Conductivity Probe / High Readings

Acroholic

Acroholic

Premium Member
Hey Curt,
I was getting around to calibrating my Neptune Systems Lab Grade conductivity probe, since it has been reading 60+ since I started my system, last week....
I have calibrated it 3 times over the last few days using Pinpoint 53,000 uS/CM calibration fluid and the 53,000 calibration setting on the ACIII pro , still getting the same readings 60+.....
I have used my Refractometer and backed it up with another Refractometer both say exactly the same 1.025
Any suggestions?
Does the AC display Conductivity as ppt or mS/CM ?
Thanks, Brian
 
During calibration make sure that the air vent hole on the side of the cond. probe is slightly up to make sure all the air escapes. Gently agitating the probe helps the air escape. Cond. is displayed in mS/cm. I recommend that you mount the cond. probe in a drip cup to eliminate the possibility of stay electrical currents/voltage causing an erroneous reading.

Curt
 
Curt,
I keep this probe in a tee fitting/compression fitting in-line...could this cause erroneous readings?
 
Earlier my AC displayed my conductivity at 69.7
I went home for lunch and recalibrated the probe again.....
still the Probe reads over 60...
I made a saline solution of 1.025 or 53,000 mS/CM..used this solution for high calibration......came to work and my conductivity is still over 60....
I also isolated the probe by settling it in a beaker of tank water and it also read over 60......
 
Update: Although my current status reads a conductivity of 62.8
when I checked my datalog, at 21:00 my conductivity was 35500...which sounds like more of a true reading.
 
it very high for me to

it very high for me to

i start install my conductivity probe to night for three time in solution 53,000 mS/CM , when i dip to my tank my ACIII pro read sky high ( 80.4 ) i try to calibration again and this time i place temp plus cond probe in solution 53,000 mS/CM and they still not work right
Curt have i do somg thing not right ?
 
After calibration with the controller in the run display, make sure that the conductivity reads 53 mS in the cond. cal solution to ensure a good calibration. During calibration make sure that all the air bubbles in the probe have escaped through the vent hole.
Then put the cond. probe in a cup of your tank water. Since the cup is electrically isolated from the rest of the tank it will be an accurate reading. If this reading is different than the reading when the probe is in the sump/tank, then the cond. probe should be mounted in a drip cup.

Curt
 
Curt, You didnt answer my question??? Should I just send the probe in for replacement..It has been reading over 62 for the last 24 hours after calibrating a half dozen times!!!
 
I'd like you to also try putting your probe in a cup of your tank water and see what it reads. After calibration does the calibration sol read 53 ms (controller in run mode)?

Curt
 
I also isolated the probe by settling it in a beaker of tank water and it also read over 60......
Click to expand...
Already Done..it still read over 60?
Will try calibration solution in run mode later....
 
Did it read correctly in the calibration solution? If so, then the probe and controller are responding correctly, and the tank water definitely has a higher conductivity than the calibration solution. I would then say that either the calibration solution isn't 53 mS, or the tank has high salinity.

Curt
 
Curt, I went out and purchased a Pinpoint Salinity Monitor, It reads 50.2 mS, which coincides exactly what my refractometer also reads. I find it very hard to believe that both of them are wrong my AC is right and I am running my tank with a hypersalinity of 65.0 mS..what gives?
 
Okay...this is what gives....
After quite a few hours and a gallon of Calibration Fluid....:eek2:

My ACIII Pro is reading mS/cm just fine....
Here is a pic of my probe manifold.....

ProbeManifold.jpg


Come to find out that the Conductivity Probe can be placed in line via tee fitting and compression fitting.........but only at a slower flow rate across the probe.
I was having problems with this probe place in line with a higher flow rate, this caused all the erroneous readings which was driving me crazy:confused:
I then switched the conductivity probe to an extra tee fitting on this probe manifold....and it started functioning properly giving exact mS readings....:D
I also calibrated the probe again with a fresh calibration fluid compliments of my lfs.....

Curt, I'm a happy camper and I apologize for ripping on you....

Brian
 
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you did to correct the problem. It sounds like you basically put the probe in a spot with lower flow?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7257223#post7257223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slickdonkey
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you did to correct the problem. It sounds like you basically put the probe in a spot with lower flow?
Click to expand...
Exactly....the lower flow did the trick, that along with using a known correct calibration fluid.

I did discover that my packets of Calitech calibration solution were all 8 months past expiration date, I'm not sure if this really matters or not?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7259265#post7259265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slickdonkey
That's an interesting manifold you have. How does it work for you and how did you build it?
Click to expand...

It's made with 3/4" pvc and standard Tee fittings from HD, the compression fittings came from Marine Depot
(Lab Grade Probes require 1/2" fittings p/n# OP3171 & Standard Probes require 3/8"fittings p/n# OP3173)
Flow thru this manifold is with a 79gph Ehiem 1046
after the manifold flow goes thru a PhosBan Reactor, the return to sump tee's off to my calcium reactor...seems to work just fine....
 
Very cool, thanks for the tip. I may try to do something like this for my new tank, I still hadn't figured out how I was going to mount the probes. I know some of the probes are supposed to be more than 6" apart from eachother (forget which) and this setup would probably accomplish that as well.

So, it sounds like 79gph turned out to be a good flow rate.
 
Yes, the 79gph flow rate seems to work out great. It is recomended the Conductivity Probe (far right in pic) is 6" min. from rest of probes.
Also, those compression fittings from Marine depot need to be modified a bit to properly fit the probes. I used a dremel with a round sanding drum to sand and open up the inside of the fitting so the probes slide in/out easier.
 
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