Hello all. I’ve noticed recently that my salinity on my APEX probe (located in sump) has slowly started to creep up over the last few weeks. I know the APEX probe isn’t super accurate, but a steady rise is a steady rise. I typically check with a refractometer weekly just to get an accurate number, but the APEX probe does help me see trends up or down. Anywho….
I took the salinity of the tank water from the DT with a calibrated refractometer and it was a little high, so I did a small 5 gallon change (I have a 120). I have the APEX set up for AWC, but decided to do this one manually. I added 5 gallons of fresh water to the sump, and of course the salinity number dropped significantly. I assumed it would mix through and even out, but it stayed low for days, and then slowly started to creep up, and now is damn near 40 ppt. So, I’ve either got a completely jacked probe, or I have a pocket in my sump where water isn’t turning over and it happens to be where my probes are.
The probes are located in my skimmer chamber, and I have an ATS and a UV running off a manifold and they take water from the sump and it dumps back into the sump. I knew there would be some “recycling” but didn’t think it would be this crazy. I’ve had this setup for around two years and this is a new thing.
Anyone else ran into either
A) The salinity probe doing the above. I know they aren’t the best, but it did recognize when I dumped the fresh water in so it can’t be completely screwed up.
B) Created an “eddy” in the sump and water just can’t escape. Not sure how to test that without some type of dye or something.
I’m gonna move my probes here shortly and see if I get different readings but been dealing with it long enough I thought I’d throw it up here.
Thanks in advance.
I took the salinity of the tank water from the DT with a calibrated refractometer and it was a little high, so I did a small 5 gallon change (I have a 120). I have the APEX set up for AWC, but decided to do this one manually. I added 5 gallons of fresh water to the sump, and of course the salinity number dropped significantly. I assumed it would mix through and even out, but it stayed low for days, and then slowly started to creep up, and now is damn near 40 ppt. So, I’ve either got a completely jacked probe, or I have a pocket in my sump where water isn’t turning over and it happens to be where my probes are.
The probes are located in my skimmer chamber, and I have an ATS and a UV running off a manifold and they take water from the sump and it dumps back into the sump. I knew there would be some “recycling” but didn’t think it would be this crazy. I’ve had this setup for around two years and this is a new thing.
Anyone else ran into either
A) The salinity probe doing the above. I know they aren’t the best, but it did recognize when I dumped the fresh water in so it can’t be completely screwed up.
B) Created an “eddy” in the sump and water just can’t escape. Not sure how to test that without some type of dye or something.
I’m gonna move my probes here shortly and see if I get different readings but been dealing with it long enough I thought I’d throw it up here.
Thanks in advance.
