters, mostly softies and hardy LPS.

Usually the delicate ones dying is what told you something was wrong in the first place.

 

[RocksNStuff]

Well I just did some math and to bring the SG down to 1.026 I only need to replace about 0.25 gallons. Ha! I was totally over thinking this. I'll just do that today. Good old math.

 

[Spieg]

0.004 SG is almost noting... Unless you have animals that are known to be sensitive to SG changes (starfish for example), I'd just make the adjustment over the period of an afternoon. I personally have adjusted as much as 0.01 SG in less than an hour many many times over the last 30+ years without any problems (and I do keep some starfish). Adjusting over a period of weeks is just silly advise IMO.

 

[RocksNStuff]

0.004 SG is almost noting... Unless you have animals that are known to be sensitive to SG changes (starfish for example), I'd just make the adjustment over the period of an afternoon. I personally have adjusted as much as 0.01 SG in less than an hour many many times over the last 30+ years without any problems (and I do keep some starfish). Adjusting over a period of weeks is just silly advise IMO.

I'm beginning to see the bigger picture here. As I mentioned above it only takes about a quarter gallon to get the SG down to 1.026. Doesn't seem that drastic after all!

 

[RocksNStuff]

Oops. Math error! I forgot that RODI water has an SG of 1, not 0. Duh. That's the definition.

With updated calcs I now need 10 gallons of RODI.

A couple of days outta do it!

 

[Paul B]

I would lower that salinity from 1.030 to 1.025 in a couple of hours.