Just a note about salinity and your refractometer

[jfolley67]

Hi guys...just thought I would let everyone know what has been going on with my tank. Seeing that we use the refractometer just at water change time, we had not callibrated it in a while. Just about killed off my tank! I lost my colt coral which was huge...it slowly melted away....then noticed that my bubble was shrinking more and then my yellow fiji leather closed up....hmmmmmm...knew something was up. Brought a sample of water to lfs for first time in months....my salinity was 1.018......I have no idea how this happened. I have no idea how long it had been that way.....so went home and my refractometer was still showing 1.024. Recalibrated and it was 1.018. Just want everyone to check theirs at home...a friendlly reminder. I have now brought the salinity up last night to 1.020 and tonight another water change to bring up to 1.022 and then hopefully by Thursday we will be back. Things already looking a bit nicer today. Funny, my zooanthids and brain and everyone else fine and dandy. I also will have a piece of a super fast growing toadstool that I have had for about 18months that is splitting again if anyone has anything to trade for these days. It splits alot and Waynesworld got a piece of it for his birthday a few months back. It is a nice coral.

 

[coral_reefer_25]

I think I've read that you are supposed to calibrate your refractometer with distilled water, but can you use RO/DI water?

 

[crumbletop]

Yes you can use RO/DI, but a calibration fluid that is around the proper salinity/refractive index for 1.026 is also a good idea. Much discussion on this in the chemistry forum. KAiNE turned me on to it in a MTRC thread last week:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=966021

 

[KAiNE]

I have plenty of calibration fluid. I can bring some to work with me if anyone wants to stop by and check their refractometer. I work downtown @ baptist.
My refractometer, when properly calibrated reads ro/di as -3ppt.

 

[danieljames]

Is it a long polyp toad folley? Is it green by chance?

 

[jfolley67]

HI Daniel, it does have pretty good size polyps, but it is a tan color....has 3 heads now and splitting again......
Yes, I use callibration fluid for mine, just dumb dumb me did not use it for way too long and forgot to callibrate at all. Soooo glad I realized it before I lost anything else. Things looking a bit brighter today.....topped off with more saltwater...I am between 1.020 and 1.021 right now...tonight doing another 10 gallon water change with 1.027 water.....this should bring it up to about 1.023 or 1.024.....also I changed all my ro/di cartridges...hoping for good results. I definitely need more fishies and a few more frags, been forever since i have done a thing!