Screwed up salinity, best coarse of action/risk assessment

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Hello everyone! Like the title says... I made the bone head mistake of draining my tank without turning off the ATO... Salinity went from 1.026 to 1.024. I was so excited to add some corals from my QT tank I just let it slip my mind, All corals are softies/LPS I believe the most sensitive species I have are some hammers but I also have duncans, blastos, mushrooms, zoas, toadstool, nepthea and clove polyps in the tank. Other live stock is 1x scarlet hermit crab, 1x dwarf blue leg, 1x pom pom crab and 1x blood shrimp.

I know inverts especially don't like swings in parameters. Not sure if I'm making a bigger deal than it is but worked really hard to get this tank to where it is and I'm frankly quite scared. If this isn't actually an emergency than apologies but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks in Advance!

 

[Shaka_Reefer]

You’re fine, no need to panic.

 

[Shaka_Reefer]

Well depends on the water volume, what size tank?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hello everyone! Like the title says... I made the bone head mistake of draining my tank without turning off the ATO... Salinity went from 1.026 to 1.024. I was so excited to add some corals from my QT tank I just let it slip my mind, All corals are softies/LPS I believe the most sensitive species I have are some hammers but I also have duncans, blastos, mushrooms, zoas, toadstool, nepthea and clove polyps in the tank. Other live stock is 1x scarlet hermit crab, 1x dwarf blue leg, 1x pom pom crab and 1x blood shrimp.

I know inverts especially don't like swings in parameters. Not sure if I'm making a bigger deal than it is but worked really hard to get this tank to where it is and I'm frankly quite scared. If this isn't actually an emergency than apologies but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks in Advance!

I think you will be okay. You can add a little more salt to the system each time you do a water change to make up the difference over time. Just not all at once.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Well depends on the water volume, what size tank?

Sorry I forgot to mention that, Tank is 13.5 gallons

 

[DSEKULA]

Your likey fine just bring it up to where you need it. I'd do it slowish take the salt needed to bring it to 1.026 and add it to rodi add just enough that it disolves making a saturated solution. Then add this to the tank in 2-4 doses letting it even out in between... Before and after work for example.

 

[DSEKULA]

Sorry I forgot to mention that, Tank is 13.5 gallons

Maybe slower if it's that small but I'd basically do the same thing just in smaller incriminates and test in between, you definitely don't want to over compensate

 

[vetteguy53081]

no sweat. Through evaporation alone, it will creep back up

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

I think you will be okay. You can add a little more salt to the system each time you do a water change to make up the difference over time. Just not all at once.

Your likey fine just bring it up to where you need it. I'd do it slowish take the salt needed to bring it to 1.026 and add it to rodi add just enough that it disolves making a saturated solution. Then add this to the tank in 2-4 doses letting it even out in between... Before and after work for example.

Maybe slower if it's that small but I'd basically do the same thing just in smaller incriminates and test in between, you definitely don't want to over compensate

no sweat. Through evaporation alone, it will creep back up

Thanks guys! I have some freshly made salt water left over (since it was replace by by the the fresh) So I can top the tank off with that for a few days and gradually bring it back up. Corals don't look too upset besides all the ones I just added but I'll keep a close eye on them. Apologies if it was an over reaction to use the emergency prefix, I really scared myself straight when I started about how sensitive corals are so whenever something like this happens my brain very quickly assumes the worst.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks guys! I have some freshly made salt water left over (since it was replace by by the the fresh) So I can top the tank off with that for a few days and gradually bring it back up. Corals don't look too upset besides all the ones I just added but I'll keep a close eye on them. Apologies if it was an over reaction to use the emergency prefix, I really scared myself straight when I started about how sensitive corals are so whenever something like this happens my brain very quickly assumes the worst.

It's okay. They should be fine.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

It's okay. They should be fine.

Thanks you, I feel a lot better about it now! Lesson learned though, glad I caught it pretty early, certainly could have been worse.

 

[dayanarivera]

can someone tell me please for a 60 g tank it the salinity ok with alot of corals ? I have it at 1.024 ??

 

[dayanarivera]

Thanks you, I feel a lot better about it now! Lesson learned though, glad I caught it pretty early, certainly could have been worse.

Thanks for your help

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

can someone tell me please for a 60 g tank it the salinity ok with alot of corals ? I have it at 1.024 ??

I believe you're fine and all your corals look happy. Some people run their tanks at 1.024, others at 1.025 and 1.026. If your keeping it there consistently thats the main thing, my concern was with the size of the swing I had created going from 1.026 to 1.024 in a matter of minutes.

 

[K7BMG]

I had a similar issue last night.
Something I need to correct, and never thought it through.
Lightning around here bounced our power on and off and caused all kinds of issues.
One I was not aware of until I got down to my office.
I have a 240G system and I have a 300G RO/DI storage container. Had about 180 gallons of freshwater in it and emptied into my sump. as the power issues clearly screwed up the pump controller.
My salinity dropped from 35 to 19.

Fish are fine and so far my corals are ok.
With some exceptions,
I have a Birds nest that looks as if its rapidly bleaching.
I Blasto colony that looks bad.
My Wilsoni also is a bit bleached.
And last but not least my Pulsating Zenia has shriveled to almost an 1/8th of its size.

Thank goodness I had my saltwater mixing tank almost full, but its salinity was high as I dumped in the bucket of salt and had yet to transfer the remainder of the RO/DI tank.
Been working on the last raise from 33.5 to 35

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

I had a similar issue last night.
Something I need to correct, and never thought it through.
Lightning around here bounced our power on and off and caused all kinds of issues.
One I was not aware of until I got down to my office.
I have a 240G system and I have a 300G RO/DI storage container. Had about 180 gallons of freshwater in it and emptied into my sump. as the power issues clearly screwed up the pump controller.
My salinity dropped from 35 to 19.

Fish are fine and so far my corals are ok.
With some exceptions,
I have a Birds nest that looks as if its rapidly bleaching.
I Blasto colony that looks bad.
My Wilsoni also is a bit bleached.
And last but not least my Pulsating Zenia has shriveled to almost an 1/8th of its size.

Thank goodness I had my saltwater mixing tank almost full, but its salinity was high as I dumped in the bucket of salt and had yet to transfer the remainder of the RO/DI tank.
Been working on the last raise from 33.5 to 35

Sorry this happened to you, I hope you get through this with minimal casualties.

 

[K7BMG]

Me too.
I have high hopes