A 20% water change with out and salt is insane. If your hydrometer read 1.023 without adding any salt I would have thrown the Hydrometer in the garbage and stopped the water change.

you HAVE to add salt to your water change, that's the whole point!! You add water that is the same SG as the tank. And BTW, there is no way RO water was anything higher than SG of 1.000. That is pure water. Your equipment is either way off, or you're doing something terribly wrong...

ok, I gotta ask...is there anything alive in this tank??

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

his sig says "33-gallon mixed reef & freshwater cichlid tank." So it must be like a brackish tank.:mrgreen:

Its also a good idea to let the newly MIXED SALT WATER age for a day or so before adding it to your tank.

I have never heard of anyone adding fresh ro water to a marine tank when doing water changes. Just cause you have "always" done it that way doesnt make it right. No wonder your SG isnt stable.

Or its marine before the water change and then cichlid tank after the water change.:wink:

Hey could it be possible he has used the term Water change when he meant water top-up.

BV-Reefer were are you?

He's probably at school.

dunno. What Im confused about is him saying that using salt mixture would kick UP the SG... BV ya do know you can always use a little less salt in the mixture and match the SG with your existing tank? As in make your water change water 1.023 IF thats what your tank is at?