Urgent salinity 1.016

what is the quickest and safest way to raise it

 

do a water change but make it higher then you normally would.

 

Mix up some salt mix with a salinity of around 1.03 or a little higher and exchange 1 gallon at a time until you reach where you want to be. If you have fish or inverts in the tank then you need to raise the salinity slowly over several days.

 

When this would happen to me. I would make my top off water a little saltier than I would normally make my water change water. And just top it off over the next few days.

 

Depending on your livestock this is not dangerously low. (of course I would NEVER recommend that low). FWIW my LFS keeps all of the fish only sell tanks at 1.019 and has for the last 20 years.

I would recommend you fix this problem very slowly (over the next few days) by topping off with salt water rather than RO water. This way you dont actually effect the salinity when you add water, only when water slowly evaporates does the SG go up. You could also do a water change with SLIGHTLY higher SG than what is in there. Do this a few times over the course of a week until the SG is where you want it.

Just remember, take it slow. Drastic changes in SG will effect your inhabitants much more than keeping them that low of SG for a few more days while you slowly bring it up.

 

Any damage has already been done. Bring it up slowly like suggested to prevent shocking anyone.

I have done this method and it works. I have had some angry fish and corals when I wouldn't check the tank SG and only the water change buckets.

 

remember to slowly raise it, not in an instant or you'll stress inhabitants.