Did I screw up? Salinity issue

My salinity was hovering at 1.200. My nitrates were up slightly so my LFS suggested a water change and to increase the salinity to about 1.024 max. I made up some new water. I missed on the salt and the add water was at 1.029. So I figured adding about 3/4 gallon to the tank at the sightly higher salinity would bring up the level in the tank a point or so. NOT so. The salinity tests at 1.023. I assume this much of a swing a bad thing? Should I take some out or just let it ride? PS - I only have distilled h20 now. No more RO for today.:-[

 

Although it is faster than you want to make the change, let it ride. I think everything will ride it out. Just mix water in your left over to get the salinity to 1.025 of 1.026.

 

You'll be fine.

 

Salinity

Thanks for the quick answer! On a nano such as what I have, what would be the ideal salinity level? Another quick question: to control nitrates should I also be looking to do a siphon filter of the sand bed?

 

An easy way to raise salinity slowly is to add a little salt water rather than fresh to top off each day to make up for evaporation,just keep checking your salinity to see where it is.

 

All reef tanks should be around 1.025 so 1.024 to 1.026 as a range. Siphoning the sand is a good idea. clean all equipment regularly and often and use a baster to blow water on your live rock in areas that don't get a lot of flow.

 

You don't want to stir up the substrate. I have a 24 gal nano and I run my salt at 1.025.

 

+1 with sailorguy