Water changes

[Carmen]

I have nearly 8 gallons of RODI water ready to go for my first water change. When I first started the tank in early September the reading was 1.026. It's now down to 1.023. When I make my new water, do I match the '023 or do I mix it up to the original reading of '026?

 

[Aquarian]

What do you have for livestock? If there's nothing in there I would mix it strong 1.028- 1.030 to bring the salinity in the tank up to 1.026.

 

[Carmen]

When I first started my aquarium that's what I did. I put all the water in and then mixed the salt in the sump. Worked really well. But now I have a CUC and two small clowns so I can't. Would it be okay to bring it up to 1.026? Or should I start with 1.023?

 

[kbuser92]

Mix high and slowly bring it up a point or two a week. Are you topping off more than us evaporating? It should never drop unless you've been mixing it too light or something.

 

[Carmen]

I have an ATO that takes care of that for me. However on a couple of occasions I took out about a quart of water to use to disinfect some softies I had gotten. Perhaps that contributed to the salt level dropping?
This will be my first ever water change. I was going to change out 10% of the water. Are you saying to not change it out all at once? That would be okay by me.

 

[kbuser92]

No, you can change it. When you replaced those couple quarts with saltwater or regular freshwater? Because if you let your ATO do it, it would be all fresh and yes, that's why it dropped.

 

[Carmen]

I let my ATO do it. I wondered about the salinity dropping but didn't think it would be that much.

 

[kbuser92]

Problem solved.