Reduced salinity too fast?

[Moonraider]

Hey all.

55g SW tank. Understocked (2 fish, 2 coral, lots of macroalgae). Parameters are fine with the exception of salinity that creeped up on me (university finals are a beast, I got overwhelmed).

Did a water change, dropped it from 1.030 to 1.026 using a 1.025 and 1.010 dilution over the course of an hour or so. I added these dilutions water scoop by scoop, I didn't just dump it all in. My fish and my pulsating xenia was fine at the time but the next morning its stalk is shorter and the "hands" look stiff.

I now realize I did a bad thing, that was too fast. Is there anything I can to to make everyone in the tank more comfortable or more likely it be fine?

Thanks~

 

[PompanoBeach]

just let it ride now....

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Xenias are a pretty tough coral. I’m sure it will be fine. Was this all caused by water evaporation? Couldn’t really tell if you had added the salt directly to the tank? But it’s recommended to mix salt and water separately. You don’t really want salt to fall directly on corals.

 

[Moonraider]

Xenias are a pretty tough coral. I’m sure it will be fine. Was this all caused by water evaporation? Couldn’t really tell if you had added the salt directly to the tank? But it’s recommended to mix salt and water separately. You don’t really want salt to fall directly on corals.

God I hope so! And agreed. I mixed the salt water separately and let it sit a day, heated it to match the tank, etc., etc. I recently put a decorative plastic cover on the back of the tank and let it hang over the gaps in my tank lids thinking I could slow salt creep and trap heat. My salinity has always been really stable before so I think that attempt was also...not good. No more shortcuts for me!

 

[Glenner’sreef]

God I hope so! And agreed. I mixed the salt water separately and let it sit a day, heated it to match the tank, etc., etc. I recently put a decorative plastic cover on the back of the tank and let it hang over the gaps in my tank lids thinking I could slow salt creep and trap heat. My salinity has always been really stable before so I think that attempt was also...not good. No more shortcuts for me!

Looks like you’re on it!

 

[GoVols]

Since you lowered your sg.

Test your cal, alk and mag to see if they need to be bumped up.

Also, outside from running a cal reactor
Dosing will creep up your salinity over time.

 

[Moonraider]

Since you lowered your sg.

Test your cal, alk and mag to see if they need to be bumped up.

Also, outside from running a cal reactor
Dosing will creep up your salinity over time.

Thanks for the info. That was likely a contributing factor b/c I'd been dosing reef 1&2 for the corals more frequently